Debbie Reynolds acted.
Debbie Reynolds . She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words , and her breakout role was her first leading role , as Kathy Selden in Singin ' in the Rain ( 1952 ) . Three Little Words is a 1950 American musical film biography of the Tin Pan Alley songwriting partnership of Kalmar and Ruby and stars Fred Astaire as lyricist Bert Kalmar , Red Skelton as composer Harry Ruby , along with Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl as their wives , with Debbie Reynolds in a small but notable role as singer Helen Kane .