Kennedy, John F., 221, 256–57
Kerr, Jean, 251
Keyes, Evelyn, 119
Kiki’s Delivery Service, 271
Kingsley, Dorothy, 202
Kline, Kevin, 83–85, 275
Korshak, Sidney, 253
Koverman, Ida, 218
Kowal, Joe, 61, 89–90
Krebs, Stanley, 205
Kress, Harold F., 250
Lambert, Michael, 277
Lamour, Dorothy, 240
Lancaster, Burt, 184
Lane, Steve, 110
Larson, Jack, 203
Lassie, 194
Lawford, Peter, 193, 221
Lear, Norman, 262
Lee, Ruta, 4, 70, 160
Leigh, Janet, 216, 242
Lennon Sisters, 181
LeRoy, Mervyn, 65, 252
Lesser, Sol, 65
Levant, Oscar, 207
Lewis, Jerry, 103
Liberace, 279–81
Liberace, Frances, 279–80, 281
Light, Agnes, 28
Light, Donald, 28, 64, 146, 158, 161, 167
Light of Olympia, 278
Livingston, Jay, 233
Lloyd, Harold, 26–27, 179, 261
Lourd, Billie Catherine (granddaughter), 22, 60, 109, 114–15, 116, 136, 163, 164, 166, 271
Lourd, Bryan, 115
Lowe, Arthur Jr., 213–14
Lucas, George, 151
Macgill, Moyna, 255
Mackie, Bob, 262
MacLaine, Shirley, 20–21, 21, 117–18, 253, 254
MacLean, George, 119
MacMurray, Fred, 190
MacRae, Gordon, 190
Maddalena, Joe, 165
Main, Marjorie, 204–5, 252
Maltese Falcon, 179–80
Mapes, Jacques, 231
Marshall, Barbara, 11, 264
Marshall, Garry, 11, 263, 264
Martin, Andrea, 117
Martin, Dean, 103
Marx, Harpo, 161
Mary, Mary, 251–53
Mating Game, The, 235–36
Matthau, Walter, 232, 259
Mayer, Arthur, 200
Mayer, Louis B., 192, 193, 201, 205, 208, 209, 218, 252, 282
Mayer, Roger, 150
McCormack, Eric, 107
McDonald, Marie, 243
McDowall, Roddy, 70
McGuire, Phyllis, 36
Meehan, Paula Kent, 59, 70
Meet Me in Las Vegas, 225–26
Melnick, Al, 253
Melnick, Dan, 270
Mendelson, Tim, 127, 142, 144
Merkel, Una, 235
Merman, Ethel, 106, 199
Messing, Debra, 106, 108
MGM Studios, 66–68, 191–92, 193–99, 267–68, 270, 282
Miller, Ann, 222–23
Milton, Franklin, 250
Minnelli, Vincente, 258, 282
Monk, Debra, 279
Monroe, Marilyn, 68, 196, 212
subway dress of, 60, 161, 163, 167, 170–72, 173
Montalban, Ricardo, 211, 260
Montgomery, Robert, 189
Moonjean, Hank, 227
Moorehead, Agnes, 179, 249, 255, 260
Morris, Billy, 26
Mother, 74–80, 274, 275
Mr. Imperium, 204–5, 252
Muldoon, Kelly, 5
Mullally, Megan, 107
Murphy, Brittany, 276
My Six Loves, 250–51
Nanas, Herb, 275
Nichols, Mike, 20
Nicholson, Jack, 135
Nielsen, Leslie, 231–32, 234, 235
Nitzberg, Ronald, 25, 71
Niven, David, 221
O’Brian, Hugh, 126, 266
O’Connor, Carroll, 136
O’Connor, Donald, 205, 206, 207, 212–13, 268–70, 282
Odens, Jerry, 183
O’Hara, Joyce, 200
One for the Money, 278–79
Orman, Greg, 92, 147–48, 152, 154, 156, 158–59, 163
Orr, William, 185
Oz, Frank, 84, 275
Paddlewheel Hotel, Las Vegas, 22–29
Page, Geraldine, 265
Pan, Hermes, 194, 206
Paris, Jerry, 263–64
Parker, Jane, 39–40, 45, 51, 55, 56
Parton, Dolly, 150
Pasternak, Joe, 194, 211, 222, 225
Payne, Johnny, 212
Pearce, Alice, 250
Peck, Gregory, 249
Pepe, 242–43
Peppard, George, 68, 69
Peters, Michael, 23
Petersen, Bob, 70, 146
Pickford, Mary, 64–65, 282
Pierson, Fred, 52
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 150–54
Pinza, Ezio, 204
Pleasure of His Company, The, 244, 245
Powell, Dick, 220–21
Powell, Eleanor, 239, 268
Powell, Jane, 211, 222
Powers, Stefanie, 31
Preminger, Otto, 264
Presnell, Harve, 19, 253, 255
Preston, Robert, 249
Previn, André, 195, 213
Profiles in History, 160–61, 164, 165
Prowse, Juliet, 246
Randall, Tony, 235–36, 238
Rat Race, The, 242
Reiner, Carl, 241
Render, Rudy, 253
Rennie, Michael, 252
Reynolds, Bill (brother), 5, 26, 109–10, 112–13, 121, 139, 258
Reynolds, Debbie, 21, 80, 84, 100, 106, 108, 115, 116, 125, 128, 137, 140, 185, 203, 210, 223, 224, 238, 245, 269
acting career, 181–82, 183–86, 187–89; see also specific films
and bankruptcy, 155
birth and childhood of, 112–13
as Girl Scout, 113, 120, 183, 190, 201, 209, 214
health problems of, 58–59, 76, 181, 274
impressions by, 155, 157, 227–28, 229
and lawsuits, 48, 61, 70–72, 85–86, 154, 158–59, 163
miscarriages of, 251, 254
Miss Burbank (1948), 183, 192, 209
name of, 185
on the road, 17, 18–19, 88, 102–5, 156–58, 177, 201, 202, 253, 270, 282
Reynolds, Maxene (mother), 5, 102, 105, 110, 112–13, 114, 116, 183, 184, 196, 222, 231
Reynolds, Ray (father), 5, 104, 105, 110, 111–13, 114, 115, 134, 183, 184, 213, 231, 258
Reynolds Family Bean Recipe, 180
Rich, Mark, 52
Richards, Keith, 105
Rickles, Don, 242
Ritter, Thelma, 232, 245–46, 249
Robards, Jason, 262
Robertson, Cliff, 250
Robinson, Julie Anne, 279
Rogers, Buddy, 65
Rolling Stones, the, 104
Ronet, Maurice, 263
Rooney, Mickey, 193, 211
Rose, Helen, 195–96
Rose Marie, 166
Rosenstein, Sophie, 190, 191
Ross, Gene, 19
Rowland, Roy, 202
Rudin, Scott, 83, 275
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, 276
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, 277
Ruick, Barbara, 214
Russell, Jane, 220
Russo, Rene, 18
Sakall, S. Z. “Cuddles,” 191
Salinger, Conrad, 194
Say One for Me, 239–41
Schary, Dore, 205, 218, 219
Scott, George C., 136
Scott, Randolph, 200
Second Time Around, The, 245–47
Seltzer, Nancy, 161
September 10–11, 2001, New York, 142–46
Sheldon, Sidney, 194
Sherman, Richard and Robert, 267
Sidney, George, 177–78, 216, 242
Sidney, Lillian Burns, 76, 77, 177–78, 242, 243, 252, 255, 258, 267
Siegel, David, 90–91, 92, 93, 95, 147
Simmons, Jean, 218, 220
Simon, Paul, 5, 132
Sinatra, Frank, 7, 99, 103, 120�
��21, 178–79, 223–25, 224, 226, 230, 243, 246, 266
Singer, Joey, 30, 59
Singing Nun, The, 260–61
Singin’ in the Rain, 61, 66, 84, 90, 104, 107, 132, 191, 194, 195, 205–11, 212, 215, 218, 231, 268, 269, 273, 278, 282
Skelton, Red, 200
Skirts Ahoy!, 211–12
Smith, Victor, 28
Soderbergh, Steven, 279, 280, 282
Sourire, Soeur, 260, 261
Spahn, Andy, 151
Spielberg, Steven, 151
Stebin, Dan, 160, 161
Stewart, Jimmy, 221, 249
Stone, Oliver, 272–73
Strasberg, Lee, 265
Streep, Meryl, 20
Strickling, Howard, 198
Surtees, Robert, 197
Susan Slept Here, 220–21
Tamblyn, Russ, 199, 211, 222
“Tammy,” 123, 124, 157, 233–34
Tammy and the Bachelor, 95, 231–34
Tashlin, Frank, 221
Taurog, Norman, 230
Taylor, Elizabeth, 200
and Burton, 125–26, 129
and Fisher, 3, 4, 36–37, 44, 56, 120, 123–25, 126, 233, 235, 237, 260
and friendship, 124, 126–29
health problems of, 117, 118, 127–28, 145
and Hilton, 118, 119, 120
and September 2001, 142–46, 143
and These Old Broads, 117–18, 128
and Todd, 3, 119–20, 121, 122–25, 196
and Warner, 13, 145
and Wilding, 118–19, 120, 122, 123–24
Taylor, Rip, 30, 33, 36, 47
Taylor, Rod, 228
Tender Trap, The, 223–25, 243, 254
Thalians, the, 126, 131, 134, 159–60, 240
That’s Entertainment!, 267–70, 273
That’s Entertainment, Part 2, 270
That’s Entertainment! III, 212, 273
Thau, Benny, 193
These Old Broads, 117–18, 128, 277
This Happy Feeling, 234–35
Thompson, Hunter S., 275
Thorson, Scott, 279
Three Little Words, 192, 200–201
Thrill of It All, The, 241
Todd, Mike, 3, 119–20, 121, 122–25, 233
Topping, Bob, 204
Tracy, Spencer, 193, 199, 217
Trescone, Al, 183
TrizecHahn, 139–40, 148
Truman, Harry S., 199, 200
Turner, Lana, 120, 204
Turner, Ret, 5
20th Century Fox, 68
Two Weeks With Love, 102, 201–3
Unsinkable Molly Brown, The, 19, 68, 104, 253–58, 260, 265
Urban, Lisa, 160, 161
Ustinov, Peter, 126
Valentino, Rudolph, 166
Van, Bobby, 214
Van Dyke, Dick, 262, 263–64
Van Patten, Patty and Dick, 11
Vardalos, Nia, 277
Wagner, Robert, 30, 239
Wallis, Hal, 20, 253
Walters, Billy, 34, 35
Walters, Chuck, 224, 253, 254, 256
Waltrip, Darrell, 152
Warner, Jack, 183, 184–85, 192, 251
Warner, John, 13, 145
Warner Bros., 182, 183–86, 190, 191
Wasserman, Edie, 268
Wayne, David, 225
Weaver, Dennis, 266
Webb, Clifton, 197–98
Webb, James R., 250
Wedding Bell Blues, 274
Weingarten, Larry, 253
Weire Brothers, the, 102, 103
Welch, Raquel, 270
What’s the Matter with Helen?, 264–66
White, E. B., 267
Wilding, Michael, 118–19, 120, 122–24
Will & Grace, 106–8, 108, 277
Williams, Esther, 70
Williams, John, 214
Winfrey, Oprah, 161
Wings, 89
Winters, Shelley, 203, 264–66
Woman of the Year, 58, 270
Wong, Dianna, 139, 140
Wunderlich, Jerry, 25–26, 59, 64, 68
Wynn, Steve, 27, 30, 62–63
Zack and Reba, 276
Zeta-Jones, Catherine, 281
Zukor, Adolph, 200
PHOTO SECTION
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DEBBIE REYNOLDS, often referred to as “America’s sweetheart,” is an actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, and author best known for her leading roles in the films Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and on television as Bobbi Adler in Will & Grace. After more than sixty years in the entertainment industry, she is truly a Hollywood icon. Today, she continues to thrive, performing her one-woman show around the world, making film and television appearances, and writing a syndicated weekly advice column. She lives in Beverly Hills, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada
www.debbiereynolds.com
DORIAN HANNAWAY was the director of late-night programming at CBS for more than fifteen years, supervising the production of The Late Show with David Letterman; The Kids in the Hall; and The Late, Late Show with three hosts: Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, and Craig Ferguson. In 2010, she produced The Battle for Late Night, a two-hour documentary for A&E. She has known Debbie for more than thirty years, and has written and produced many projects with her.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
ALSO BY DEBBIE REYNOLDS
Debbie: My Life
CREDITS
Cover design by Carol Hannaway
Cover photograph licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved
COPYRIGHT
The conversations in the book all come from the author’s recollections, though they are not written to represent word-for-word transcripts. Rather, the author has retold them in a way that evokes the feeling and meaning of what was said and in all instances, the essence of the dialogue is accurate.
Photos, unless otherwise credited, are from Debbie Reynolds’s personal collection and appear courtesy of the author.
UNSINKABLE. Copyright © 2013 by Maxray Productions, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-221365-5
EPub Edition April 2013 ISBN 9780062213679
Version 08312015
13 14 15 16 17 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East – 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
oks on Archive.