Where I Stand — Debbie Reynolds: Dealing with public aspects of fame required adjustments

Thursday, Aug. 27, 1998 | 11:22 a.m.

DURING MY 50 YEARS in show business, I have made movies, television shows and appeared in stage productions all over the world. Today I'm going to take a try at being a newspaper columnist.

I have been asked to comment about what it was like to be a young movie star during what I and many others who love the industry call the "Golden Age of Hollywood."

First of all, of course, it was exciting and glamorous. I was born in Texas, but my father, who worked for the railroad, moved our family to Burbank, Calif., when I was a young girl. Until I won the Miss Burbank Contest and received an audition at Warner Bros. studio, I hadn't really planned on a career in the movies working with people such screen legends as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and so many others.

The one big adjustment I remember having to make was dealing with the public aspect of fame. For a young girl who had just broken into the movies, the public spotlight was simply overwhelming. The toughest part was getting used to being stared at wherever you went. Once you got used to that, there were the photographers who always seemed to snap a picture while you were eating and the spaghetti was hanging out of your mouth. And if your nose itched, you didn't dare rub it in public or you'd see a picture of that in some magazine or newspaper the next day. Living in a fishbowl requires a big adjustment.

All that seems so inconsequential now, though. During the past couple of weeks I've had to deal with a lot of different emotions surrounding the auctioning of the Debbie Reynolds Hotel & Casino and Movie Memorabilia Museum. One question keeps coming up wherever I go. Everyone wants to know whether I'm going to leave Las Vegas.

A lot of people think I moved here six years ago when the hotel opened. The truth of the matter is that I've been a resident of Las Vegas for 32 years now and have no intention of moving anywhere else. There are a lot of options open to me right now, including a possible Broadway play, more movies and a concert tour. Something such as that might take me away from town for a while, but I will always maintain my residence here and I will always come back.

I can remember the days when the Strip ended at Flamingo Road and McCarran Airport was "way out there." As a young star, I was fascinated by Las Vegas the very first time I came here. Now, as an old star, I'm still fascinated by this amazing place. It's a great, growing, glowing city and my affection for it increases every day.