AThe Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thursday, September 18, 1958
Bobby and Eddie
There was no Broadway ticker-tape welcome to Bobby Fischer when he returned from Europe the other day. No crowd was on hand to greet him when his plane put down at Idlewild. His arrival went unnoticed in the gossip columns.
Eddie Fisher spells his name without “c”. In the days before Bobby came home with barely enough money in his pocket to buy a sandwich, Eddie was getting scads of publicity. His every move was watched closely in New York and Hollywood. Eddie, a singer, was in something of a jam.
Bobby Fischer, you see, is only a chess player. At 15 he achieved in Europe the distinction of being one of six persons in the world to be recognized as masters in this age-old game of kings and queens, of knights, bishops, castles and pawns. They say it takes brains to play chess, even an ordinary game. Brooklyn's Bobby Fischer is proficient to an extraordinary degree.
Eddie Fisher, the singer, his wife Debbie Reynolds and Liz Taylor, relict of Mike Todd, have been linked in the sensational news of the day. It's one of those New York-Hollywood triangles. Some of Eddie's admirers are fearful. He was hissed the other night on the Steve Allen show.
Bobby Fischer has brains. He is one of the world's best chess players. May become champion some day. Using chess terms, he might say that Eddie is a knight in tarnished armor who moved out of his castle to become the pawn of a designing queen.
(Contemporary news items provided for context.) The two married couples (Eddie Fischer-Debbie Reynolds and Mike Todd-Elizabeth Taylor) were close friends, esp. Eddie Fisher with Mike Todd. They regularly went places together. Following the death of Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher began seeing Taylor under the pretense of consoling his deceased friend's widow. Eventually, a split and divorce resulted between Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, who are the parents of Carrie Fischer, known to younger generations as “Princess Leah” from Star Wars:
Lancaster New Era Lancaster, Pennsylvania Tuesday, January 07, 1958, Mike Todd and wife, Elizabeth Taylor
The Winona Daily News Winona, Minnesota Friday, August 22, 1958 Elizabeth Taylor Files $5 Million Suit in Air Crash, Husband's Death
Des Moines Tribune Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday, September 09, 1958, Eddie Fischer - Elizabeth Taylor Denials of Affair
The Terre Haute Star Terre Haute, Indiana Wednesday, September 10, 1958, Romance of Eddie, Debbie Falters On News He Dated Elizabeth Taylor (Todd)
The Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati, Ohio Wednesday, September 10, 1958, Debbie and Eddie Admit Quarrel After His Splurge With Liz Taylor
The Kilgore News Herald Kilgore, Texas Thursday, September 11, 1958, For Separation - Debbie Reynolds Blames Elizabeth
The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Sunday, September 14, 1958, Debbie and Eddie Had Many Problems and Eddie Has Eyes For Liz
