Video Age International October 2016

12 Book Review October 2016 V I D E O A G E Reynolds-Fisher Sagas Recalled In New Anecdotal Book By Debbie M ake ‘emLaugh (Harper- Collins, 288 pages, $15.84) is beloved Hollywood golden era star Debbie Reynolds’ second biographical work. Written together with former CBS executive andproducerDorianHannaway, Make ’em Laugh recounts a long series of anecdotes tied to Reynolds — dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” in the 1950’s — from the very start of her career all the way up to the present day, and it’s organized vaguely in chronological order, with multiple jumps back and forth in time, sometimes within the same vignette. Reynolds might be familiar to younger audiences as the mother of prolific actress Carrie Fisher, well- known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars series. However, older audiences will recall that, in addition to her prolific and distinguished film career, Reynolds’ image constantly graced the tabloids in the late 1950s not in the least due to her marriage to pop singer Eddie Fisher, one of the most successful recording artists of the day. Fisher’s eventual elopement with Liz Taylor in 1959 caused an enormous scandal, but Reynolds doesn’t limit the subject matter of her book to herself or those closest to her: Judy Garland, Helda Hopper, and Zsa Zsa Gabor are just some of the characters who float in and out of her stories. And the cameos aren’t limited to movie royalty; Reynolds also recounts her escapades in New York and Los Angeles with King Baldwin of Belgium, Prince Philip (Queen Elizabeth’s husband), King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran. The memoir is structured in 10 parts, each representing a different theme in Debbie Reynold’s life. With the exception of the third part (“Early days”) each section skips back and forth through time: from her early days in the industry, to her various appearances on variety, talk, and award shows through the decades as a headlining star, to her relationship with those older actors who most influenced her mostly comedic acting style. Other parts of the book deal with the various romantic drama which occurred on the MGM backlot, much of which Reynolds witnessed but did not participate in; apart from her “obvious poor choice in husbands” (having been married and subsequently divorced three times), the thing Debbie Reynolds said she most regrets is her “lack of passion.” Finally, the last two sections of the book deal with the (often humorous) adventures and misadventures of her large Hollywood social circle, and the trials and tribulations involved in raising two children in show business, until her most recent Mother’s Day. Reynolds’ narrative is warm and lighthearted; she doesn’t hold any grudges, least of all with Liz Taylor, with whom she reconciled less than a decade after her divorce from Eddie Fisher, and who floats in and out of multiple anecdotes throughout the book. Even actress Shelly Winters, the protagonist of a very unflattering episode taking place at a ball held by The Thalians (a charity focused on mental health Reynolds is closely involved with), is brushed off as being “a character.” In addition to her intimate insight into the gossip and antics of the golden age of Hollywood, Reynolds also provides fascinating glimpses into the operations of the “star system.” For instance, she recalls how after the landmark antitrust decision United States v. Paramount obligated U.S. studios to spin off the network of theaters they owned and operated, as many stars as possible were crammed into publicity events to generate buzz and increase the probability that more theaters would carry their films. The majority of Reynolds’ early vignettes depict shenanigans tied to events she was either involved in or attended. However, the details of Reynolds’ relationship with her studio, MGM, feature more in her somber 2013 book Unsinkable (named after the film for which Reynolds was nominated for an Academy award). An avid collector of film memorabilia, Reynolds compiles Make ‘em Laugh more like a catalog of mostly lighthearted stories tied to the objects in her collection. In fact, many stories are tied directly to objects in her possession. The book’s anecdotes are framed by brief vignettes (typed in a different font) in which Reynolds recalls recent events, and open with her recollection of being awarded the Screen Actor’s Guild Lifetime Achievement award in 2015. The setup, probably meant to evoke the image of the aged diva reminiscing among her pantheon of jewelry, props, and papers, sometimes reads more like a series of newspaper clippings (occasionally, actual newspaper clippings are transcribed in the text). “America’s sweetheart” doesn’t need to do much to win over our hearts, Reynolds’ narrative is honest and heartwarming and aficionados of the golden age of Hollywood will no doubt find the anecdotes in Make ‘em Laugh endlessly interesting. Still, in spite of the lengthy paragraphs on the matters of the Reynolds- Fisher family, the book can’t help but fall flat for those looking for deeper insight into Reynolds’ inner life and her “Hollywood Family.” But then again, that might not even be the point of the book. By Yuri Serafini