Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds was an actor, singer, dancer, and collector whose Hollywood career extended across more than six decades. Make ‘Em Laugh gathers her anecdotes, jokes, memories, and observations about performance, friendship, marriage, motherhood, and fame. Dorian Hannaway shares the author credit, and William Morrow published the book under the subtitle Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends. Reynolds recalls colleagues including Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Phyllis Diller, and Judy Garland, using brief stories rather than a single chronological account. The format suits an entertainer known for comic timing as well as musical films such as Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Make ‘Em Laugh followed her earlier memoir Unsinkable and lets her revisit familiar events with a lighter, conversational emphasis. Its value lies in the perspective of a performer who knew both the studio era and the changing celebrity culture that followed. Hannaway’s collaboration helps shape those recollections into a late-career portrait built around Reynolds’s own voice and sense of humor.