CITY HONORS REYNOLDS WITH A STAR  

Actress Entertains Well-Wishers in Palm Springs

By Mark Armstrong 

January 5, 2000

Like a breathless tornado of self-effacing humor, glamour and genuine gratitude, stage and screen legend Debbie Reynolds swept through downtown Tuesday as hundreds gathered to honor her with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

Onlookers spilled onto South Palm Canyon Drive to get a glimpse of Reynolds, who arrived fashionably late and joined celebrity friends near the Plaza Mercado to receive her honor. She wowed the crowd with a string of pointed one-liners and bubbly conversations -- even turning down a few offers for dates.

"I love Palm Springs; I lived in Palm Springs until my second husband lost our home," she said, lightheartedly referring to ex-husband, Harry Karl, and the travails of her past personal life.

"These moments mean a lot to me," she added. "I had a great career - a stinking personal life - but everything else has been fabulous."

Tuesday’s ceremony stayed focused on the fabulous, as famous Coachella Valley residents offered their own thoughts on the 67-year-old entertainer, whose career in movies, music, on Broadway and on TV has spanned more than 50 years.

Reynolds also will appear at the McCallum Theatre on Friday.

"Everybody in the whole world loves Debbie Reynolds," said singer and entertainer Johnny Mann, who recalled his own memories of her in the musical "Singin’ in the Rain."

"That was the cutest girl that ever graced the stage in Hollywood," he added.

Reynolds also was serenaded by Kimberleigh Funkey, Terra Perezchica and Katie Koller. The trio of 12-year-olds donned yellow raincoats and grasped red umbrellas for their own rendition of "Singin’ in the Rain."

Over a 10-year period, Reynolds made more than 25 films, including "How the West Was Won," "Tammy and the Bachelor," and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," for which she was nominated for an Oscar. She went on to star on Broadway and became a headlining nightclub act in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

Reynolds made her big-screen "comeback" in the title role of Albert Brooks’ 1996 comedy, "Mother," for which she received critical acclaim. She has been an active supporter of the Girl Scouts and was founder and president of the Thalians, a charitable group for emotionally disturbed children.

Palm Desert resident Mary Lou Greenwood said she thought Reynolds’ performances were always thrilling. But past personal experiences also bring additional respect from the public. "She’s had so many setbacks, and I really think she’s admired for that," she said.

And Reynolds found plenty of admiration from her former valley home Tuesday.

"I love you all," she gushed. "Do you love me? Please say 'yes.’ "

As the crowd struggled to get a glimpse, there was no hesitation: "Yes!"