My best friend, since 8 years old, was Mike Fitchett (RIP). He loved movies and movie stars. And, he collected autographs. When were teenagers he would contact the theater where some movie star he loved was doing a play or a show and tell them that he was from the school newspaper and he wanted to do an interview. He was lying, just to get the autograph.
I often went along and , this time it was to see Debbie Reynolds. She was doing the musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown at Painter’s Mill Theater in Baltimore..
After the show, which we saw for free….we knocked on her dressing room door. She yelled “Come in!” and there……was Debbie Reynolds in low-cut, white hip-hugger jeans and a bra. I was 15 and the only women I had ever seen, in a bra, in real life, were my mom and sister. This was a beautiful MOVIE STAR in her late 40’s. I never got over it. Whereas I had always thought of her as the cute “Singing in the Rain” girl before…now she was my “Mrs. Robinson” fantasy come true. She was an old theater “broad” and could have cared less. She wasn’t parading, just changing. She put on her shirt and we started the “interview”.
Also in the room was a young, long haired brunette “Hippie” girl. I just remember thinking how beautiful she was….She had the nicest smile.
After we got Debbie’s autograph, Mike turned to the 15 year old and asked for hers. She said “Oh, I’m nobody” but Mike insisted and, of course, she was Carrie Fisher.
They were both as nice as could be and the meeting had double meaning for me, through my life. 2 crushes on 2 leading ladies. All these years later, it seems incredible to have met both of them. They died one day apart…I get it.
My Entertaining Life-Steve Carter 