Debbie Reynolds and Rick Kern

Debbie Reynolds and Rick Kern

Photo: Debbie Reynolds and Rick Kern in Las Vegas -- 1993. Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso. Her father was a filling station attendant during the Great Depression. The family lived on Magnolia St. in central El Paso for a time, but the economy forced them to move around the city to live with other relatives. Her father held odd jobs in El Paso before finally finding steady work in Burbank, Calif., in 1939. The move to Burbank was a fortunate one for Reynolds. She would go on to win the title of Miss Burbank in 1948. In addition to winning the beauty pageant, she got a screen test with Warner Brothers. Studio head Jack Warner signed her to a contract and promptly changed her name from Mary to Debbie Reynolds. As a child star, Reynolds moved between Warner Brothers and MGM. She worked with such musical legends as Fred Astaire and Busby Berkley. In 1950, she had a breakthrough song with "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from "Two Weeks with Love." She is best remembered for playing opposite Gene Kelly in 1952's "Singin' in the Rain." The experience of making that movie was difficult for her. She said in her autobiography that "Singin' in the Rain" and childbirth were the hardest things she ever had to do in her life. She began rehearsals on the film just two weeks after turning 19. Rick Kern is a Producer/Drummer in El Paso, Texas. http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_22912847/el-paso-native-debbie-reynolds-turns-81

Area: Out of Area / Out of Area

Source: Rick Kern

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

2230 First Ave

2230 First Ave post renovation 2015ish Fluff & Barbara. Home is ...

Angulo Angulo Family

Jose Maria Angulo (bearded) married to his cousin Maria ...

Montestruc Family

children of the Montestruc family.

Montestruc Family

members of the Montestruc family.

Montestruc Family

Part of the Montestruc family.

Montestruc Family

Part of the Montestruc family.

Montestruc Family

Member of the Montestruc Family

Pachuca

Pachuca is a culture, described with detail of clothing attire.

PACHUCA

A pachuca is a Chicana woman in a female version of the zoot ...

Pachuca

A pachuca is a Chicana woman in a female version of the zoot ...

Pachuca

A pachuca is the female version of a pachuco. A Chicana woman in ...

Vintage postcard

This "Glo-Var" finished postcard is circa 1940s with two young ...

US Court house Postcard

This vintage postcard features the United States Court House. It ...

Vintage Postcard

This vintage postcard is circa 1940s. It has a rancher riding a ...

Carlsbad Postcard

This vintage postcard is of the inside of Carlsbad Caverns in ...

Desert Sky Postcard

This postcard is circa 1940s. The test on the front reads, "A ...

Juarez Postcard

This postcard features the city of Juarez in Mexico. This is a ...

Desert Waves Postcard

This 1940s postcard features sand waves out of White Sands. The ...

Juarez bird's-eye view postcard

This postcard from the 1940s is a scene of Juarez, Mexico. The ...

Zootzoots

The culture represent a wonderful life style in time for ...

Eagle Scout

Last Campout

Katherine A. Mullings - University of Texas

Katherine A. Mullings - University of Texas - Graduation - May ...

National Merit Scholar

EL Paso High National Merit Scholar Semi Finalist

home.search_collection