This information is according to the Advance Campaign Material from Buena Vista Distribution Co., Inc.
Debra, youngest member of the "Clinger Sisters," stars as Laura, a college coed who gets involved in an elaborate all-night clue game to get the attention of a handsome college counselor (played by singing star David Naughton).
Utah-born, Debra Clinger has been performing ever since she was a year and a half old when she sang "Silent Night" in church. By the time she was four she was singing professionally with her three older sisters.
"We started singing at the Orem Farm Festival, an annual event where we lived. Everyone really liked us and started asking us to sing at different functions. We became well known around Utah," said Debra.
"The man who arranged our music also arranged for the Osmonds. So we all came to California together. They fortunately got on the 'Andy Williams Show' as regulars," said Debra. "We were invited to sing with the Osmonds a couple of times on the show."
The producer of the "Danny Kaye Show" spotted the Clinger Sistes on the "Andy Williams Show" and signed them as regulars for the "Danny Kaye Show" which lasted three seasons. In between taping, the girls toured the country performing at state fairs and on different variety shows.
"In the early sixties, we wanted to be hip like everyone else," said Debra, "so we went from 'The Clinger Sisters' to 'The Clingers' and changed from four-part harmony to rock 'n roll.
"Tommy Smothers really liked us and put us on his show several times. We were supposed to become regulars but the show was cancelled. We also released a record, but girls just weren't happening at the time, especially playing hard rock."
The Clingers broke up in the late sixties when one of the older sisters decided to quit and get married.
Debra went onto be in another group called "The Rock Flowers," a promotional singing group for Mattel Toys.
"They made dolls after us that would spin on top of records. At first all we were doing was promoting dolls. They were very successful and became the number one doll those three years, beating out Barbie," said Debra.
"We went on tour with Tom Jones for 9 months, opening the shows for him and singing backup.
"After the tour, I quit show business for two years," said Debra. "The tour was too draining. I'd never really been away from home before."
By 1974, Debra was anxious to start performing again. A friend suggested she try commercials and she was introduced to a commercial agent.
"The first commercials he sent me on, I got," said Debra. "It was for 'Whattaburger,' a local California fast food chain. I continued to do well in commercials, selling everything from the Yellow Pages to Alka Seltzer." In 1975, Debra and her sisters tried singing together again and did a religious play called "Saturday's Warrior."
"We were a rock trio, but people still wouldn't accept us. We were too sweet and our image was too clean, so we broke up again."
Debra's acting career started after Alan Osmond suggested her for the part of "Super chick" on "The Kroft Super Show."
"I was leery of doing the show because we would be another promotional goup, just like 'The Rock Flowers,' but agreed to do the show after meeting Sid and Marty Kroft. We were in production for three years. During that time I met an agent who liked me and thought I should try acting. But I told him I was afraid of cold readings because I have dyslexia, a reading problem," she said.
"Dyslexia is when you reverse your letters and transpose them into a different place. I didn't know I had it until I was 18. I went to a special school for two years and had to learn how to read all over again," said Debra. (Even though Clinger had a reading problem, she did well in school and graduated from high school at 16 with a B+ average.)
"The agent said dyslexia should be no problem, because he'd get me all my material ahead of time. I could learn it and not worry about cold readings.
"The first reading I had was for 'Barnaby Jones' and I got it," laughed Debra.
Since then, Debra's career has snowballed. She has starred on numerous TV series and then landed a series of her own, "American Girls."
"I learned a lot working on that series," said Debra. "We had a great dialogue director who really helped me. Not so much in my acting as in my physical gestures, like not moving my head while talking or not being so animated.
"I'm not one to go to acting classes ro workshops. I work better on a one to one basis with a coach or with my sister, Patsy, who's helped me a lot. My family had been extremely supportive to me in my career," said Clinger.
After "American Girls" was cancelled, Debra didn't work for 7 months.
"It was a hard time in my life," said Debra. "When I was released from 'American Girls,' S.A.G. (Screen Actors Guild) was on strike for a couple of months. Going out on interviews again was scary.
"Then all of a sudden, I got all these offers. I cancelled a film to do 'Midnight Madness.' It was great! The hours were very difficult, but I found working with two directors very pleasant. David Wechter directed my team and I worked well with him. He wasn't afraid to try different things and be flexible.
"I also got to sing the title song with David Naughton. I'm excited because my singing career, which is really my first love, will finally come off the back burner."
Recently Debra signed a development deal with ABC network for a movie of the week and new television series pilot.
"One of the most important things is not to let the business get you down or get you up. You've got to keep everything in perspective, not ever to get so high you get depressed when you come down. I learned the hard way from 'American Girls'."
Starring with Debra Clinger are David Naughton, Stephen Furst, Eddie Deezen, Maggie Roswell, Brad Wilkin and Irene Tedrow. In color by Technicolor, the film was co-produced, directed and written by David Wechter and Michael Nankin for producer Ron Miller.