Eddie Fisher - the man who put a gun to Liz Taylor's head

Last updated at 9:55 AM on 25th September 2010

He wed Liz Taylor and Debbie Reynolds - and threatened to shoot Richard Burton. The extraordinary life of Eddie Fisher who has died, aged 82...

Only a couple of months ago, Elizabeth Taylor was reminiscing about her fraught relationship with Eddie Fisher, her fourth husband.

She recalled how, after news of her affair with Richard Burton broke, Fisher pointed a gun at her head, before conceding: ‘I’m not going to kill you. You’re too beautiful.’  

Five-times married Fisher, who has died aged 82 at his home in California of complications from hip surgery, was famous for the women in his life.

His first wife, Debbie Reynolds, was the much-loved star of Singing In The Rain (their daughter Carrie went on to make her name playing Princess Leia in Star Wars) and then there was Liz Taylor, who in 1959 stole Fisher from all-American sweetheart Debbie.

It caused a huge scandal in Hollywood and compounded Fisher’s reputation (he also seduced a string of stars including Joan Crawford, Edith Piaf and Zsa Zsa Gabor).

Born in Pennsylvania in 1928, the son of poor Russian-born Jewish immigrants, Fisher’s bell-like melodic voice was obvious in childhood. He won several talent contests and his father referred to him as ‘Sonny Boy’ after the Al Jolson hit record. He quickly became one of the earliest teen idols.

He claimed to have been initiated into sex by Marlene Dietrich in her mirrored bathroom - though she was 27 years older than him.

But in 1955, at the height of his career, Fisher settled down with Debbie Reynolds and they became Hollywood’s favourite couple - until Liz Taylor came along.