Interview with Debbie Reynolds
This is a transcript of an interview with Debbie Reynolds on Conversations at KCTS 9 which aired on July 24, 2009.
Other Transcripts:
DR: That’s me! Nice to meet you Enrique!
EC: Well nice to have you here, I’m just very honored that you’re spending the time. As we speak, you’re about to do a performance with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, and it is…
DR: All those men, I’m very excited.
EC: All those men, gay men.
DR: Yes, I’ll take them however they’re made. I’ll take ’em.
EC: Right, a very great chorus, and you’re here to perform with them. It is titled Singin’ in the Rain, and a Salute to the golden era of Hollywood musicals.
DR: I wonder why they invited me?
EC: I think you maybe you fit pretty well.
DR: Singing in the rain… [singing]
EC: How do you feel about that?
DR: I’m glad I’ve lived that long. I’m delighted to have been in the movie, I was just 16 when I made that picture, and now I’m just 35. So I’m thrilled I was Singing in the Rain. I love the whole idea because it had great music and this whole program is about Hollywood, and they have all kinds of wonderful, sing "Hallelujah, Hallelujah," it’s a great show.
EC: Now interesting about this, it’s a big chorus, it’s a bit different.
DR: Well I have singers and my musicians and everything, and so I do my impressions of Katherine Hepburn, or Patty Davis, I’ll do all kinds of impressions…my Barbara Streisand, 'What am I talking about. And so I do impressions, singing and dancing. This will be different for me, yes, it should' be very exciting. Because imagine standing on stage and hearing all that glorious singing behind you. I’m really very excited about it.
EC: I understand you do a pretty good Jimmy Stewart.
DR: Oh yeah sure, Jimmy takes a while to do, because…
EC: How do you practice all of those, where do you get your impressions?
DR: You know, I just think it’s an ear. You’re born with an ear, you either—you like certain…I was born in the South, and I liked voices, you know, so I would always impersonate my neighbors and my family, which—always..[imitating Southern accent] Well from the South everybody talks funny, you know, just talking about everybody. Well they talk slower, and they all have a certain way of talking and everything like that. So I just decided...
EC: You have to have an ear for it.
DR: You have to have—it’s just sort of a gift. God gives everybody different talents, so. One of mine is being a hooligan.
EC: Let’s talk a bit about Singing in the Rain. Great opportunity for you…performed with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Conner…but you hadn’t done much dancing going into that movie, and that’s what that was all about, along with the singing obviously.
DR: Well dancing is Gene Kelly, Donald O’Conner, Fred Astaire—and I hadn’t done much dance—well I hadn’t done any dancing. You know I wasn’t in show business so it was like a miracle that I just chanced into show business. And thank god—I’ve been very blessed to be in show business and I love it. And, um, Singing in the Rain was at MGM, and they—Mr. Mayor, who was our boss—just said to Mr. Kelly, this is your leading lady, Debbie. And he said to me, Well can you dance? And I said, No. Of course that didn’t make him too happy. So he asked me if I could do the time step and I said, Well I could do that, from Girl Scout Camp, I learned that. And then he said, Could I do the Maxie Ford, which is a tap step, and I said, I didn’t have a car. So he knew I was in trouble. I worked really hard and he was a great teacher, and I worked with great people, so I think when you’re very fortunate to begin at a young age, to work under the greats…something rubs off good.
EC: I heard that Fred Astaire actually helped you during that time…to help prepare you for that movie. Is that true?
DR: Well he gave me courage. He said, uh, if you don’t sweat you’re not working hard enough. That everything hard—it’s hard to dance. And if you’re sweating and if you’re working hard, you’re just doing your job. And don’t be afraid, don’t cry, just get up and do your job and your job is to learn to be the best that you can be. Which my father and mother had always raised me like that you know, we were a very religious family anyway. So you don’t begin something that you don’t finish, and you try to do for others…so I was raised that way. Nothing’s impossible.
EC: I read a quote that the experience of performing in that movie, and childbirth, were the two hardest things you’d encountered in your life.
DR: Well I hope you won’t ever have to experience that. Childbirth, I hope not. Tap dance, I wouldn’t mind if you’d experience...
EC: I’d actually like to try it myself.
DR: Oh no you wouldn’t!
EC: Really?
DR: Take a woman’s word for it. No, it’s rather like giving birth to a bowling ball. Anyway, it’s difficult. But I have wonderful children so I just say that as a joke, but I mean it, it was very difficult. But learning how to dance was hard, learning how to dance with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Conner was hard, because to keep up with them in Singing in the Rain was a great challenge. I did it, I’m proud of it, and I’m still here.
EC: You were born in Texas…Mary Francis Reynolds. How did you become Debbie?
DR: Well, Mary Francis. I won a contest in Burbank, CA, where my Daddy moved us. And, uh, I entered the contest because we were really poor, and they gave away a free blouse and scarf if you entered. You didn’t have to win, because I knew I wouldn’t win, I mean that’s silly. I’m five feet one and a half. You have to have long legs, and I didn’t have any high heels so I walked around barefoot. And I had a hole in the rear end of my bathing suit. I think that’s probably why I won.
EC: Did you know at that time?
DR: Oh, that I had the hole? I bought it at the Salvation Army for two dollar, so it could’ve had a lot of holes all over it. But there were talent scouts there who took me to Warner Brothers and my name was Mary Francis, so they said—they did a screen test and they said, Why do you want to become a movie star?And I said, I don’t. So that amused them, because they thought I was crazy. Which, probably, you know, I really didn’t want to become a movie star, I wanted to become a gym teacher. I didn’t...
EC: Really?
DR: Well who would plan on being a movie star? I went to the movies, it cost a dime, and looking at all those wonderful stars up there, I never dreamt that I would be in the movies. So it was on accident. And they didn’t like Mary, they said, That’s too plain, and Francis is the name of a mule.
EC: And a movie that came out at the time.
DR: The movie, Francis the Mule. They didn’t like Mary Francis, so they named me Debbie. Where they found it…it was the name of one of their executives. Mr. Warner had a dog named Debbie, so...
EC: Did they want you to change your last name?
DR: Yes…they didn’t like Reynolds either. But I said, no, no, no, no, that my Daddy’s name. And he came from Texas, we were really poor, and he slept in the park, we had no money and his name is Reynolds, and my name is Reynolds, it doesn’t matter what my first name is and I didn’t answer to Mary—uh, Debbie—I answered to Mary Francis. So if they called me Franny, or “hey you,” I would answer. But not “Debbie,” for about two years. But now I’m used to it, I really think I’m two people now. I’m Debbie and I’m Mary Francis.
EC: As your career started to roll…were you surprised by the opportunities? From "Singing" you eventually did other roles, you had a hit song with Tammy, just seemed like everything sort of snowballed for you.
DR: I think God has a plan. And I think I was very blessed that things kept rolling along. And it was the Golden Era, and they kept putting me in movies, I didn’t plan it. You know it was all sort of planned for me. And you know I worked really hard, I never questioned. When I was told to do something, I did it. I wasn’t a temperamental person. Now I am, now I’m older and I feel I deserve it. So now I’m sort of ornery. But when I was younger I just did what I was told to do all the time. I’m an Aries, so I’m sort of stubborn, you know. My whole family’s kind of stubborn. But I think that’s how you make it in life…you stick with everything, you know. But I’ve been very blessed, very blessed. But nothing was planned. But thank god it happened.
EC: The studio system back then…was it hard to deal with?
DR: A lot of people hated it. Elizabeth Taylor, my girlfriend—now, few problems along the way—um, but you know, she was used. Judy Garland was used. They worked, they worked, they worked them really hard. Mickey Rooney. They overwork them. They never did that to me. I mean I made a lot of movies—I’d do eight a year—which is a lot. And nowadays I get $20 million dollars a picture. We were paid $300 a week…so things were a little different. But we had great careers, we were really—it was a family, we were taken care of, they taught us everything. They taught us lessons, we had eight hours of lessons every day: singing, dancing, you know. What wonderful opportunities, probably never to exist again. Today you come up through television. Not—there is no more studio system. So I was the last of that system.
EC: You managed to avoid problems…drugs. The tragic situations of Judy Garland and some of the others…how did you manage to avoid that?
DR: Well, drugs are sometimes introduced to you by bosses that have ulterior motives or people that want to promote you like Judy Garland. You know they wanted her to work 15-16 hours a day, so they would give you vitamin shots. She didn’t know she was doing anything wrong, well she was a young girl. She was 14, 15, 16, you know. She was a kid and they called them vitamin shots. And my ex husband Eddie Fisher (cough, cough). He did the same thing. It was called speed, but they didn’t know that. It was called vitamin shots. Now I realize today’s different. That they have…I’m really not a drug expert. My daughter is a manic depressive bi-polar. That is a birth defect and it is a disease. It is a terrible one. And so it’s very hard. And so I was introduced into the world of knowing or learning about drugs and how do you cope with this illness. And how are people able to stay out of depression. And maintain a life and stay creative and wonderful. In fact my daughter is coming here to Seattle to do a play you she’s going to be...
EC: Wishful Drinking, based on her book, her one woman show.
DR: Wishful Drinking, Isn’t that a funny title?
EC: She’s quite talented in coming up with these interesting titles, isn’t she?
DR: She’s funny, she’s like her mother.
EC: Really? Let’s talk a little bit about your daughter. You have Carrie and you also have a son name Todd. Carrie has gained a certain amount of publicity through the year, she very well known for her role in star wars and has been very open about her own problems.
DR: Well, the drug problem I must say comes from her illness. I mean she didn’t run around looking for dealers and saying I want heroin I want, whatever, Vicodin to settle a craving. I mean, she has an illness. ‘Cause I’m saying that there are people that do that for a kick, you know, for a high, hallucinogenic drug. In the old days I knew Cary Grant very well, and he loved, what do you call it...acid…LSD.
EC: Really?
DR: He said he liked to take the trip.
EC: Oh my gosh.
DR: I never had the courage to do that. I’d be scared to death. I like to stay in control, or at least what I think is control with my life. I would really be terrified to twirl around in space. Now it takes a very adventurous, uh, My daughter is very different than I and many many people are. I’m really square. I’m raised a Nazarene. I’m very religious - I’m quite happy being quite normal. When I say normal, I’m bored easily, you know. I want to have fun, I want to have laughs if possible. But I really want them to be in a rather good space. I don’t want to be lost. I don’t want to be in a group with, what to they call like when you have more than one sex partner?
EC: Oh like swinging.
DR: Not that I’ve ever tried it but hmmm...maybe I should consider that, no! I would be terrified. I’m not a stepper outer in that way, you know. I march to my own drum. But it’s got a…I’m controlling the sticks.
EC: You know, Carrie, as we mentioned, has been very open about her problems. How do you feel about that?
DR: Well she should be because she’s experiencing the illness. I can…Think about it, I can, after all being a parent of someone who has manic depressive bi-polar is a very painful ordeal and you have to stand by. You have to never leave them. You can’t be lost with them. You must stay encouraging and give them courage to get through it because it’s a devastating illness and there’s nothing worse than feeling alone and suicidal and as if you can’t make it in life. And that everyone’s left your side. You know, it must be awful. It would be as if drowning. It would be as if trying to make it to shore, but you can’t. You just keep swimming and swimming and swimming. It must be the most dreadfully thing in the world. I often think about that.
EC: And the relationship between the two of you, has it ever been difficult.
DR: That’s so funny. Only men could say that. Mothers...
EC: I have kids, so I don’t know. I’ve had my times, anyway.
DR: Did you have trouble with son?
EC: You know my daughter has been a wonderful girl and my son he’s a wonderful young man. At times he’s a little trying but uh...
DR: Yeah, you’re walking around that aren’t you?
EC: Yes.
DR: I say it’s difficult. It’s challenging because the girls seem to be looking for their identity. And they don’t like it when the mother thinks she knows more than the daughter which if you don’t know something more than the daughter at a young age, then you’re a pretty dumb adult. I just think that it’s something that every mother goes through. And it’s expected. And don’t expect to be your daughter’s best friend, expect to be her mother. And give her love and encouragement. And if she’s angry with you, she’s angry with you. But love her all the way through it.
EC: But you’re close now?
DR: They’ll come back to you.
EC: Yeah.
DR: Yes it’s my birthday any minute you see. And I’ll be 77. And my daughter is close to me, but it took about 15 years.
EC: Well, happy birthday!
DR: Thank you.
EC: You know you gagged a minute ago when you mentioned that Eddie Fisher, um..
DR: Yes?
EC: Yes, now during your days. Actually I think it was Carrie that said that you and Eddie Fisher were the Brangelina.
DR: Brad-Angelina Jolina -Jennifer Aniston, similar situation. You know it seems to happen every generation or somewhat. You know there’s always a scandal about something and the man goes off on his little trip and leaves the woman and it seems to remind me when I read about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt going off on his on his little trip, it reminded me of Eddie going off on his little trip to down Cleopatra lane.
EC: You and Elizabeth Taylor later became friends and in fact in 2001 you made a television movie ‘Those Old Broads’ in which the two of you really mocked that relationship called the main character who you were the two ex-wives and he was Freddy. Are you friends now?
DR: Well, we began as friends because we were youngsters,17 at MGM. She was a big star. She was a beautiful gorgeous, Elizabeth always and Hetty Lamar I would say on those days were the most exquisite women you’d ever see in your life. So who could pass up Elizabeth for Debbie Reynolds, but Eddie and I fell in love and we were young people. And it just so happened that Elizabeth came into Eddie’s life at a time when Mike Todd, who was his best friend, was killed. And we, of course I said to Eddie, you must go immediately to be with Elizabeth. I didn’t mean for a lifetime. But sometimes you just shouldn’t send your husband off to your best friend.
I learned a lesson about that. But it’s many many years ago and yes we are friends again today. And she is a great girl. She’s trying really hard. Her health isn’t really really wonderful right now. Well none of us, we all have our health situations. You know, there is a certain time in life when everything is a battle. And so you have to just deal with it and whatever as the years pass on. You know you have to stay as healthy and as fit as you can and mainly it’s up hear. You have to keep yourself together and believe in yourself. Take care of yourself. Look after everyone of course, but don’t forget to look after yourself.
EC: It seems like in your life you’ve had those peaks and valley’s. You know the marriages didn’t work really well, but the fact is that you’ve always come back. You really seem to be a fighter and a survivor, do you see yourself that way?
DR: Yes I think that I have very poor taste in men. And I think that I should stay away from that. I think that you know it’s like poison Ivy, I shouldn’t go there. It isn’t that men are bad by any means. I just have no taste.
EC: Not all of us.
DR: No, you’re adorable!
EC: Well thank you very much.
DR: I just really feel that that hasn’t been an area of my life, and I’m sad to say it, but I’m blessed with children. I have my three step children also, so I have 5 children that I’ve raised and I’ve raised two other step children, so I’ve raised 7 children, put them all through school. So I’ve certainly done my share of mothering and I’ve enjoyed that. And now this time in my life, I truly want to be happy on this earth. I think, we’re going through very bad times now. We mustn’t be frightened of these times. You know, when I was a young girl, we were very poor family. So now we’re all poor again.
EC: You spend a lot of time these days with a passion still for the golden era of Hollywood and I understand that you have a museum in which you’re preserving many of the things from the old movies. Can you tell me a bit about that? Is it in Tennessee now where that old museum is?
DR: I started collecting in 1970 when MGM had it’s auction and was selling all of it’s memorabilia, all the costumes and all the clothes and all the cars, all these wonderful things. Marilyn Monroe’s subway dress, the ruby red slippers. All these just fabulous costumes that you know great stars, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Marlin Brando, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Greta Garbo, you know all these great stars. So I went to the auction, you know, going to be curious and out of that became a great emotion. I couldn’t bear it that they were selling them. So my heart really went out. I ran to the bank and I took whatever I had at the time, I was married to my 2nd husband who hadn’t stolen it all yet. And I borrowed it. I took it all I could, thank goodness I did because he didn’t get that. And I started buying. And now I started on a...like I don’t know, you become possessed, and now I’ve been...
EC: It’s your passion.
DR: And now it’s a passion. We’re going to open our museum in Tennessee we hope. We’re praying for that. And I’m going to talk to Paul Allen and his sister while we’re here. And trying to interest people in helping us along the way, preserve because American films influence that world and we really think that all of this should be preserved for our public. For the people that loved Jimmy Stewart, and ?James Kagney. To be able to go to an edifice, a home and you know Dollywood, you’ve heard of Dollywood?
EC: Right.
DR: Well we’ll be about 10 minutes from there in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is a very funny name. So we hope we’ll be there. We don’t know. We’ll just pray for that. It’s an exciting quest.
EC: And I hope that really happens because I do think you’re right. It does need to be preserved for, I mean you’re a big part of that history, very special.
DR: But I didn’t collect my things. I did collect singing in the rain because that’s a great movie. ‘How the West was Won,’ I was lucky enough to be in that. And so I collected that. I have 5,000 costumes. I have a 40,000 square foot warehouse and it all should be housed and we hope that it would be one day.
EC: So is retirement in your vocabulary at all?
DR: Retirement from performing, no. Retirement, life will retire you.
EC: Why do you still like to perform? What is so fun about it for you?
DR: What’s more fun than making people laugh, or seeing a smile, having them greet you as if they know you, like an old friend. Being able to sing for them, dance, move, do impressions, just have a general good time. I love to perform. I’ve been performing 60 years, so why stop doing what you really love to do the best of all? I won’t ever retire.
EC: Each night you get ready to do a performance and you get ready to go out on stage, Do you suddenly get the juices flowing and you’re excited about all that?
DR: Well the hardest part of it is getting dressed up. I don’t like doing myself up because it gets harder every year because every time you look in the mirror, everything has moved someplace else. So it’s very depressing to look in the mirror, but once you kind of pull yourself together and you get out there and you do the best you can and you have a wonderful time… What more special place can there be? There’s no business like show business. Like being here in Seattle. Being with the men’s choir, the Seattle Men’s Choir. This is a new experience for me and I’m very excited about being here.
EC: Well I want to thank you for the time you have spent with us. I know you’re going to have a great performance. And your birthday is coming up, April 1st right?
DR: Another one, yes.
EC: Got a little something for you. So from everyone here at KCTS.
DR: Debbie sings: [Everything’s coming up roses]
EC: There you go.
DR: [for me and for you. Happy Birthday to Debbie]
EC: Happy Birthday Debbie.
DR: [Happy Birthday dear Debbie.]
EC: Thank you very much.
DR: I had a wonderful time.
EC: Great.
DR: Thank you very much.
