Unsinkable

by Debbie Reynolds

Overview

The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present.

Unsinkable shines a spotlight on the resilient woman whose talent and passion for her work have endured for more than six decades. In her engaging, down-to-earth voice, Debbie shares private details about her man and money troubles, and invites us into the close circle of her family life. She looks back at her life as an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age including her lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, recalls stories that never reached the tabloids about celebrities like Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly, and also takes us on a guided tour through each of her movies with behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Frank and forthright, Unsinkable is a revealing portrait of a woman whose determination is an inspiration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062213662
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/05/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	81,943
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Debbie Reynolds is an actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, and author best known for her leading roles in Singin' in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and on TV as Bobbi Adler in Will & Grace. After more than sixty years in the entertainment industry, she is truly a Hollywood icon. Today, she performs her one-woman show around the world, making films and television appearances, and writing a weekly syndicated advice column.

Dorian Hannaway was the director of late-night programming at CBS-TV for more than fifteen years, supervising the production of The Late Show with David Letterman; The Kids in the Hall; and The Late, Late Show. She has known Debbie for more than thirty years, and has written and produced many projects with her.

What People are Saying About This

Leonard Maltin

“Anyone who loves Hollywood and movies is bound to enjoy this lively, funny book, filled with candid recollections. Debbie was a movie-struck kid who experienced the last days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and I love her clear-eyed memories.”

Editorial Reviews

In hardcover, Debbie Reynolds' memoir made waves with its jarringly honest description of her disastrous third marriage. Beginning with an account of the nuptials, she goes on to scourge her ex-spouse as a chiseling business partner and a chronic adulterer. With Unsinkable, the veteran actress has not only updated her 1988 Hollywood memoir; by revisiting her early life here, she has enhanced its accounts with the safety and assurance of age. Reynolds' recollections of a movie career that now spans 65 years have always been important to her; indeed her descriptions of her battles to save her incomparable memorabilia collection form an important part of this book. An entertaining read from a peppy, petite star; now in trade paperback and NOOK Book.

Anyone who loves Hollywood and movies is bound to enjoy this lively, funny book, filled with candid recollections. Debbie was a movie-struck kid who experienced the last days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and I love her clear-eyed memories.

Leonard Maltin

[Reynolds is] indisputably a grand dame of show business.

NPR on UNSINKABLE

Lively.

People on UNSINKABLE

Debbie Reynolds knows exactly how to steal the scene, wring tears, and most important, how to leave the audience feeling thoroughly entertained.

New York Journal of Books on UNSINKABLE

Nothing could sink this lady.

New York Post on UNSINKABLE

After her 1988 autobiography, the actress takes a darker view of things.

Library Journal

The multitalented Reynolds nostalgically expands on a fruitful career and a chaotic adulthood. The introduction, written by daughter Carrie Fisher, is appreciative and nods toward her mother's impeccable memory and fitting arrival at "a point in her life where she can see farther and better than ever before." The memoir, co-authored by former CBS late-night programming director Hannaway, greatly reflects this sentiment. Reynolds writes with regretless candor, fondly reflecting on a grand life in the Hollywood spotlight yet also recognizing the tarnish of imprudent romantic and financial decisions. Reynolds highlights many of her failures, the result of either sheer naïveté or gullibility, yet she remains continually nonplussed at the deceptiveness of people (particularly when hoodwinked by her second husband, con man Harry Karl). A promising business endeavor to purchase an aging Las Vegas hotel to house her opulent Hollywood costume collection ended up drilling Reynolds ever further down into debt left over from the Karl fiasco. Reynolds bravely admits to poring over dozens of boxes of litigation paperwork just to write comprehensively about that heartbreaking period when she was eventually forced to auction off the hotel and many of her prized memorabilia and costumes, including the unprecedented $5.5-plus million sale of Marilyn Monroe's original subway dress. The memoir's second section brings much needed levity to Reynolds' escapades and details her current life as a prideful octogenarian brimming with vigor. Perhaps the most compelling portions of the book are the pages of candid, insider commentary from each of the famed actress' films. Aptly titled, this bittersweet scrapbook demonstrates the kind of steely fortitude necessary to remain afloat through a lifetime of stormy weather.

Kirkus Reviews