Debbie Reynolds | CONVERSATIONS AT KCTS 9

kcts9.org/conversations-kcts-9
Join Enrique Cerna as he talks with this living legend about everything from her unusual and sudden rise in Hollywood, to her headline-making marriage to Eddie Fisher, a sometimes-tumultuous relationship with daughter Carrie Fisher, and what she's working on now.
Airdate: July 24,2009

[@TobyJae]

I was about 12 when I met Debbie Reynolds at the Doral Hotel in Miami Beach. She was coming in to do a live radio interview with Hy Gardner and was mobbed by the assembled crowd. She wound up right smack in front of me! Eye to eye with her I said "Hello Miss Reynolds!" and she smiled and asked me if I was having a good time. I told her I was spending the day with my Aunt who worked at the Doral. She asked me if I would like an autograph. "Yes, please!" I still have it in my 1968 diary!

[@lancewilliams9971]

God threw away the mold after Debbie entered our lives. She has a special place in my heart.

[@avuncular300]

Such a beautiful lady with an honest viewpoint on life.

[@myronmadey3040]

A true legend! So talented in everyway! I'm still upset that she and her daughter are no longer with us. Always remembered never forgotten ever!!

[@cruisinjude]

She's adorable. I've always loved her - such spirit!

[@bannedheretic2971]

I will never get tired of Debbie.

[@matilda0410]

Fabulous woman. She and Carrie are missed! ❤

[@AfridiZindabad]

She's so beautiful like an angel

[@TheMartinick]

Very nice interview. She truly is "The Unsinkable Molly Brown!"

[@sanaa371]

She's a cute. Good to see someone so talented that never lost her simplicity and never let herself to be deceived by fame.

[@navarwatson4551]

Oh how I wish Debbie’s dream for preserving Hollywood artifacts would have come to fruition. It’s a genius idea - a museum I would visit over and over again. I hate that she never truly accomplished her goal after decades of dreaming.

[@lenwelch2195]

She cashed in the costumes for 42 million dollars so Debbie made millions by living long enough to cash in and those that bought those dresses are taking care of them. When I heard about her hardships of being ripped off by her 3 husbands and found out she made that money I said to myself “ there is a god “ this woman deserved that peace of mind financially. She died heart sick over Carrie who was Debbie’s alter ego - Carrie is Debbie feeling the brunt of the pain others gave her. That’s why Debbie was so close to Carrie, Carrie seemed to not have the ability to turn her cheek to life’s pain, her bipolar was life’s pain taken head on like a pie in the face. Debbie had a natural way of denying and averting pain without drugs. Love Debbie and Carrie. They laugh at life and always tried to see the beauty in life.

[@TheSoni83]

Rip Debbie your with Carrie now ❤️

[@sharker102]

she died?

[@milesclarke9343]

qt schartner it was all over the ! She died a day after her daughter

[@starlightinkwell]

Debbie was 19 when she made Singin' in the Rain. But she was 17 when she came to MGM. She was born Ap 1, 1932 Sigin' in the Rain was made in 1951, released in 1952. Debbie was a natural entertainer and a story teller, and as with most storytellers she didn't really worry about accuracy if it got in the way of a good yarn. She was adorable, talented, and a very creative embroiderer. She had a very tough life, at one point homeless and living our of her car because she made three disastrous marriages, two of them who ruined her financially. But she was a determined woman who refused to be defeated. It is what made her such a great entertainer--along with a load of talent. We have these absurd ideas that because someone if famous they are not only also rich, but that they must have had easier lives than ours. Debbie's first husband betrayed her with another woman, and she was left to raise their two very young children on her own. Fisher never formed a relationship with those two sweet children, and they were all left floundering. Husband #2 gambled all of Debbie's money away, and she spent the next two decades working off HIS debts. Then #3, the worst of all, carried on with his mistress through their entire marriage, and Debbie had to hide from him one terrifying night when she realized he might actually be planning to throw her off a balcony and try to make it look like an accident so he could get the money she had worked so hard to earn after so much betrayal. She was amazing not only in her talent, but in her resiliency and spiritual strength.

[@glennfromthebronx]

...as a supplement to this interview, if not already. look at Debbie's more recent interview...from NYC's 92nd Street Y...with host, Leonard Lopate. on youtube.

[@starlightinkwell]

Thanks,.@@glennfromthebronx

[@DjGrantSmith11]

Have always adored her :-) Thank you for this great in-depth and thoughtful interview :-)

[@Forever82803]

fascinating interview!! I dindn't know that Debbie Reynolds was so funny!!

[@shirleyblazer5051]

absolutely 💝💝💝💝💝💝 RIP sweet Debbie

[@showtunestarpower]

Debbie remains a shining light on Show Business Street! What a sassy sweetheart!

[@mkrobinson95]

I love Debbie ... but she often exaggerates the whole "I never danced" before Singing in the Rain. She did a very impressive tap dance number (to the tune of "Row, Row, Row") in Two Weeks with Love with Carleton Carpenter ... released well over a year before Singing in the Rain.

[@lenwelch2195]

I love her matter of fact philosophy about life. She’s not a complainer or a naysayer. Upbeat and happy one learns is a decision rather than some mysterious raffle where you hope your number is called. She sees life as an adventure to be enjoyed, and not taken super seriously.

[@poedog58]

i grew up watching her perform, and always loved her, she is a real Lady, nuff said !

[@jasbegs1258]

RIP Debbie .

[@bethbartlett5692]

Oh Debbie - we both could pick em! God bless you sweet star!

[@ApoloExpress]

great interview! i love her, she's so out of this world, in a good way of course haha what a strong and classy (besides the craig ferguson interview hahaha) lady :) the golden era should be preserved underground in case of natural disasters and such!

[@TheAlysheba]

@oliverquackenbush She'll tell these stories as long as people want to hear them, and they do!

[@KeatShadows]

After the movie "Singing in the Rain" came out. It was reported that Debbie was 19 years old when she made the movie. As years rolled by, Debbie said,,,"I was only 18 when I starred in "Singing in the Rain." A few more years went by and she would be interviewed and Debbie would tell that she was only 17 when the movie was made. I noticed in this interview she reports she was only 16 when she starred in "Singing in the Rain",,,lol.

[@bethannesperring872]

Rip Miss Debbie

[@dannybex]

Debbie is indeed a legend, and amazing that she's still so active. But odd that she keeps saying she made 'Singin' in the Rain' when she was sixteen, when in fact she was 19 when it was in production.

[@mkrobinson95]

There is a huge difference between 16 and 20. Who knows why she said that, but her first movie contract was with Warner Brothers ... and she was 16 at that time. She made 5 movies before singing in the rain. Given the 48 million times she's told this story, it seems strange that she would mess up this very simple fact of her timeline. I doubt MGM would pair a 16 year old with a 40 year old ... as it was, there was 20 years difference between Reynolds and Kelly.

[@rainydays4466]

my favorite actor Debbie Reynolds and my favorite movie is Tammy and the Bachelor

[@user-qv5ek1kc6v]

one of my best actres. .a wonderfull woman in the .film .

[@gwenniegirl50]

Debbie was always a good interviewee and a great storyteller. After reading her books and hearing numerous interviews, I notice the situations and details change and flow. Sometimes it helps the story, I guess. Debbie was born 1932 in El Paso,Texas and moved to California in 1939. Most Texans would describe their accent as more twang than (Southern) drawl. Anyway, Debbie did have a good ear for accents and impressions.

[@kevinivers]

Lord have mercy, she's always 'on'.

[@lukasmiller486]

I could use some of her good cheer.

[@robertbush8094]

Dancing is so hard that I decided to lay brick & block and shingle roofs for 23 years, glad I didn't have to dance for a living !!

[@mkrobinson95]

2:00 - not quite Debbie! Actually, Singing in the Rain was released the month before her 20th birthday ...

[@soupful]

Very cool lady, Debbie Reynolds!

[@Youdontlooklikeher]

It's just simple math. She was born in 1932, the movie was released in 1951. She was 19 while filming and nearing 20 when the movie was released. She has a habit of changing her age between 16 and 17. Who knows why, maybe it's just age getting the best of her.

[@dakdoukroula3471]

Yes, I noticed that she changes her age. I heard her several times say that she was 16 when she did singing in the rain. I wonder if it's because of her age too. There is some confusion

[@martyrobinson4474]

Actually, the movie was released in 1952

[@MissLionRose]

8 hrs of lessons everyday! NICE!

[@martyrobinson4474]

10:42 - She never made close to eight movies a year. God bless her, she could sure exaggerate when it came to numbers.

[@AlainaWearsPrada]

Please be my Grandmother.

[@chriszchannel]

I'm watching halloweentown now..

[@ailletebrigly7243]

9

[@adelgado75]

Jennifer Aniston should take a book out of her book. Miss Reynolds is a great example of how we need to forget the past and move forward.

[@martyrobinson4474]

How has she not moved forward ???

[@janiceleighton7348]

Giving a he'll 9f things too from people too

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Franny! Peggy K. misses you.

[@soulbrotherheuck2603]

Its like me during especially when I was in my late 20's & mid 30's. I always thought woman in general weren't that good. I thought most men were too good for most woman.

[@soulbrotherheuck2603]

But I know better now. I believe that it really equal's out. You have great people in both sex's It took 2 woman that came into my life. Really the 2nd one. I was 38 years & the 1st one took a lot of rough edges off of me. She was 44..But it wasn't until the 2nd came into my life that she find tune me down. I was 45 years & she was 47. She was truly the greater one of the 2

[@soulbrotherheuck2603]

All my life I haven't dated a woman 0r girl. Until I met the 2nd one & we been together for over 23 years.Until she die of cancer almost 3 & a half years.

[@Professicchio]

@KimLoveJulie ...........'gym' teacher I believe

[@jackanthony976]

Debbie: How could MGM be auctioning off Marilyn Monroe's subway dress? Marilyn Monroe was not under contract to MGM but under contract to 20th Century Fox. If anyone was to be auctioning off Marilyn's subway dress it would be 20th Century Fox. Marilyn's subway dress is from the film "Seven Year Itch" which was not an MGM film. Also Debbie, you did not make eight movies a year. The most you made was three in one year during your peak period.

[@cmcb09]

+JACK ANTHONY Debbie while adorable and a brilliant entertainer, if you want accuracy she isn't the one to listen to. She loves to switch things up to make them what she sees as entertaining. I remember when Patricia Ward Kelly Gene's widow, was asked about Debbie's recollections of making Singing in the Rain. She lightly chuckled. And said well those are her stories, if you want what really happened you ran read Director Stanley Donen's production notes.

[@mr.balloffur]

She also wasn't 16 when she made it, she was 19

[@glennfromthebronx]

@@cmcb09 good to know. remember Stanley's tap dance at one of the 1980s Oscar ceremonies.

[@DDumbrille]

An amazing entertainer, but come on Debbie, anyone w/a brain can add, and knows you were 19 when you made it, not 16. I'd be proud of your age…not trying to cut years off.

[@martyrobinson4474]

I've heard her say 17 too ... she's all over the map, but fantastic just the same :)