DEBBIE REYNOLDS

Debbie Reynolds’ incredible career ended only with her death, at 80. She was the mother of Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher. Ms Fisher died one day before her mother.
Though she had already been in five movies, Debbie Reynolds breakthrough role came in 1952, when she was cast as the dewy-eyed ingenue Kathy Selden in Singin’ In The Rain. She was only 20 at the time, but held her own with Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly in this delightful American musical. It is set at the time when talking pictures replaced silents. The stars reluctantly make the switch, but are derailed when Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) turns out to have a voice like a lovesick donkey. The impasse is solved by having Debbie’s character sing the songs from hiding. There are great song and dance numbers having little to do with the plot, but hey, this is a Hollywood musical, and one of the best. “Make ‘Em Laugh” with all three stars, and Gene Kelly’s solo dance in the rain are just loads of fun. 
The Tender Trap (1955) features Frank Sinatra, David Wayne, Lola Albright and 
Celeste Holm in an extremely convoluted comedy with multiple hitchings and partings. Debbie Reynolds steals the show as the principled young actress not to be pushed off course by older, but not wiser, pursuers. 
In 1957 I was 17 years old and completely, entirely, head-over-heels in love. The object of my affections (not returned, or course) was Debbie Reynolds. She is just too cute to be believed in the sappy, wonderful Tammy And The Bachelor (1957). Most all  American males between 12 and 30 shared my infatuation. Ms. Reynolds’ Tammy is raised by her curmudgeonly grandfather (Walter Brennan) who is jailed for making moonshine. Tammy runs away to the home of Peter Brent (Leslie Nielsen). A romance flickers and flames (innocently, of course- this is the 50's, folks). There were other Tammy films, but not with Debbie Reynolds and not in the same class. 
After a series of mediocre romantic comedies, Debbie Reynolds burst into stardom once again as The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Molly is brought up raggedly by a man who found her abandoned in a river (Ed Begley). She has aspirations of grandeur and hooks up with wealthy rough-hewn miner Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). They are spurned by Denver society and take off for Europe, where they are welcomed by the elite. Johnny returns to America. Molly, infatuated with a prince, stays. Then she decides she want to resume with Johnny and books passage on a British liner. Yep, the Titanic. She bravely saves many fellow passengers as the ship goes down and becomes a hero. Hence, the name, who by the way was a real person! Ms. Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins.
Twenty plus years later Debbie Reynolds again broke into stardom as Albert Brooks’ Mother (1996). He is a frustrated writer with woman problems. He moves back into his mother’s home into his old room. Their humorous arguments and discussions carry the film. The Hollywood ending is apt, if a bit stuck on. 
As if all that weren’t enough, Debbie Reynolds also had a fantastic stage career, highlighted by her appearance in Irene, for which she was nominated for a Tony. She also appeared in Annie Get Your Gun, Woman Of The Year, and of course The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. And all are fine for all ages.