Eddie Fisher passed away at the age of 82 last night in Berkeley. He lived a long, full life with lots of ex-wives and children and scandals and career highs and lows. Fisher’s family spokesperson called him “an extraordinary talent and a true mensch.” HuffPo/AP has more:

Pop singer Eddie Fisher, whose clear voice brought him a devoted following of teenage girls in the early 1950s before marriage scandals overshadowed his fame, has died at age 82. He passed away Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press.

“Late last evening the world lost a true America icon,” Fisher’s family said in a statement released by publicist British Reece. “One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch.”

The death was first reported by Hollywood website deadline.com. In the early 50s, Fisher sold millions of records with 32 hit songs including “Thinking of You,” “Any Time,” “Oh, My Pa-pa,” “I’m Yours,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Lady of Spain” and “Count Your Blessings.”

His fame was enhanced by his 1955 marriage to movie darling Debbie Reynolds – they were touted as “America’s favorite couple” – and the birth of two children. Their daughter Carrie Fisher became a film star herself in the first three “Star Wars” films as Princess Leia, and later as a best-selling author of “Postcards From the Edge” and other books. Carrie Fisher spent most of 2008 on the road with her autobiographical show “Wishful Drinking.” In an interview with The Associated Press, she told of singing with her father on stage in San Jose. Eddie Fisher was by then in a wheelchair and living in San Francisco.

When Eddie Fisher’s best friend, producer Mike Todd, was killed in a 1958 plane crash, Fisher comforted the widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Amid sensationalist headlines, Fisher divorced Reynolds and married Taylor in 1959. The Fisher-Taylor marriage lasted only five years. She fell in love with co-star Richard Burton during the Rome filming of “Cleopatra,” divorced Fisher and married Burton in one of the great entertainment world scandals of the 20th century.

Fisher’s career never recovered from the notoriety. He married actress Connie Stevens, and they had two daughters. Another divorce followed. He married twice more.

Edwin Jack Fisher was born Aug. 10, 1928, in Philadelphia, one of seven children of a Jewish grocer. At 15 he was singing on Philadelphia radio. After moving to New York, Fisher was adopted as a protege by comedian Eddie Cantor, who helped the young singer become a star in radio, television and records. Fisher’s romantic messages resonated with young girls in the pre-Elvis period. Publicist-manager Milton Blackstone helped the publicity by hiring girls to scream and swoon at Fisher’s appearances. After getting out of the Army in 1953 following a two-year hitch, hit records, his own TV show and the headlined marriage to Reynolds made Fisher a top star. The couple costarred in a 1956 romantic comedy, “Bundle of Joy,” that capitalized on their own parenthood.

In 1960 he played a role in “Butterfield 8,” for which Taylor won an Academy Award. But that film marked the end of his movie career. After being discarded by Taylor, Fisher became the butt of comedians’ jokes. He began relying on drugs to get through performances, and his bookings dwindled. He later said he had made and spent $20 million during his heyday, and much of it went to gambling and drugs.

In 1983, Fisher attempted a full-scale comeback. But his old fans had been turned off by the scandals, and the younger generation had been turned on by rock. The tour was unsuccessful. He had added to his notoriety that year with an autobiography, “Eddie: My Life, My Loves.” Of his first three marriages, he wrote he had been bullied into marriage with Reynolds, whom he didn’t know well; became nursemaid as well as husband to Taylor, and was reluctant to marry Connie Stevens but she was pregnant and he “did the proper thing.”

Another autobiography, “Been There, Done That,” published in 1999, was even more searing. He called Reynolds “self-centered, totally driven, insecure, untruthful, phony.” He claimed he abandoned his career during the Taylor marriage because he was too busy taking her to emergency rooms and cleaning up after her pets, children and servants. Both ex-wives were furious, and Carrie Fisher threatened to change her name to Reynolds.
At 47, Fisher married a 21-year-old beauty queen, Terry Richard. The marriage ended after 10 months. His fifth marriage, to Betty Lin, a Chinese-born businesswoman, lasted longer than any of the others. Fisher had two children with Reynolds: Carrie and Todd; and two girls with Stevens: Joely and Tricia.

[From Huffington Post]

Yes, it’s very sad. But I’d like to do a little mini-Vintage Scandal Friday. I’ve been reading Furious Love, the biography of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and their romance and marriage, and I have to admit, Eddie does not come across well. Although the authors give him some credit, he didn’t sound like the coolest guy at all. When Eddie Fisher publicly dumped Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor (after Taylor was widowed when Mike Todd died), the authors do make it sound like their marriage was a happy one for several years. But then Liz met Richard Burton, and all hell broke loose. Basically, Eddie was just Elizabeth’s assistant, one cog in her entourage at that point, and when Liz started her affair with Burton, Fisher had a fit and flew to another country. He did try to call Elizabeth in Rome though – only Richard answered the phone. When Eddie asked what Richard was doing in his home, Richard replied: “I’m f-cking your wife.” Eddie then came back to Rome and confronted Richard’s wife with their partners’ affair, and Sybil Burton basically dismissed Fisher too.

And in the end, Eddie really dragged his heels in the divorce too – Sybil Burton gave in to Richard’s divorce request a lot faster, but Eddie fought Elizabeth over everything. He even fought her on custody of her children with other men! The whole thing took, like, three years. Amazing.

So, rest in peace, Eddie, you mensch.

Carrie Fisher has been promoting her one-woman Broadway show Wishful Drinking all over the place. I was just reading about her last night in the November Vanity Fair, and here she in the NYDN talking about her show again. It’s based on her bestselling book of the same name, and it looks like a buffet for gossips. The show is seems like a campy tell-all about Carrie’s life as the daughter of two Hollywood stars (Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds) and about her life as a movie star, writer, addict, wife, mother and girl-about-town. Carrie’s had a pretty cool, interesting life - she was Princess Leia, she married and divorced Paul Simon, and she had a daughter with a gay man (agent Bryan Lourd). Inevitably, though, the conversation comes back to her parents and what happened when they divorced.

For those unfamiliar with the original Hollywood Bermuda Triangle, it involved Carrie’s parents and a dame by the name of Elizabeth Taylor. After Taylor’s husband Mike Todd died tragically in a plane crash, Todd’s best friend Eddie Fisher began consoling Elizabeth. Soon, Eddie and Debbie’s marriage was in shambles, and Eddie left Debbie for Elizabeth. Within a few years, though, Elizabeth left Eddie for Richard Burton, so it’s all good. Though Debbie and Elizabeth’s friendship imploded at the time, they later reconnected and became friendly again. Debbie even went on record with the idea that Aniston and Jolie could be friends one day, bless her heart. Carrie relates the original Bermuda Triangle to the current one (Brangelina-Jennifer Aniston) in her show:

Carrie Fisher airs some serious dirty laundry in her new one-woman show, “Wishful Drinking” – and it isn’t just her own.

The artist formerly known as Princess Leia even sifts through Brad Pitt’s hamper, suggesting that his public love triangle with Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie is the modern-day equivalent of her dad, Eddie Fisher, leaving mom Debbie Reynolds for raven-haired temptress Elizabeth Taylor.

But Fisher was careful not to talk trash behind Pitt’s muscled back – she ran the barb by him first. “This is exactly what your situation is like!” she told the hunky actor, who gave his okay to the line. Aniston, who caught the show in previews, didn’t seem to mind, either. “She’s a very nice girl. I didn’t speak to her, but I heard that she liked it,” Fisher told us. “At least, I hope she liked it.”

And although Fisher escaped the ire of Hollywood’s former power couple, other celebs may not take her sideswipes with such good humor. Fisher even gets in a dig at her own mother, although that’s fairly normal, given their notoriously tumultuous relationship.

“My mother is a movie star,” she said onstage. “She’s like an icon. A gay icon, but you take your iconic statuary where you can get it. It’s like being a pseudointellectual is better than not being an intellectual at all.”

Fisher also slams George W. Bush, claiming she would rather have spent more time in a mental hospital for alcoholism than hang with the former Prez. “It’s sort of like the last time I was invited to Bush’s White House, only I met a better class of people in the mental hospital,” she deadpanned.

Despite the barbs, the actress insists she didn’t write the play to offend and was more than happy to remove anything potentially harmful. The proof: She axed anecdotes about ex-husband Paul Simon and “Shampoo” co-star Warren Beatty at their requests. “Anything that had to do with anyone else, I made sure that I went to them and cleared it with them,” she said.

But for a 90-minute autobiographical show, you must take jabs at yourself, and Fisher does. She calls herself a dead ringer for Elton John and says she turned her second husband, Bryan Lourd, gay. She adds, “Yes, I’m a bitch.”

Clearly her friends don’t agree: Jane Fonda, Salman Rushdie, Harvey Keitel and Patti LuPone all turned up to fete their verbose pal at Amalia in midtown after Sunday’s show.

[From the NY Daily News]

Eh, I like Carried because she doesn’t seem to give a f-ck, so I’m a little disappointed that she went out of her way to get people’s permission. Other than that, it sounds like a good show. I kind of like this movement of Hollywood women spending their 50s and 60s writing tell-all books or funny essays. The only thing I’ve ever read of Carrie’s was Postcards From the Edge, but I read a lot of Nora Ephron’s writing, and it sounds similar. Oh, and I’d love to know the dirt on Paul Simon!

Carrie Fisher is shown on 9/3/09. Credit: WENN.com

Warner Brothers is releasing 150 of its “classic” films from the vault, and Debbie Reynolds (who starred in some of the newly re-released films) sat down with Parade Magazine to talk classic movies, modern films and her absolutely incredible collection of movie costumes and props.

I found this interview because Debbie discusses that she enjoys both Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, but as it turns out, she only mentions them in passing, unlike her revelation a few weeks ago that she believes Aniston and Jolie could be friends one day. I’m really writing about this because I found her collection of movie stuff really fascinating. Debbie owns Marilyn Monroe’s white dress, the one she wore in The Seven Year Itch! She also owns a pair of Judy Garland’s red slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

P: You’re a self-proclaimed movie buff, what are some of your favorite films?

DR: Dark Victory with Bette Davis is one of my favorites. And I love Gaslight and For Whom the Bell Tolls with Ingrid Bergman, Singin’ in the Rain and all the Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger movies — there are just so many to choose from.

P: Are there any actresses today that you think show the same kind of star power that film stars had back then?

DR: Meryl Streep of course. And I like Gywneth Paltrow. I think Nicole Kidman is very gifted and I also like Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. There are so many talented people today, I could go on and on.

P: What kind of role did movies play in your own childhood?

DR: I had a radio growing up, I didn’t even have a TV! So I loved going to the movie theater. I always have liked musicals because everyone’s happy and dancing and having a good time. There weren’t any big problems. I always had a thing for a fairytale ending.

P: Rumor has it you have an extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia that you’ve collected over the years.

DR: The studios were getting rid of all their memorabilia in the ‘70s. They didn’t have any regard for it and unfortunately the studio heads changed and the people who bought the studios were more interested in making money and not in preservation. That’s how I got started in it, and I’ve been collecting ever since.

P: What are some of your most prized items?

DR: Marilyn Monroe’s white subway dress. Judy Garland’s ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz and the wizard’s costume. I loved the film. I also have Barbra Streisand’s Hello Dolly costume and many of Gretta Garbo’s costumes. I have over 5,000 costumes, cars, props and equipment. We’re working on opening up a Hollywood Motion Picture Museum in Tennessee where people can come and see everything.

P: Musicals seem to be making a comeback on screens big and small, especially with the success of shows like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.

DR: It shows you what the fans want right now. I think these shows are enjoyable and if a friend of mine is on one of the shows, I’ll make sure to watch, but I wouldn’t go on [Dancing With the Stars]. First of all, I’m a dancer and you’re not supposed to already be a dancer. It wouldn’t be fair to the other contestants!

P: Since you’re a classic film lover, do you also keep up with today’s films?

DR: My daughter [Carrie Fisher] recommends what I should watch. She says, Mother, you have got to see this.’ And she rents or buys all the new movies and helps me keep up with them. She usually sends them down to me because I live right below her and I just watch them by myself. I also catch up on my films when I’m on the road. I travel 40 weeks out of the year. Like last night I bought Doubt to watch on the hotel TV and I was glad to finally see it. It was sad and it was dramatic — it’s not my favorite subject, but I enjoyed the performances. I prefer comedies or more romantic films.

[From Parade]

Some of those costumes and props are a better investment than gold. If Debbie ever decides to sell any (or all) of it at auction, it would be worth a fortune. Beyond a fortune. She was very savvy to invest in those pieces, although she probably did it just because she’s such a movie lover.

It’s so cute that Debbie and her daughter are still so close – they’ve been living “together” for years. I think the situation is that Debbie lives in Carrie’s guest house, but it’s probably like two separate but continuous estates.

Here’s Debbie (with Dina Ruiz Eastwood and Ruta Lee) at the Thalians’ 53rd Annual Gala honouring Clint Eastwood in Los Angeles in February 2008. Images thanks to WENN .

When discussing the “Bermuda triangle” of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, many people have cited a Hollywood incident that happened some fifty years ago. They mention the “Bermuda triangle” of Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor. The story goes that Debbie and Eddie were married, with children, and their closest friends were Elizabeth Taylor and her third husband, super-producer Michael Todd. Todd died tragically in a plane crash that left Elizabeth distraught. Eddie Fisher spent a lot of time comforting the young widow and mother, and soon left Debbie for Liz. Just a few years after that, Liz left Eddie for the also-married Richard Burton.

I suppose the comparisons are there. Debbie Reynolds and Jennifer Aniston both have/had that same kind of “America’s Sweetheart” mantle. Both Liz and Angelina have that “Beautiful Homewrecker” mantle. But comparing Brad Pitt to Eddie Fisher just seems weird. Nonetheless, there were similarities in their situations.

Anyway, Debbie Reynolds has chimed in about the recent “Bermuda triangle”, and she claims that with some time, Angelina and Jennifer could be friends. PR Inside has more:

Love rivals Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie could be pals one day – according to veteran actress Debbie Reynolds.

Aniston and Jolie are still feuding through press interviews, four years after Brad Pitt ended his marriage to the Friends actress and fell for his Mr and Mrs Smith co-star Jolie.
Reynolds insists the love triangle mirrors her own heartache back in 1959, when her first husband Eddie Fisher left her for close pal Elizabeth Taylor.

Fifty years on, Reynolds and Taylor have overcome the rivalry to form a firm friendship – and she insists Aniston and Jolie can too.

The 76-year-old says, “(The split with Fisher) reminds me of what happened with Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Except we were a generation earlier.” And she urges the pair to become friends – insisting there was nothing Aniston could do to keep Pitt from leaving.

Reynolds adds,”We (she and Taylor) are friends again.”

“I mean, what can you do? When the man wants to leave he wants to leave.”

[From PR Inside]

I’ve always thought that a big reason Debbie and Liz buried the hatchet was because Liz dumped Eddie when someone better came along. It just took some time for both ladies to come to the shocking realization that they were fighting over a pipsqeak like Eddie Fisher, and that they were both better off without him. Liz has admitted that she never would have married Eddie had she not been so heartbroken over Michael Todd’s death, and she’s often described both Todd and Richard Burton as “the loves of her life”.

Here’s Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds in 1958.