Reynolds was the 1955 Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year. [95] Her footprints and handprints are preserved at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6654 Hollywood Boulevard, for live performance and a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars dedicated to her. [96] In keeping with the celebrity tradition of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival of Winchester, Virginia, Reynolds was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 ABF that took place from April 26 to May 1, 2011. [97] In an interview on 20/20, Reynolds' son believed that she "didn't die of a broken heart". He believed she "just left to be with Carrie". Instead of starting a bidding competition, they simply flipped a coin. Warner Bros won the toss, and immediately signed Reynolds. However, her transformation into a budding movie star wasn't easy. Reynolds, who alleges she spent the next day hiding in her closet until he left, goes on to claim she confronted Hamlett about getting a divorce at a local cafe, where he finally admitted their relationship was a sham. I could practically see the dollar signs floating above his head. I was sure he was going to toss me off the balcony. One shove and all his troubles would be over. I pictured myself plummeting 12 floors to the pavement."

In 2011, Reynolds stepped down after 56 years of involvement in The Thalians, [79] a charitable organization devoted to children and adults with mental-health issues. Now 80 and living in Roanoke, Virginia, he tells DailyMail.com he was deeply saddened to hear of her death and said: 'She was a sweet, sweet girl.' Harry Karl seemed like the perfect catch: He was generous and kind, but also had an infectious sense of humor. But that wasn't the best part. Reynolds was also a French horn player. Gene Kelly, reflecting on Reynolds's sudden fame, recalled, "There were times when Debbie was more interested in playing the French horn somewhere in the San Fernando Valley or attending a Girl Scout meeting....She didn't realize she was a movie star all of a sudden." [45] Stage work [ edit ] Reynolds prior to performing a show in Las Vegas in 1975Itzkoff, Dave (December 27, 2016). "Carrie Fisher, Child of Hollywood and 'Star Wars' Royalty, Dies at 60". The New York Times . Retrieved December 27, 2016. On one of the very first publicity dates she went on, Reynolds met a man who stole her breath away. After Warner Bros announced that they would no longer be producing musicals, Reynolds hopped over to MGM—and made the biggest splash possible. But with the venture failing, she herself filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997 and it was sold at auction to the World Wrestling Federation, who considered turning it into a wrestling arena before selling it on. a b Loynd, Ray (May 8, 1989). "Stage Review: 'Molly Brown' Is Unsinkable 25 Years After the Movie". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 28, 2016.

Hamlett would later claim he was so bewitched by Reynolds that he decided to propose by the time dessert arrived. She quotes him as saying, "I'm in it for the money. I'm not leaving. You'll never get rid of me. I control everything. It's all in my name. You're just a figurehead. You're nothing. And I don't love you." Her first marriage to singer Eddie Fisher (Carrie Fisher’s father) ended in scandal when he left Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor. Her second husband was a “gamble-holic” who spent millions of her money, and the third, well, was a man she called “the devil” whom she once thought was going to kill her. Debbie Reynolds and husband Richard Hamlett circa 1991 | Ron Galella, Ltd./Contributor/Getty Images Debbie Reynolds and Richard Hamlett were married from 1984 to 1996 Reynolds wrote that her husband had a "look in his eyes [that] scared me," but she became even more terrified when he insisted that they carry on their conversation on the balcony.In 2000, Reynolds took up a recurring voice role on the children's television program Rugrats, playing the grandmother of two of the characters. In 2001, she co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, and Joan Collins in the comedy These Old Broads, a television movie written for her by her daughter, Carrie Fisher. [35] She had a cameo role as herself in the 2004 film Connie and Carla. In 2013, she appeared in Behind the Candelabra, as the mother of Liberace. [36] a b c Green, Mary (December 29, 2016). "From the PEOPLE Archive: Debbie Reynolds the Golden Girl". People . Retrieved December 29, 2016. Why did he seem so intent on getting me out to the balcony, which is only about 3 feet wide—not enough room to have a friendly conversation?” she wrote. “Was he thinking about my million-dollar life insurance policy with him as a beneficiary? I could practically see the dollar signs floating above his head.”