Debbie Reynolds's film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16 impersonating Betty Hutton. Most of her film work has been in MGM musicals, as perky, wholesome young women. She continues to use her dancing skills with stage work. Nearly all the money she makes is spent toward her goal of creating a Hollywood museum. Her collection numbers more than 3000 costumes and 46,000 square-feet worth of props and equipment.
. Filed for 'Chapter 11' Bankruptcy protection. [July 1997] Mother of actress Carrie Fisher. Mother of Todd Fisher. She appeared as Dan's mother, who just got out of the mental ward), during an episode of the sitcom Roseanne. When she later appeared on Roseanne's talk show, she revealed that during the filming of that episode, while she and Roseanne were wrestling in the back yard, Roseanne, quite unknowingly, accidentally broke one of her ribs. In 1984, with friends like Shelley Winters and Terry Moore, she made a rather restrained exercise video for "women of a certain age". Won the 1948 Miss Burbank contest and was offered a screen test by Warner Bros. the day after her win. She initially entered the contest because everyone who entered received a silk scarf, blouse and free lunch. Ex-mother-in-law of Paul Simon. She made her "first ever" appearance at the "Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show" on April 6th & 7th, 2002, at Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn, in North Hollywood, California. In 1975, she sold the Beverly Hills mansion that she had lived in with Harry Karl. The house was reputed to be worth over $1,000,000. The buyer was Jim Randall, an industrialist who made aircraft rivets. He married actress Marisa Berenson, the wedding was held in the redecorated house and his best man was his friend George Hamilton. Considers herself a "movie-oholic" and has an extensive collection of memorabilia, with over 4,000 costumes from the silent screen period to the 1970s. She has been known to gather posters from her collection of 3,000 and drive to homes of actor pals for autographs. In the 1990s she turned her collection into a Las Vegas movie museum, but had to shut it down in 1997 because of financial problems. Recently she has looked into the possibility of opening up a hall of fame museum in Hollywood near Grauman's Chinese Theatre. At one particularly low point in her career, she confessed to literally living in her car, a Cadillac. April 2002: Opened the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection near the new Kodak theatre. The collection, which was preserved primarily by Reynolds herself, features over 3,000 costumes including: Carmen Miranda's turbans; Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz; John Wayne's guns and Marilyn Monroe's windswept dress. Made her Broadway debut in 1973 in the revival of "Irene". Although the reviews for the show itself were mixed, hers were all raves and she wound up with a Tony Award nomination the following year for Best Actress in a Musical. The production ultimately ran some 20 months. Her only other Broadway appearances to date came when she succeeded Lauren Bacall in "Woman of the Year" in 1983. Measurements: 33-23-34 (As Miss Burbank of 1948), 33 1/2B-23 1/2-34 1/2 (MGM costumer 1956), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). In one of her guest appearances on Will & Grace, she enters a room humming a bit of "Good Morning", which was a song she sang in her most famous musical, Singin' in the Rain. Was a member of the International Order of Job's Daughters. Had planned to go into the education field (teaching physical education) before she won the Miss Burbank contest. Is a Past Honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California. Is a Majority Member in California. In 1969, she followed Doris Day and some of her contemporaries in launching a TV sitcom bearing her name. When the debut episode included an advertisement for cigarettes, a direct violation of one of her contractual stipulations, she made such a fuss about it that NBC ended up cancelling the series. Is portrayed by Judith Jones in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story. President of The Thalians, an organisation for the treatment of mental health at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. Ruta Lee is the chairman. Both have been actively involved in building this celebrity run organisation for over 30 years. Her first appearance on Will & Grace was in the episode entitled "The Unsinkable Mommy Adler", a play on the title of the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She played both title roles. Wanting to be in show-business, Reynolds and her family's church forbid acting in show business. However, Reynolds' father saw her talent and gave his support. Reynolds' mother then gave her support knowing that there is no evil going on in movies. Reynolds' mother knew her daughter had talent, but doesn't know why it was happening to her own daughter. Close friend of Hugh O'Brien. Serenaded O'Brien and his bride, Virginia, at their wedding on June 25, 2006.