Film legend Debbie Reynolds—who died on December 28—was not just a consummate entertainer. She was a collector of film memorabilia, including numerous items from Westerns.
Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the big studios were practically giving away items from even the most iconic films. Reynolds understood what might be lost and picked up thousands of costumes, props, lobby cards and more.
Among them were items from movies she starred in, including How The West Was Won. B

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows