The Girls Part 5: Mary Frances Reynolds AKA Debbie

 Mary Frances Reynolds, AKA Debbie

Debbie Reynolds was born on the 1st day of April 1932, in El Paso, Texas, to Minnie and Ray Reynolds. Debbie grew up in poverty. She described living in a shack in El Paso and their poverty like this:

“ We may have been poor, but we always had something to eat, even if Dad had to go out in the desert and shoot jackrabbits.”

Debbie was raised in the Nazarene Church, which her domineering mother attended. In 1939, her parents moved to Burbank, California. She attended high school in Burbank. At 16, she won the Miss Burbank contest; the rest is history. Jack Warner gave her the moniker Debbie, and I’m tempted to believe it was because she looked like the all-American girl, so he gave her a name that spoke to that. The year before I was born, Debbie saddled me with a name and a song. She made a movie called “Tammy and the Bachelor.” As a result, I lived with the nickname "Tammy" and the song "Tammy" until my father died in 2020.

Debbie was multi-talented and highly dedicated to her art, but at heart, she was happy with simple things. Her children meant the world to her, as demonstrated by her following Carrie in death a mere 24 hours after Carrie passed. Her family was her life, and acting was her job. But in her childhood, Debbie was under the thumb of a domineering mother who left a deep and lasting scar on her daughter's heart. Debbie made great efforts never to emulate her mother. She achieved this by being there for her children and providing for them in a way she had never been provided for.

In May 1961, Debbie began filming “How the West Was Won,” which wrapped up shooting in November of the same year. She didn’t know when she started filming that she would become friends with and captivate her co-star, Agnes Moorehead. There are stories about how they became fast friends, but the gist of it is Debbie walked up to Agnes and announced she wanted to be her friend, and was greeted with, ‘And so you shall be,” from Agnes. The rest is history. 500 volumes of history full of rumors, truths, and outright storytelling. People have been arguing over the nature of the relationship for 63 years. A considerable amount of time has been spent trying to find the answer to the question. I believe the primary objective of the question has been lost in the argument. First, let me say that I have now preached through two blogs, and the only people who can answer the question are dead, so all we can do is speculate. Why bother to speculate? Because human beings love a mystery. How do you solve a mystery? Investigate.

That investigation led to this letter:

Jan 1967 4:00 a.m. Phew!!

Dear Aunt Agnes

How we miss seeing you and being with our girl! 

All the little ones are here this weekend, so things should really hum for a few days.

Kathie Archer is visiting with Carrie this weekend, so Tina is sleeping with me to avoid any little scenes.

Little Darlings

So far, Mother ( that’s me) is holding up and looking forward to the end of the sixth week. Not that it is unpleasant. It’s just that it is another world for me. Brother, the hours–Ah, well, that’s Show Biz !!! 

Harry has had a cold, so he didn’t make it this time. Poor fella, he’s really had a time of it.

Agnes, thank you again for all of our Christmas goodies. I adore my cigarette or what have you dish. It’s divine and dear like you!

Love you and miss you!

Debala

It’s a charming letter, and it’s addressed to Aunt Agnes. That is odd since Debbie wrote it, but I’ll take it at face value. I was satisfied with it when I read it. A kind note to a dear friend. But then, along with the letter mentioned above in the archive, I found this:

Saratoga, California

Feb. 17, 1960

Dear Vampers Julie,

You were not too hard and brassy for an old-time lady of the tights.

The nostalgic loneliness is not overplayed

Costuming beautiful and becoming, feminine hair-do

Carrie and I went along.

I mainly glory in how well you look–nice round arms–lovely neck and shoulders.

Perfect foil for impressive low-cut gowns.

Just hope that on some Spring blossom day, you and your family can arrive for a picnic.

Mayhaps a poesie we might find on a hillside

Aloha to you all

Topsy

The same person wrote these. I can tell because they are handwritten, and when you look at Carrie on one, you see Carrie on the other—most, if not all, of the capital letters march. Two things come to mind. The first is, what the hell did I just read? The second is that it’s the same person. I know that Debbie Reynolds handwrote the first letter, and the handwriting on the second is identical to the handwriting on the first. It’s problematic because of the dates.

1. They didn’t meet on “How The West Was Won” because the letter is dated 1960, and they didn’t meet until 1961, when they became friends during the casting and read-throughs.

2. That their communications are coded.

3. We all got played. Hard played.

4. Why was a story concocted?

5. What are they trying to hide?

6. What the actual hell is a “Vampers Julie?”

7. Why is a single line on the bottom deliberately marked out in a different color ink?

I challenge each person to read it and interpret it as they see fit, but I received the same kind of letter from a woman 33 years my senior, and I understand every single bit of it. I don’t know the truth, but I know what all this feels like; I’ve been there. The words are facts; they exist, and it cannot be denied that the same person wrote them. What does that mean? I don’t know any more than you.