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 initally 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...