25 Rare Color Photographs of Debbie Reynolds From the 1950s

Debbie Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer with her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words. Her breakout role was her first leading role, as Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain (1952).

Reynolds’s working-class family moved from Texas to California in the late 1930s. She was spotted by a talent scout when she entered a beauty contest, and she embarked on an acting career while she was still a teenager. In 1948 she made her movie debut in June Bride. She played supporting parts in four musical comedies before her breakthrough role in 1952 as the ingenue who is made into a star in Singin’ in the Rain.

Reynolds’s bright-eyed personality charmed movie audiences, who soon claimed her as “America’s Sweetheart.” She became a top box-office attraction during the 1950s, appearing in a series of light comedies that included Susan Slept Here (1954); The Tender Trap (1955), in which she costarred with Frank Sinatra; The Catered Affair (1956); Bundle of Joy (1956), in which she appeared with her husband, singer Eddie Fisher; Tammy and the Bachelor (1957); and The Mating Game (1959).

Reynolds reached the height of her popularity in the late 1950s, during which time she was involved in a scandalous divorce from Fisher, who left her for actress Elizabeth Taylor.