She starred in How the West Was Won (1963), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), a biographical film about the famously boisterous Molly Brown. Her performance as Brown earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her other notable films include The Singing Nun (1966), Divorce American Style (1967), What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), Mother (1996 Golden Globe nomination), and In & Out (1997). Reynolds was also a noted cabaret performer. In 1979 she founded the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, which still operates today.
In 1969 she starred in her own television show The Debbie Reynolds Show, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 1973 Reynolds starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Irene and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical.She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love (1999) and an Emmy Award for playing Grace's mother Bobbi on Will & Grace. At the turn of the millennium, Reynolds reached a new younger generation with her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series. In 1988 she released her autobiography titled, Debbie: My Life. In 2013, she released an updated version titled Unsinkable: A Memoir.
Reynolds was a noted businesswoman, having operated her own hotel in Las Vegas. She was also a collector of film memorabilia, beginning with items purchased at the landmark 1970 MGM auction. She was the former president of The Thalians, an organization dedicated to mental health causes. Reynolds continued to perform successfully on stage, television, and film into her eighties. In January 2015, Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2016 she received the Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In the same year, a documentary about her life was released titled Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
On December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, Reynolds died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.
Reynolds regularly appeared in movie musicals during the 1950s and had several hit records during the period. Her song "Aba Daba Honeymoon" (featured in the film Two Weeks with Love (1950) as a duet with Carleton Carpenter) was a top-three hit in 1951. Her most high-profile film role was in Singin' in the Rain (1952), a satire on movie making in Hollywood during the transition from silent to sound pictures. It costarred Gene Kelly, whom she called a "great dancer and cinematic genius," adding, "He made me a star. I was 18 and he taught me how to dance and how to work hard and be dedicated." In 1956 she appeared in Bundle of Joy with her then-husband, Eddie Fisher.
Her recording of the song "Tammy" (1957; from Tammy and the Bachelor), earned her a gold record, and was the best-selling single by a female vocalist in 1957. It was number one for five weeks on the Billboard pop charts. In the movie (the first of the Tammy film series), she co-starred with Leslie Nielsen.
Reynolds also scored two other top-25 Billboard hits with "A Very Special Love" (#20 in January 1958) and "Am I That Easy to Forget" (#25 in March 1960)—a pop-music version of a country-music hit made famous by both songwriters Carl Belew (in 1959), Skeeter Davis (in 1960), and several years later by singer Engelbert Humperdinck.
During these years, she also headlined in major Las Vegas showrooms. Reynolds' last album was a Christmas record with the late Donald O'Connor entitled Chrissy the Christmas Mouse.
Mary Frances Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Maxine (née Harmon; 1913–1999) and Raymond Francis Reynolds (1903–1986), a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad. She was of Scottish-Irish and English ancestry, and was raised in a strict Nazarene church. She had a brother two years her senior, and Reynolds was a Girl Scout, once saying that she wanted to die as the world's oldest living Girl Scout. Her father dug ditches and her mother took in washing clothes for others for income, while they they lived in a "shack" on Magnolia Street, in El Paso. "We may have been poor," she said, "but we always had something to eat, even if Dad had to go out on the desert and shoot jack rabbits."
One of the advantages of having been poor is that you learn to appreciate good fortune and the value of a dollar, and poverty holds no fear for you because you know you've gone through it and you can do it again...But we were always a happy family and a religious one. And I'm trying to inculcate in my children the same sense of values, the same tone that my mother gave to me."
Her family moved to Burbank, California, in 1939. At age sixteen, in 1948, while a student at Burbank High School, she won the Miss Burbank beauty contest. Soon after, she had a contract with Warner Bros and acquired a new first name via Jack Warner.
During her teenage years in Burbank, she rarely dated, said one of her closes high school friends. "They never found her attractive in school. She was cute, but sort of tomboyish, and her family never had any money to speak of. She never dressed well or drove a car. And, I think, during all the years in school, she was invited to only one dance." Her friend adds:
I say this in all sincerity. Debbie can serve as an inspiration to all young American womanhood. She came up the hard way, and she has a realistic sense of values based on faith, love, work and money. Life has been kind to her because she has been kind to life. She's a young woman with a conscience, which is something rare in Hollywood actresses. She also has a refreshing sense of honesty.
Her starring role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) led to a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She then portrayed Jeanine Deckers in The Singing Nun (1966). In what Reynolds once called the "stupidest mistake of my entire career", she made headlines in 1970 after instigating a fight with the NBC television network over cigarette advertising on her weekly television show. Although she was at the time television's highest paid female performer, she quit the show for breaking its contract:
I was shocked to discover that the initial commercial aired during the premiere of my new series was devoted to a nationally advertised brand of cigarette (Pall Mall). I fully outlined my personal feelings concerning cigarette advertising ... that I will not be a party to such commercials which I consider directly opposed to health and well-being.
Reynolds continued to make appearances in film and television. She played Helen Chappel Hackett's mother, Deedee Chappel, on an episode of Wings titled, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother", which originally aired on November 22, 1994. From 1999 to its 2006 series finale, she played Grace Adler's theatrical mother, Bobbi Adler, on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2000. She plays a recurring role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown film series as Aggie Cromwell. Reynolds made a guest appearance as a presenter at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997. She made a cameo role as herself in the 2004 film Connie and Carla. In 2013 she appeared in Behind the Candelabra, as the mother of Liberace.
With limited film and television opportunities coming her way, Reynolds accepted an opportunity to make her Broadway debut. She starred in the 1973 revival of Irene, a musical first produced 60 years before.[25] When asked why she waited so long to appear in a Broadway play, she explained:
Primarily because I had two children growing up. I could make movies and recordings and play in nearby Las Vegas and handle a television series without being away from them. Now, they are well on the way to being adults. Also, there was the matter of being offered a show that I felt might be right for me ... I felt that Irene was it and now was the time.
Along with Reynolds, her daughter Carrie was also making her Broadway debut in the play.[26] The production broke records for the highest weekly gross of any musical. For that production, she received a Tony nomination. Reynolds also starred in a self-titled Broadway revue, Debbie, in 1976. She toured with Harve Presnell in Annie Get Your Gun,[28] then wrapped up the Broadway run of Woman of the Year in 1983. In the late 1980s Reynolds repeated her role as Molly Brown in the stage version of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, first opposite Presnell (repeating his original Broadway and movie role) and later with Ron Raines.
Reynolds amassed a large collection of movie memorabilia, beginning with items from the landmark 1970 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer auction, and displayed them, first in a museum at her Las Vegas hotel and casino during the 1990s and later in a museum close to the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. On several occasions, she auctioned off items from the collection.
The museum was to relocate to be the centerpiece of the Belle Island Village tourist attraction in the resort city of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but the developer went bankrupt. The museum filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009.
Todd Fisher, Reynolds' son, announced that his mother was "heartbroken" to have to auction off her collection. It was valued at $10.79 million in the bankruptcy filing. The Los Angeles auction firm Profiles in History was given the responsibility of conducting a series of auctions. Among the "more than 3500 costumes, 20,000 photographs, and thousands of movie posters, costume sketches, and props" included in the sales were Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat and Marilyn Monroe's white "subway dress", whose skirt is lifted up by the breeze from a passing subway train in the film The Seven Year Itch (1955). The dress sold for $4.6 million; the final auction was held in May 2014.
In 1979, Reynolds opened her own dance studio in North Hollywood. In 1983 she released an exercise video titled Do It Debbie's Way!.
She purchased the Clarion Hotel and Casino, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, in 1992 and renamed it the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel, but it was not a success. In 1997, Reynolds was forced to declare bankruptcy.
In June 2010, she replaced Ivana Trump answering reader queries for the weekly paper Globe.
Reynolds was married three times. Her first marriage was to singer Eddie Fisher in 1955. They were the parents of Carrie and Todd Fisher. The couple divorced in 1959 when Fisher had an affair with Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds' good friend at the time, shortly after the death of Taylor's husband Mike Todd. The Eddie Fisher-Elizabeth Taylor affair caused a serious public scandal, even leading to the cancellation of Eddie Fisher's television show at the time. In 2011, on The Oprah Winfrey Show, just weeks before Elizabeth Taylor's death, Reynolds explained that she and Taylor happened to be traveling at the same time on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s when they made up. Reynolds sent a note to Taylor's room, and Taylor sent a note in reply asking to have dinner with Reynolds and end their feud. The two reconciled, and, as Reynolds put it, "... we had a wonderful evening with a lot of laughs". The 1990 film Postcards from the Edge was written by Reynolds' daughter Carrie Fisher and was semi-autobiographical, with the character of "Doris Mann" based on Reynolds.
Reynolds' second marriage, to millionaire businessman Harry Karl, lasted from 1960 to 1973. Reynolds later found herself in financial difficulty because of Karl's gambling and bad investments.
Reynolds' third marriage was to real estate developer Richard Hamlett from 1984 to 1996.
In 2010, she appeared in her own West End show Debbie Reynolds: Alive and Fabulous. Beginning in 1955, Reynolds was active in The Thalians, a charitable organization devoted to children and adults with mental health issues; In 2011 she stepped down after 56 years of involvement and became an emerita member.
Reynolds was hospitalized in October 2012 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, due to an adverse reaction to medication. She canceled appearances and concert engagements for the next three months.
On December 23, 2016, Reynolds' daughter, actress and writer Carrie Fisher, suffered a heart attack on a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles, and died at the age of 60 on December 27. On December 28 Reynolds was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, in fair-to-serious condition after a stroke at her son's home. Later that afternoon, Reynolds died in the hospital.
Reynolds is survived by her son Todd Fisher and her granddaughter Billie Lourd. Her son said that his mother's stress from the death of her daughter was partly responsible for her stroke. "Reynolds told him she missed her daughter and wanted to be with her," according to news reports.
Reynolds was the 1955 Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year. Her foot and handprints are preserved at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6654 Hollywood Boulevard, for live performance and a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars dedicated to her. In keeping with the celebrity tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival of Winchester, Virginia, Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 ABF that took place from April 26 to May 1, 2011.
In November 2006 Reynolds received the Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from Chapman University (Orange, California). On May 17, 2007, she was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she had contributed for many years to the film studies program.
Good Morning
Debbie Reynolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good Morning
We've talked the whole night through
Good Morning
Good Morning to you
Good Morning
Good Morning
Good Morning
Good Morning to you
When the band began to play the stars were shinging bright
Now the milkman's on his way
and it's too late to say good night
So, Good Morning
Good Morning
Sun beams will soon smile through
Good Morning
Good Morning to you and you and you and you
Good Morning
Good Morning
We've gabbed the whole night through
Good Morning
Good Morning to you
Nothing could be grander than to be in Louisiana
In the morning
In the morning
It's great to stay up late
Good Morning
Good Morning to you
I'd be as yippe if it wasn't Mississippi
When we left the movie show the future wasn't bright
But came the dawn the show goes on
and I don't want to say good night
So say good morning
Good Morning
Rainbows are shining through
Good Morning
Good Morning
Bonjour
Monsour
Buenos Días
Muchas Frías
Bongiorno
Montichorno
Gutten Morgen
Blakich Morgen
Good Morning to you
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
¡Olé!
Toro
Bravo
Haha
Haha
The song "Good Morning" by Debbie Reynolds is an upbeat and cheery tune that expresses the joy of waking up to a new day. The repetitive use of the phrase "Good Morning" throughout the song creates a sense of positivity and energy, as if the singer is inviting the listener to join her in celebrating the start of a new day. The song also emphasizes the joy of staying up late and enjoying life, with lines like "It's great to stay up late" and "The show goes on and I don't want to say good night."
The lyrics also use a range of languages to emphasize the universality of the sentiment being expressed. From French and Italian to German and Spanish, the inclusion of various international languages shows that the joy of a new day is something that transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries. The inclusion of playful sounds like "Waka laka laka" and "Haha" adds to the sense of lightheartedness and fun that this song embodies.
Overall, "Good Morning" is a feel-good song that celebrates the joy of a new day and the pleasure of staying up late with loved ones. Its upbeat tempo and cheerful lyrics make it a perfect choice for starting the day off on a positive note.
Line by Line Meaning
Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Good Morning
Repeating the greeting as a form of emphasis
We've talked the whole night through
Spent the whole night in conversation
Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Good Morning to you
Wishing someone a good day
It's great to stay up late
Enjoy staying awake beyond the usual time
Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Good Morning to you
Wishing someone a good day
When the band began to play the stars were shining bright
The music started when there were still stars visible in the sky
Now the milkman's on his way and it's too late to say good night
The dawn is approaching and it is too late to say goodbye to the night
So, Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Sun beams will soon smile through
The sun's rays will soon be visible
Good Morning to you and you and you and you
Wishing a good day to everyone present
We've gabbed the whole night through
Spent the whole night in conversation
Nothing could be grander than to be in Louisiana
Louisiana is a wonderful place to be
In the morning
Referring to the time of day
In the morning
Referring to the time of day
It's great to stay up late
Enjoy staying awake beyond the usual time
Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Good Morning to you
Wishing someone a good day
I'd be as yippe if it wasn't Mississippi
Would be excited even if it wasn't in Mississippi
When we left the movie show the future wasn't bright
After the movie, the situation didn't seem great
But came the dawn the show goes on
Despite the night, the day begins and life continues
and I don't want to say good night
Don't want the night to end and want to continue the fun
So say good morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Rainbows are shining through
Rainbows can be seen in the sky
Good Morning
Greeting someone as the day begins
Bonjour Monsour Buenos Días Muchas Frías Bongiorno Montichorno Gutten Morgen Blakich Morgen
Greetings in multiple languages
Good Morning to you
Wishing someone a good day
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
Silly, upbeat vocalization
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
Silly, upbeat vocalization
Waka laka laka laka laka laka wa
Silly, upbeat vocalization
Olé!
Exclamation expressing joy or approval
Toro
Spanish for bull, possibly referencing bullfighting
Bravo
Interjection expressing approval or congratulations
Haha
Expression of laughter
Haha
Expression of laughter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Nacio Brown, Arthur Freed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mr.traditionalist7948
This movie has THE best dance sequences I have ever seen. So crisp, synchronized, and catchy. An instant classic I’ve enjoyed since I was 5.
@princessthyemis
ME TOO!! my mom sang this to me when I was little! I actually had no idea it was a real song until today! I thought my mom invented it!
@ILuvAyeAye
Awww, I was just commenting the same thing! My mom would say “we slept the whole night through” instead hah.
@shanisafan
Watch the Nicholas Brothers choreography in Stormy Weather. You will be amazed by the dance moves in that clip.
@mimidavis9534
That jump from the bar did not look easy yet they did it flawlessly! 😮
@susanlloyd7395
Gene Kelly was a genius choreographer.
@sav99786
My Nanna used to sing this to me every morning when she woke me up. Now I sing it to my son. I used to watch Singing in the Rain on her VCR all the time. Great memories.
@JOE-on4pi
❤
@yootoobsuks4210
I love that! 🥰
@user-pf8wb6ph4f
My mom used to sing it to me in the morning as well. Now i sing it to my girlfriend