Harry Karl
Harry Karl was one of three husbands of late actress, Mary Frances “Debbie” Reynolds. Debbie who has shocked the Hollywood industry with her dead just one day after the passing of her only daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, was 84.
As a tribute to the iconic personality, we would like to tell you about the men in her life, in particular about Harry Karl.
Karl a New York businessman became Debbie’s second husband. They were remained married from 1960 until 1973. She had previously been married to singer Eddie Fisher and was a mother of two, daughter Carrie and son, Todd Fisher.
Harry Karl was born March 9, 1914 in New York. He was the owner of a shoe store chain and had made millions by the time he and Debbie met.
In his life time, he was married to two movie stars, some say he was a very lucky man. He was the president of Karl’s Shoe Stores.
In 1959, Karl’s Shoe Stores, which Mr. Karl took over in 1952, was the nation’s largest privately held retail shoe chain.
Like Debbie, Harry Karl had also been married before and was the father of four children.
He was first married to Ruth Lamb with whom he fathered daughter, Judie Karl Anderson.
He and singer Marie McDonald known as “The Body Beautiful” were actually married twice. The two first married in 1947 and divorced in 1954. They remarried in 1955, only to divorce again in 1958.
From their marriages, they became the parents to one daughter, Tina Marie Karl.
While married to Marie McDonald, the Karls also adopted two children, daughter Denise and son, Harrison.
In 1959, Harry Karl married third wife, Joan Cohn, widow of Harry Cohn, a motion-picture pioneer. They were married for less then a month.
He would then married Debbie on November 25, 1960.
Accoridng to Debbie, their 13-year marriage fell apart due to Karl’s gambling habits, bad investments and spending money on hookers. People reported that he spent $7 million of Reynolds’ money. They divorced in 1973.
Accoridng to the New York Times, Harry Karl died August 7, 1982 in Los Angeles after open-heart surgery. He was 68 years old.
