Make 'Em Laugh

Debbie Reynolds, the actress and author of the earlier memoir Unsinkable, returns with a second collection of anecdotes, jokes, and off-the-cuff reflections. Drawing on a career that spanned more than six decades, she looks back on the films, stage work, and personal turns that kept her in the public eye for years, including her high-profile divorce from Eddie Fisher and the challenges of raising a famous daughter. She also recounts a one-woman stage tour that took her across the country.

Her stories feature a long list of entertainment figures, among them Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, and Phyllis Diller, along with late-night companions and some of the era's great comics. Reynolds describes meeting presidents, performing for the Queen of England, and socializing with royalty, and she frames these moments as a candid look at how show business and fame have changed, both then and now.

The book moves freely between the big screen and the small, covering marriage, motherhood, and family life. Reynolds speaks openly about her personal life, including her sex life and her family's difficulties, and she closes the chapters with a few of her own recipes. She wrote the book in her warm, conversational voice, and it is aimed at readers who want a lively, personal view of Hollywood.

Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, at the age of 84, one day after the death of her daughter, the actress and author Carrie Fisher.