Debbie Reynolds - Biography - IMDb Debbie Reynolds Biography Showing all 64 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (3) | Trivia (41) | Personal Quotes (10) | Salary (1) Overview (5) 5' 2" (1.57 m) Mini Bio (1) Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas, the second child of Maxine N. (Harmon) and Raymond Francis Reynolds, a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Her film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16 impersonating Betty Hutton . Reynolds wasn't a dancer until she was selected to be Gene Kelly 's partner in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Not yet twenty, she was a quick study. Twelve years later, it seemed like she had been around forever. Most of her early film work was in MGM musicals, as perky, wholesome young women. She continues to use her dancing skills with stage work.

She was 31 when she gave an Academy Award-nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She survived losing first husband Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor following the tragic death of Michael Todd . Her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl , gambled away his fortune as well as hers. With her children as well as Karl's, she had to keep working and turned to the stage. She had her own casino in Las Vegas with a home for her collection of Hollywood memorabilia until its closure in 1997. She took the time to personally write a long letter that is on display in the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and to provide that museum with replicas of Garland's costumes. The originals are in her newly-opened museum in Hollywood. 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. With musician/actor Eddie Fisher , she was the mother of filmmaker Todd Fisher and actress Carrie Fisher . Debbie died of a stroke on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter Carrie.

She was survived by her son and granddaughter, up-and-coming actress Billie Lourd . Mother of Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher . She appeared as Dan's mother, fresh out of the mental ward, during an episode of the sitcom Roseanne (1988). When she later appeared on Roseanne Barr '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 appearance at the Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show on April 6th and 7th, 2002, at Beverly Garland 's Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, California. In 1975 she sold the Beverly Hills mansion 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. When he married Marisa Berenson , the wedding was held in the redecorated home 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. Opened the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection near the Kodak Theatre.

The collection, which was collected and preserved primarily by Reynolds herself, features over 3,000 costumes including Carmen Miranda 's turbans, a pair of Judy Garland 's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939), John Wayne 's guns and Marilyn Monroe 's windswept dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955). [April 2002] 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. In 1976, she appeared in a one-woman, short-run (10 days - 14 performances) review named "Debbie!" at the Minskoff Theatre. Her only other Broadway appearance to date came when she succeeded Lauren Bacall in "Woman of the Year" in 1983.

In one of her guest appearances on Will & Grace (1998), 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 (1952). Was a member of the International Order of Job's Daughters. Is a past honored Queen of Bethel No. 97, Burbank, California. Had planned to go into the education field (teaching physical education) before she won the Miss Burbank contest. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6654 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 13, 1997. Is a Majority Member in California. In 1969 she followed Doris Day and some of her contemporaries in launching a 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 canceling the series. Is portrayed by Judith Jones in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995). President of The Thalians, an organization 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 organization for over 30 years. Her first appearance on Will & Grace (1998) was in the episode entitled "The Unsinkable Mommy Adler", a play on the title of the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She played both title roles. Although she wanted to be in show business, the Reynolds' family church, the Nazarene, forbade acting. However, Reynolds' father saw her talent and gave his support, seeing it as a means of paying her college costs. Her mother then gave her support knowing that there would be no "evil" going on in her movies. She mother knew her daughter had talent, but didn't understand why it was happening to her own daughter. Close friends with Hugh O'Brian . Serenaded O'Brien and his bride, Virginia, at their wedding on June 25, 2006. Her father entered her in a beauty pageant once when she was very young. She wore a bathing suit that her mother had mended that morning and a pair of her sister's high heels.

In 1964 she went into the hospital business, purchasing Oceanside Hospital in Oceanside, CA, for $1,000,000 with plans to turn it into a profitable business venture. She dedicated the Holland-America Line cruise ship the MS Veendam. [January 1996] Campaigned for the role of Doris Mann in Postcards from the Edge (1990), but Shirley MacLaine was cast instead. One of the few actresses to have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on screen. Other actresses who have done this include: Judy Garland , Cyd Charisse , Vera-Ellen , Rita Hayworth and Leslie Caron . Played the French horn in high school and was a member of the Burbank Youth Symphony. Secondary school studies in Burbank. Friends with Jane Powell ; they share the same birthday. Was a Girl Scout. In the process of relocating her museum to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A new Hollywood Motion Picture Museum is being constructed there by Debbie and her children Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher . It opened in April 2005.

[July 2004] She reconciled with old nemesis Elizabeth Taylor to work on the made-for-TV movie These Old Broads (2001), written by Debbie's daughter, Carrie Fisher , with Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins . Debbie and Taylor were friends until the late 1950s when Debbie's then-husband, Eddie Fisher , began having an affair with Liz, then left Debbie and married Taylor. When they began working on "These Old Broads" together, Taylor told Debbie, "I owe you a lot". Debbie said, "I just got a lump in my throat when she said that". She had English, some Scottish, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), and German, and distant French, ancestry. Her singing of "I Want To Be Loved By You", in the film Three Little Words (1950), was dubbed by Helen Kane . Mother-in-law of Catherine Hickland . She died only one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher . Became pregnant by her 2nd husband Harry Karl in 1961 and 1963; on both occasions she suffered stillbirths.

Personal Quotes (10) Singin' in the Rain (1952) and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life. I stopped making movies because I don't like taking my clothes off. Maybe it's realism but, in my opinion, it's utter filth. [asked what her favorite film is] I think one of my favorite films is Dark Victory (1939) with Bette Davis . Why? She was so wonderful in that film. And . . . maybe I just want a good cry once in a while without having to go through a divorce. Daddy had got us rooms in a motel until he could find us a house. There were not a lot of places available for a young family on our budget. Daddy went around to dozens of places. Nobody wanted kids. Finally, he found one in the hills south of Glendale. As usual, the landlady asked if he had kids. "Yep,' he replied. "A boy and a girl". "Well, whatta you going to do about them?" she wanted to know, implying that she didn't allow children. "I'm gonna take 'em out and drown them in the Los Angeles River, and come back tomorrow".

That was my father--ask a silly question and just wait. She must have had the same sense of humor--we moved in the next day. I do 20 minutes every time the refrigerator door opens and the light comes on. [on the death of Tony Curtis ] Nobody had a better time than Tony. He loved the ladies. He loved art. He loved this business more than anything. He was a great looking guy, handsome. We were all very close friends when we were young, a long, long time ago. But he had a wonderful life. He had a full life. He was a great, marvellous actor. I only had radio growing up, so I loved going to the movies. I always had a thing for a fairy-tale ending. [on Carrie Fisher ] People used to call her "Debbie Reynolds' daughter," now they call me "Princess Leia's mother!" [on the announcement that daughter Carrie Fisher is in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)] She's very excited about it . . . she's been on a diet ever since, because you know they have to be up to par, so she looks terrific, she's lost 40 pounds.

Upon the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher one day earlier while planning her funeral at her son's Todd house Debbie Reynolds said to her son, "I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie." Salary (1) On the Town: Kiwanians honor Trebek at annual gala - Burbank Leader On the Town: Kiwanians honor Trebek at annual gala Alex and Jean Trebek Photo by David Laurell Alex and Jean Trebek, left, were welcomed to last week's Kiwanis gala by the event's Chairwoman Marsha Jackson and emcee Johnny Holiday. Alex and Jean Trebek, left, were welcomed to last week's Kiwanis gala by the event's Chairwoman Marsha Jackson and emcee Johnny Holiday. (Photo by David Laurell) It's been a philanthropic force in Burbank for 93 years. Who is the Kiwanis Club of Burbank? For the 19th consecutive year, local Kiwanians gathered for their annual gala that raises funds for the charities they support and honors individuals for their leadership, compassion and generosity at Lakeside Golf Club this past Saturday.

This year, joining a prestigious list of honorees including former Mayors Larry Stamper and Bill Wiggins, former Police Chief David Newsham, Fire Chief Mike Davis, actress Debbie Reynolds, who served as Miss Burbank in 1948, and actor Joe Mantegna, who owns Taste Chicago restaurant, the Kiwanis Club honored "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek. Arriving at Lakeside with his wife, Jean, Trebek was welcomed by Cynthia Faust, the organization's president, Marsha Jackson, the event's chairwoman, and entertainer Johnny Holiday, who served as mater of ceremonies at the gala. Among the notables in attendance were Mayor Jess Talamantes and Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy, past Kiwanis honorees Stamper, Ron Rothacher and Kenneth Nielsen, and the event's sponsors Gene and Diana Cripe, Nancy Serpa, Michael Shepard, Chuck and Veronica Chavoor, Chris Gargaro, Joan Chandler, Harvey Branman, Hazel Schrefel, Gerri Dickinson, Harley and Alice Higginbotham, Richard and Nancy White, Elizabeth Jane Lloyd, Glen and Phyllis Forsch and Jeannie Davis.

Funds raised at last week's gala will be used to continue the Kiwanians' work with more than 50 charitable organizations, including the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, the art and music departments of Burbank schools as well as autism awareness and antibullying programs. -- Here are just a few of the other schools around greater Los Angeles that can also boast of celebrity alumni: HARVARD/WESTLAKE SCHOOL (700 N Faring Rd., Bel-Air; also at 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave, in Studio City): Shirley Temple, Elizabeth Montgomery ("Bewitched"), Candice Bergen, ("Murphy Brown"), Tori Spelling ("Beverly Hills 90210"), Myrna Loy, Bridget Fonda, astronaut Sally Ride Maggie Gyllenhall, and June Lockhart ("Lassie") all graduated from high school here. Danica McKellar ("Winnie Cooper") and Crystal McKellar ("Becky Slater") of "The Wonder Years" also attended this school. Mindy Cohn ('Natalie' on "Facts of Life") was actually discovered at the school, by a visiting Charlotte Rae.

CROSSROADS SCHOOL FOR ARTS & SCIENCES (1714 21st Street, Santa Monica): Sean Astin ("Lord of the Rings"), Jack Black ("King Kong"), Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous") and Maya Rudolph ("Saturday Night Live") went to Crossroads in the '80s. Gwyneth Paltrow attended what is now Crossroads Elementary (at 1715 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica) when it was known as St. Augustine by the Sea. (In addition, Will Ferrell is reportedly a member of an adult soccer league that plays at Crossroads.) PALISADES HIGH SCHOOL (15777 Bowdoin Street, Pacific Palisades): actor Jeff Bridges ("Against All Odds"), supermodel Christie Brinkley (former wife of singer Billy Joel), and TV's Katey Sagal ('Peg Bundy' on "Married with Children") all graduated from this high school. Penelope Ann Miller ("Kindergarten Cop") says she was "a bit of a party girl." Peter DeLuise ("21 Jump Street," "SeaQuest DSV") was captain of the football team.

Jennifer Jason Leigh ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High") dropped out just prior to graduation to begin her film career. Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles graduated in 1976. Another Palisades graduate was Erin Gray (of "Buck Rogers" & "Silver Spoons".) The school has also been seen in quite a few movies and TV shows, from "Popular" to "Havoc". JOHN BURROUGHS HIGH SCHOOL (1920 Clark Avenue, Burbank): actress Debbie Reynolds ("Singin' in the Rain") won a "Miss Burbank" beauty contest while attending high school here in 1948, launching her career. Actor/director Ron Howard ("The Andy Griffith Show" & "Happy Days") also graduated from Burroughs. He was friends there with actress Rene Russo ("Lethal Weapon" & "Ransom"), and she says she used to copy off his test paper. Dan Haggerty also went to Burroughs, as did Angela Watson (who played 'Karen' on the sitcom "Step By Step"). The school was also used as the location for the TV series "The Wonder Years" and for the 1985 Michael J.

Fox comedy "Teen Wolf." FAIRFAX HIGH SCHOOL (at the corner of Melrose & Fairfax, Hollywood, north of CBS TV City ): this was the last school attended by actress Demi Moore ("Indecent Proposal"), who had gone to dozens of different schools over the years. She was 15 when she started here, and 16 when she dropped out. Carol Lombard graduated from Fairfax in 1927 - 12 years before she married Clark Gable. Other Fairfax High alumni include talk show host Byron Allen, musician Herb Alpert, actor Ricardo Montalban ("Star Trek: the Wrath of Khan"), actor Mickey Rooney ("Andy Hardy"), actor David Arquette ("Scream'), comic Al Franken, actor Timothy Hutton, record producer Phil Spector, dancer Gower Champion, "Slash" of Guns N' Roses, Flea of "The Red Hot Chili Peppers" and GOP presidential candidate Jack Kemp. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL (3501 N. Broadway, L.A.): Actor Robert Young ("Father Knows Best" & "Marcus Welby, M.D.") met his wife Betty here in 1933, when he was 17 and she was 14.

Their marriage lasted for 61 years.actor Robert Preston (star of "The Music Man") began his career here playing "Hamlet" in a school play. * NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL (5231 Colfax Avenue, North Hollywood): leading man Alan Ladd (star of "Shane") attended this Valley school, as did actress Elizabeth McGovern ("Ragtime"). "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"'s 'Willow', Alyson Hannigan, graduated from North Hollywood, and "Happy Days"' Joanie', Erin Moran, spent a year here. Russ Tamblyn, the father of "Joan of Arcadia's" Amber Tamblyn, and an actor/dancer in 1950's films like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" & "Peyton Place" went to North Hollywood. And so did Richard Beymer, who starred as 'Tony' in "West Side Story". Also, Martin Milner, who played 'Officer Pete Malloy' on "Adam 12" (and 'Tod' in the classic "Route 66") graduated from North Hollywood.

Harry Anderson, the guy who starred as the judge in "Night Court" was class valedictorian in 1970. * HAWTHORNE HIGH SCHOOL (at 4859 W. El Segundo Blvd., in Hawthorne): The founding members of the Beach Boys: the Wilson brothers (Brian, Carl and Dennis) and guitarist Al Jardine, went to school here at Hawthorne High, about four miles inland from the beach. (Leader Brian Wilson got a failing grade in a music class here when he submitted one of his hit songs as a class assignment.) See the monument the city of Hawthorne put up to honor the Beach Boys. * ULYSSES GRANT HIGH SCHOOL (13000 Oxnard Street, Van Nuys): Tom Selleck (star of "Magnum P.I.") graduated from Grant High in 1962. Another Grant student was Micky Dolenz of "The Monkees." WESTCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL (7400 W Manchester Ave, Los Angeles): The late comic Phil Hartman ("NewsRadio") - killed in a 1998 murder-suicide - went to school here.

During an interview, he had recalled entertaining his friends on the senior lawn back in the 60's, already doing impressions of celebrities like John Wayne, Jack Benny, Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Anissa Jones ('Buffy' of "Family Affair") attended Westchester before her death. Another recent student at Westchester was singer Karyn White ("Superwoman"), who was a cheerleader at the school. * JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL (3939 Tracy St., Los Angeles): current hearthrob Leonardo DiCaprio (star of "Titanic") went to school here a few years ago. (The school is just a few blocks northeast of the ABC Studio Center ). In fact, Leo grew up in the Los Feliz area, and recently donated $35,000 to the new Los Feliz branch of the L.A. Library (now open at 1874 Hillhurst Ave.) to fund a new Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center there.

(Ironically, the new library is located on the former site of Leo's family home, where he lived when he was a teenager.) Other former students from John Marshall include Michelle Phillips (of "The Mamas & the Papas"), Judge Lance Ito (of O.J. fame), Heidi Fleiss (another kind of fame altogether), Julie Newmar ("Batman"), and Anne Marie Johnson ("Melrose Place," "In the Heat of the Night"). The school has also appeared in several movies including (the carnival scenes in) "Grease", "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Pretty in Pink." Plus appearing in numerous TV shows such as "Growing Pains," "Boy Meets World" and "Sister Sister." * GLENDALE UNION HIGH SCHOOL (1440 E. Broadway, Glendale): actor John Wayne played football here in the 1920's. He was also head of the Latin Society, a member of the debating team, and an A-student, before graduating and moving on to U.S.C. with a football scholarship. Actress/swimmer Esther Williams is another alum; in fact, she dedicated the school's swimming pool in 1956.

Other Glendale alumni include actress Terry Moore ("Mighty Joe Young"), singer Vic Dana ("Red Roses for a Blue Lady") and actress Diane McBain. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT HIGH SCHOOL (5461 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills) Lisa Kudrow (who played the ditzy 'Phoebe,' on TV's "Friends") played varsity-level tennis here, and graduated from Taft in 1981. Ironically, rapper Ice Cube wrote "Boyz In Tha Hood" at this Valley school, where he was bused in from South Central. UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL (11800 Texas Avenue, West Los Angeles): Marilyn Monroe attended school here in 1942, before dropping out at age 16 to get married. Jan & Dean ("Dead Man's Curve") met as students here.

Former "Partridge Family" star David Cassidy also went to school here, as did actors Ryan O'Neal ("Love Story") and James Brolin ("Pensacola: Wings of Gold"), singer Nancy Sinatra ("These Boots are Made for Walking"), singer/composer Randy Newman ("I Love L.A."), singer/composer Danny Elfman (of Oingo Boingo), and actresses Bridget Fonda and Rachel Ames (of "General Hospital"). JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL (8281 Walker Street, in La Palma): actor John Stamos ("Full House") graduated from this Orange County high school (just west of Knott's Berry Farm) in the early 80's. LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL (4650 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles): Actor Dustin Hoffman attended this mid-city high school in the 1950's, before moving on to Santa Monica City College and the Pasadena Playhouse. He played tennis here and fellow students called him "Dusty." O.J.'s lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, was a student there around the same time. Actress Anne Baxter ("All About Eve").

was also a student here, in 1941, as was sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury ("Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles."). Actress Anna Mae Wong graduated from here in 1921. PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL (511 S. Buena Vista St., in Burbank): Actresses Helen Hunt ("Mad About You," "As Good As It Gets") and Mena Suvari ("American Pie," "American Beauty") both graduated from Providence High. (Mena's high school nickname was "Bean".) The school is located just one block east of NBC Studios in Burbank, the network which would later carry Helen Hunt's hit show, "Mad About You." AGOURA HIGH SCHOOL (28545 Driver Ave , in Agoura Hills): Actress Heather Graham ("Boogie Nights","Austin Powers") was voted "Most Talented" by her class; Justin Berfield ("Malcolm in the Middle"), and members of the bands Linkin Park, Hoobastank and The Calling also attended Agoura High. INGLEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL (231 S.

Grevillea Avenue, Inglewood): actress/singer Jeanne Crain (star of "State Fair") was voted campus Grid Queen here in 1941, which led to her movie career at 20th Century Fox. In the 50's, Sonny Bono (of Sonny & Cher) was a student here when he first became interested in music; Sonny was suspended for bringing in an all-black band for the high school prom (which is ironic when you consider that Inglewood High is now a predominently minority school). * VINE STREET SCHOOL (955 N. Vine Street, Hollywood): Marilyn Monroe went to school here when she was still Norma Jean Baker. Mickey Rooney mentions in his autobiography that he went to Vine Street, and so did actresses Denise Crosby ('Tasha Yar' on "Star Trek: TNG") and Charlene Tilton ('Lucy' on "Dallas"). (Located just two blocks west of Paramount Studios .) IMMACULATE HEART HIGH SCHOOL (5515 Franklin Ave, at the corner of Franklin & Western Avenues) in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles): Mary Tyler Moore went to high school at this Catholic campus.

She says she was a "lousy student," but just one day out of Immaculate Heart, she landed a dancing job on TV. Lucille Ball's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, also went to school here. Another Immaculate Heart graduate is model Tyra Banks, class of 1991. CHADWICK SCHOOL (26800 Academy Drive, Rolling Hills, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula): Liza Minnelli (star of "Cabaret") and Christina Crawford attended this exclusive private school in the Palos Verdes hills. In "Mommie Dearest," Christina wrote about being stranded here over the Christmas holidays. In fact, they shot scene from the 1981 movie, "Mommie Dearest" (starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford) at Chadwick School. Other alumni included Brandon Lee ("The Crow," Bruce Lee's son), and Mike Lookinland, who played 'Bobby Brady' on TV's "The Brady Bunch." Tuition is about $12,000-$15,000 per year.

LYCEÉ FRANÇAIS DE LOS ANGELES (3261 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles): Actress Jodie Foster graduated with honors from this exclusive prep school, located about a mile southeast of the Westside Pavilion mall - before going on to Yale. (She delivered the valedictory address in French.) VENICE HIGH SCHOOL (13000 Venice Boulevard, Venice): actress Myrna Loy (star of "The Thin Man" films) was discovered here. (See separate page on the Myrna Loy statue at Venice High.) Singer Teena Marie ("Lovergirl") also attended Venice High, and so did actor Beau Bridges. * THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL (3900 Stansbury Ave., Sherman Oaks): "Friends" star Matthew Perry (who plays 'Chandler' on the show ) attended this private school in the Valley, after moving here with his family from Ottawa, Ontario. In 1985, he starred in a school production of "Our Town." Other alumni include Paris Hilton, Natalie Cole, Alyssa Milano, Nicollette Sheridan, Laura Dern, Nicole Richie, and Kim Kardashian.

In 2010, the news media reported that two of Michael Jackson's children (Prince & Paris) had begun school here. MANUAL ARTS HIGH SCHOOL (4131 S Vermont Ave , Los Angeles): actress Kathryn Grayson (star of the musicals "Show Boat" and "Anchors Away") was a student here at age 15, before hitting it big with M-G-M. * CHATSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL (10027 Lurline Ave, Chatsworth): Two of the nominees for the Academy Award in 1996 went to Chatsworth High School: Mare Winningham ("St. Elmo's Fire" and "Georgia") and Kevin Spacey ("L. A. Confidential," "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty"). In fact, in their senior year, they starred together in the school production of "The Sound of Music" - a break which got each of them an agent! Other Chatsworth students have included Val Kilmer ("The Doors," "Batman Forever"), Stepfanie Kramer ("Hunter") and Kirk Cameron ("Growing Pains").

LONG BEACH POLYTECHNIC HIGH SCHOOL (1600 Atlantic Ave., at Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach): the celebrity alums include actor Van Heflin ("The Three Musketeers"), actress Laraine Day ("The High And The Mighty"), Cameron Diaz ("Something About Mary"), rap singer Snoop Doggy Dogg, comic bandleader Spike Jones, actor Van Heflin, opera singer Marilyn Horne, singer Jo Stafford, and tennis player Billie Jean King. John Wayne went here for one year before transferring to Glendale High. So did the best hitter of our era, Padres' outfielder Tony Gwynn. Poly has also produced more NFL players than any school in the nation. This high school has also been the location for several movies, including the recent "Man of the People" (starring Al Pacino) and "East Great Falls High." Many of the classroom scenes from 1999's "American Pie" were shot here as well. * VAN NUYS HIGH SCHOOL (6535 Cedros Avenue, Van Nuys):Singer Paula Abdul she was senior class president, and head cheerleader here.

Marilyn Monroe attended for a year in 1941, and met her first husband here. Robert Redford & Natalie Wood (who starred together in "Inside Daisy Clover"), actress Jane Russell ("Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"), actor Stacey Keach (TV's "Mike Hammer"), and Dodgers' pitcher Don Drysdale all graduated from this Valley school. It was also school used as the location for the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and for the 1979 movie "Rock & Roll High School" starring the Ramones. * NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL (13645 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks): the celebrity alums include Jerry Mathers, the original Beaver Cleaver from "Leave It To Beaver" went to this school after the show went off the air (in fact, he also celebrated his 50th birthday here.) Jimmy Hawkins, the actor who played Jimmy Stewart's the oldest child in the classic "It's A Wonderful Life" still has his letterman jacket from the school.

More recent students at Notre Dame include Kirsten Dunst ("Spider-Man," "Drop Dead Gorgeous") and Maureen Flannigan from the TV sitcom "Out of This World." BRENTWOOD SCHOOL (100 S. Barrington Place, Los Angeles): Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years") and his brother Ben Savage ("Boy Meets World") graduated from Brentwood School, as did actress Azura Skye ("Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane"). The school is also attended by the children of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. AGOURA HIGH SCHOOL (28545 West Driver Ave., Agoura): Heather Graham ("Boogie Nights", "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me", "Emily's Reasons Why Not") was voted 'Most Talented' by her high school senior class at this San Fernando Valley high school, located north of Malibu. Another Aguora High student is Jonathan Lipnicki (the kid from "Stuart Little" and "Jerry Maguire") and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.

THOUSAND OAKS HIGH SCHOOL (2323 Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks): Kurt Russell ("Stargate," "Backdraft" ), Michael Richards ('Kramer' on "Seinfeld") and gold medal winning Olympic runner Marion Jones all graduated from Thousand Oaks High. NEWPORT HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL (600 Irvine Ave., in Newport Beach): Actress Michelle Pfeiffer ("The Fabulous Baker Boys", "Batman Returns") attended Newport High (although she graduated from Fountain Valley High). So did actor Ted McGinley ('Jefferson' in "Married With Children") and motorcycle champ Bruce Penhall. EXCELSIOR HIGH SCHOOL (15711 Pioneer Blvd., in Norwalk): actor William Conrad ("Cannon", "Jake & the Fatman" and the radio voice of "Gunsmoke"'s 'Marshall Matt Dillon') and First Lady Pat Nixon went to Excelsior. The high school itself starred in "Grease II", "High School USA" (with a young Michael J. Fox) and "Cutting Class" (with a very young Brad Pitt), and the TV series "Square Pegs". LOS ANGELES CITY COLLEGE (855 N.

Vermont, L.A.): Donna Reed (star of "It's a Wonderful Life" and TV's "The Donna Reed Show") took stenographic courses here, and was elected campus Queen, which got her picture in the paper and led to her discovery by MGM. "Star Wars"' Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, majored in drama here. Clint Eastwood is also a graduate of LACC. Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Driving Miss Daisy") attended classes here. James Coburn went there too. When Robert Vaughn ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.") was a student here at LACC, he used to wait for a bus on the corner of Hollywood Blvd & Cherokee Street. In 1998, when Vaughn was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , he chose to have his star put at that very street corner. * SANTA MONICA CITY COLLEGE (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica): James Dean went here to study pre-law, but changed over to drama when he went to UCLA . Dustin Hoffman studied music here when he planned to be a jazz pianist.

However, he was flunking out, and they told him "Take acting, nobody flunks acting." So he took his first acting class just for the easy credits. Fortunately for us, he got the acting bug and decided to be an actor. Hillary Swank ("Boys Don't Cry") was also a student at the college, as was Arnold Schwarzenegger (who studied English there) and Monica Lewinsky (the intern who got Bill Clinton in trouble). OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE (1600 Campus Road, in Eagle Rock): Actor Ben Affleck ("Armageddon," "Good Will Hunting") went here briefly, after transferred here from the University of Vermont. So did Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. They also filmed the Alicia Silverstone comedy "Clueless" here (it passed for Beverly Hills High School in that movie,) as were the college years of "Beverly Hills 90210." But with the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, he immediately became the school's most famous alum. President Obama spent two years at Occidental, before moving on to Columbia (in New York) and then Harvard Law School.

PASADENA CITY COLLEGE (1570 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena): William Holden (star of "Sunset Boulevard") attended classes here. So did actor Nick Nolte ("48 Hours"), rocker Eddie Van Halen, both George Reeves (TV's original "Superman") and Jack Larson ('Jimmy Olsen' on the same show), singer Kenny Loggins, fashion designer Bob Mackie, director John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood"), and baseball legend Jackie Robinson. CAL-STATE FULLERTON (800 N. State College Drive, Fullerton): Kevin Costner is a local Orange County lad. Before he starred in "Dances With Wolves," "Field of Dreams" and "Waterworld" he used to work at Disneyland, and he went to college here at Cal-State Fullerton, just a short drive north of the Magic Kingdom. When he recently opened his new Clubhouse restaurant at South Coast Plaza, Kevin was quoted as saying, "I graduated here by the skin of my teeth." Around the same time, "Titanic" director James Cameron was studying physics at Cal-State Fullerton. He eventually switched his major to English, then dropped out.

FULLERTON COLLEGE (219 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton): just a mile west of Cal-State Fullerton is this smaller college, which was attended by action hero Steven Seagal. . Seagal also went to ORANGE COAST COLLEGE (2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa), near the O.C. Fairgrounds . PIERCE COLLEGE (6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills): Before she was a "Working Girl," Melanie Griffith graduated from Pierce College, an agricultural-oriented college in the San Fernando Valley. LOS ANGELES VALLEY COLLEGE (5800 Fulton Ave., Van Nuys): Michael Richards performed drama on stage as a student here at Valley College before moving on to play the wacky 'Cosmo Kramer' in TV's "Seinfeld." He remains friends with another LAVC student, Ed Begley Jr ("Parenthood.") Actor Kevin Spacey, star of "The Usual Suspects," "L.A. Confidential," and "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil" also went here. CAL-STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH (1250 N.

Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach): Steven Spielberg was attending CSULB when he made his first student film, "Amblin"; later, he named his Amblin Productions company after that early film. He dropped out in 1968. But in 2002, 33 years later, Spielberg decided to make good - he finished his studies there and showed up at the 2002 commencement ceremonies, wearing cap & gown with the other students, to accept his bachelor of arts degree in film. Why? Because his parents had always wanted him to graduate college. As his name was called, the college band struck up the theme from "Indiana Jones," and the audience cheered. Class Act Featured Actress: Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances Reynolds (1932 - ) Singer / Dancer / Actress Leading lady of 1950s and '60s musicals and comedies. Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas on April 1, 1932. The family moved to Burbank, California around 1940.

When Debbie was sixteen years old, she entered the Miss Burbank beauty contest and won the title of "Miss Burbank of 1948." Warner Brothers immediately put her on contract. It was Jack Warner who gave her the name "Debbie." Warner Bros. gave her two small parts then dropped her. MGM picked her up. By this time, Debbie was hooked on acting and was determined to give it her best shot. MGM spotlighted her singing "I Want to Be Loved By You" (lip-syncing to Helen Kane's voice) with Carlton Carpenter in Three Little Words, and the movie-going public loved it. She was immediately cast with Jane Powell in "Two Weeks with Love," and her career was off and running. Debbie married Eddie Fisher in 1955, and gave birth to Carrie Frances Fisher (now of Star Wars fame) in 1956. She also gave birth to a son, Todd, in 1958. She and Eddie Fisher divorced in 1959. She was remarried to Harry Karl in 1960.

During the 1960s, Debbie's career began slipping, but she kept at it, working night clubs and television as well. In recent years, Debbie has regained a following in new films. Her career now spans 50 years, and she's still going strong! Original MGM publicity photo Debbie Reynolds | New Music And Songs | Debbie Reynolds About Debbie Reynolds At the peak of her career, actress Debbie Reynolds was America's sweetheart, the archetypal girl next door; best remembered for her work in Hollywood musicals, she appeared in the genre's defining moment, Singin' in the Rain, as well as many other notable successes. Born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas, she entered the film industry by winning the Miss Burbank beauty contest in 1948, resulting in a contract with Warner Bros. However, the studio cast her in small roles in only two films -- 1948's The June Bride and 1950's The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady -- and she soon exited for the greener pastures of MGM, where she first appeared in Three Little Words.

A more significant turn in 1950's Two Weeks with Love garnered Reynolds strong notices, and soon she was touted as the new Judy Garland, with a role in 1951's Mr. Imperium also on the horizon. Still, star Gene Kelly initially opposed her casting in his 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain; Reynolds acquitted herself more than admirably alongside the likes of Donald O'Connor and Jean Hagen, however, and the film remains one of the greatest Hollywood musicals ever produced. A series of less distinguished musicals followed, among them 1953's I Love Melvin, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, and Give a Girl a Break; on loan to RKO, she scored a major success in 1954's Susan Slept Here, and upon returning to MGM was awarded with a new and improved seven-year contract. However, the studio continued to insert Reynolds into lackluster projects like the health-fad satire Athena and the musical Hit the Deck; finally, in 1955 she appeared opposite Frank Sinatra in the hit The Tender Trap, followed by a well-regarded turn as a blushing bride in The Catered Affair a year later.

Additionally, Reynolds teamed with real-life husband Eddie Fisher in the musical Bundle of Joy; the couple's children also went on to showbiz success -- daughter Carrie became a popular actress, novelist, and screenwriter, while son Todd became a director. In 1957 Reynolds starred in Tammy and the Bachelor, the first in a series of popular teen films that also included 1961's Tammy Tell Me True, 1963's Tammy and the Doctor, and 1967's Tammy and the Millionaire; her other well-received films of the period included 1959's It Started with a Kiss, 1961's The Pleasure of His Company, and 1964's The Unsinkable Molly Brown, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination. In 1959, Reynolds' marriage to Eddie Fisher ended in divorce when he left her for Elizabeth Taylor; the effect was an outpouring of public sympathy that only further increased her growing popularity, and it was rumored that by the early '60s she was earning millions per picture. By the middle of the decade, however, Reynolds' star was waning.

While described by the actress herself as her favorite film, 1966's The Singing Nun was not the hit MGM anticipated; its failure finally convinced the studio to offer her characters closer to her own age, but neither 1967's Divorce American Style nor the next year's How Sweet It Is performed well, and Reynolds disappeared from the screen to mount her own television series, the short-lived Debbie Reynolds Show. In 1971, she appeared against type in the campy horror picture What's the Matter with Helen?, but when it too failed she essentially retired from movie-making, accepting voice-over work as the title character in the animated children's film Charlotte's Web but otherwise remaining away from Hollywood for over a decade. Reynolds then hit the nightclub circuit, additionally appearing on Broadway in 1973's Irene. In 1977, she also starred in a Los Angeles Civic Light Opera production of Annie Get Your Gun. By the 1980s, Reynolds had become a fixture in Las Vegas, where she ultimately opened her own hotel and casino, regularly performing live in the venue's nightclub and even opening her own museum of Hollywood memorabilia.

In 1987, she reappeared in front of the camera for the first time in years in the TV movie Sadie and Son, followed in 1989 by Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder. In 1992 Reynolds appeared briefly as herself in the hit film The Bodyguard, and a small role in Oliver Stone's 1993 Vietnam tale Heaven and Earth marked her second tentative step toward returning to Hollywood on a regular basis; finally, in 1996 she accepted the title role in the acclaimed Albert Brooks comedy Mother, delivering what many critics declared the best performance of her career. The comedies Wedding Bell Blues and In and Out followed, and Reynolds remained active into the new millennium, appearing in her own West End show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous in 2010 and in the HBO Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra in 2013. She passed away on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of daughter Carrie Fisher, who had suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Debbie Reynolds was 84 years old. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi Hear more of

Question: Which actress was voted Miss Burbank 1948?
Answer: Debbie Reynolds