Audiobook: Debbie Reynolds - My Life
"Singin' in the Rain (1952) and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life." --Debbie Reynolds
One more recommendation came from my co-worker, Sue. She had recommended I read Carol Burnett's book, which I did. Then she recommended Debbie Reynolds' 1988 biography entitled "My Life". It was a fun read and has me interested in seeing Ms. Reynolds' live act.
Mary Frances Reynolds was born in El Paso, Texas on April 1, 1932. She was a cute young child - but for all her cuteness she was also a tomboy who just wanted to play with her brothers and couldn't understand why they wouldn't let her play with them. The Reynolds family moved to California when Mary Frances was a child, and lived a modest life in the area around Hollywood. They lived blocks away from the Warner Brothers film studio, but Mary Frances thought nothing of it since her religious upbringing (her family belonged to the Nazarene church) felt movies were sinful.
Mary Frances' family didn't have much money, so for entertainment Mary Frances would play and impersonate her favorite acts, her best being an impression of Betty Hutton. She would perform in front of family, friends, and the mirror, perfecting her act until she could lip-sync her material perfectly.
Growing up having to count every penny, Mary Frances entered the Miss Burbank contest when she was 16 because the girls were all given clothes and shoes just for entering. Mary Frances had no intention of actually taking the contest seriously - and really treated the competition as a joke. For her talent she did her Betty Hutton lip-sync routine and brought down the house. Sure enough - Mary Frances Reynolds was named Miss Burbank at the end of the day. No one was more shocked than she! In attendance at the beauty contest was a scout for a studio. Soon after being crowned she received a phone call asking for a screen test. Despite the misgivings of her church, Mary Frances signed a seven year contract and told that her name would now be Debbie.
She was given parts in small films with modest success, but her real break came in 1952's "Singing in the Rain", co-starring the incomparable Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. MGM President Louis B. Mayer told Kelly that Reynolds would be his co-star. Kelly was not happy about that. At this point Debbie was a modest dancer but not up to Kelly and O'Connor's level, and she was required to spend hours learning how to dance. Kelly would take out his frustration on the set, yelling at both Reynolds and O'Connor. In the end, however, all the struggle and tribulation paid off - "Singing in the Rain" was an unqualified hit with both critics and the fans. Debbie Reynolds was a star.
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