Who could have known on July 4th, 1940 when a little baby girl was born that she would someday be imortalized for saying one little line? "Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings" were the words spoken by this cute little curly haired blonde. And those words are heard year after year in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" where she co-starred with Jimmy Stewart.

The subject of my interview is her performance in The Bishop's Wife, where she co-starred with Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young. This movie is my most favorite Christmas movie. Not only do I love the message in the movie, but I Love Cary Grant! And Karolyn gives a touching performance as Debby. This all star cast and the fabulous acting that jumps out of the screen year after year in my home sits proudly next to "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Miracle On 34th Street". What would Christmas be without Love and Hope?

Karlolyn, thank you for taking the time to share your experience of having worked with Cary Grant. As you know, The Warbrides are a worldwide group of men and women, young and old, who love and admire Cary Grant and his co-stars. We work as a group to keep the memory of Cary alive, and in the hopes of introducing him to a new generation of fans. In doing so, we are able to introduce his co-stars as well.

How did you get the part of Debby in The Bishop's Wife? Having been in only eight movies prior to The Bishop's Wife, were you hand picked for this part, or did you go through the auditions and win the part?

I was not hand picked for this part. I went for an interview and believe it or not they thought I looked like Loretta Young. Cary Grant was there and he and I had some chemistry that they could see would work. Cary Grant loved children. I got the part.

What was it like working with Cary? We always wonder what it might be like to work with our favorite stars. You had the privilege of working with many! Can you share the experience with us?

Cary Grant was my favorite of all the stars I ever worked with. His love for children was evident. For years I remember him reading stories to me, and just recently a photo surfaced that shows him reading me stories. The picture shows him with the just released children's book, "You and the United Nations", issued by Children's Press Inc. of Chicago. Theaters were urged to build window displays around the book, described as "unique in style, containing human interest copy and profusely illustrated". RKO's alignment of the movie with the United Nations reflected national hopes for world peace following the U.N.'s post WW II formation - and cleverly reinforced the movie's underlying theme of community harmony.

Cary Grant really did ice skate and there was an ice skating rink on the set. He would come and get me everyday at lunch time and pull me around on a sled. He was wonderful!

After the filming, did you keep in touch with Cary like you did Jimmy Stewart? I know you had a lifetime friendship with Jimmy and his family. Jimmy was also a co-star of Cary's in The Philidelphia Story! Another thing the two of you had in common.

Unfortunately, I never saw him in person again.

Can you tell us about David Niven and Loretta Young? They seemed so perfectly suited for their roles, (although we may have hoped for Cary to have ended up with Loretta!) and wonderful people. What can you share about working with them?

David Niven didn't care for children around him. I was told to keep my distance. Loretta Young was lovely to work with. We still correspond today.

Were there any funny or memorable moments during filming that you can recall? Years after filming, it seems many clips that ended up on the cutting room floor somehow resurface. Usuually in the form of someone like you who was actually there who is able to remember those happenings. Those little known facts are fun to learn about!

There was a big Saint Bernard dog in the movie. One day we were doing the scene were Cary Grant and I are on the floor and he is telling me a story. Henry Koster, the director, was telling Cary and I how he wanted the scene to go. He was lying on the floor beside us directing and the big dog was lying beside us also. While we were doing one of the scenes, the big dog let go of some gas. None of us could keep a straight face for quite a while. When the movie came out, the dog was not in any of the scenes. They left him on the cutting room floor.

Celebrity status doesn't come without a price. At such a young age, you were thrown into a life of celebrity. How did that affect your younger years, and your friends and family?

My mother and father taught me that I was no different than any other little girl. I grew up working with many movie legends. I had no idea they were anything special. They were just my friends and I was doing my job. If anything, I learned self confidence, and appreciation for the fine arts.

Working with many well know celebrities has surely enriched your life. You have seen and done things that we can only dream of. Would you like to share any special moments with us that have changed or enhanced who you are today?

The movie "It's a Wonderful Life" has been a source of inspiration and hope throughout my life. It taught me the values that are really important in life. Quite simply, family, friends and love. Jimmy Stewart shared with me that it was alright to make a mistake. Nothing is perfect and sometimes things can go wrong, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Both of these movies, "The Bishop's Wife" and "It's A Wonderful Life" were about hope, love and angels! Did you star in any other roles such as these? Are angels a part of your life today?

I have had experiences with bells and angels in some other movies such as "That Night With You", and "Rio Grande". Yes, angels are a part of my life. People send me angels so I started collecting them. I feel that there has been a divine hand guiding me throughout my life. There have been many times when I needed a great deal of strength.

The worst time in my life, was when my 18 year old son committed suicide. He was an angel and I know he is an angel today. I have had guidance to choose my paths for healing. I asked for help and I received it.

Thinking about Hope, Love, Friendship and Happiness. If you could sum it up and leave us with a message, or have anything you would like to add, we would be forever grateful.

The greatest gift we have been given is the gift of life. We have been given the ability to choose our own paths. I feel that I have been blessed because I was chosen to be ZuZu. It has given me a purpose in life. It has given me the ability to practice the main message from the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life", and that is "That each man's life touches another".

"The Bishop's Wife" is becoming more well known every year. From that movie, is the message, for all of us to look at our priorities. It is very tempting to get caught up in the material world that we live in. "Dudley" showed us humility, and how to be thankful. I am thankful for the opportunity to have people share with me their stories of how these movies have made a difference in their lives.

Karolyn, thank you for this interview. It will be shared by all who stop by my site, and will stand as a tribute to you and your contribution to film, your working with Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and so many more.

We are excited about touching base with the War Brides.
Karolyn & Chris