Columnist Joe Delaney: ‘Unsinkable’ Reynolds rode some rough waves

Joe Delaney

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 8:56 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

Debbie Reynolds, appearing at the Suncoast Saturday and Sunday, was christened Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas ... Her earliest ambition was to be a gym teacher ... The family moved to California, and at age 16 she became Miss Burbank of 1948 ... A talent scout at the contest suggested she change her name to Debbie, and as Debbie she won an MGM film contract.

Her film career included the classic "Singing in the Rain," co-starring Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor, plus "How the West Was Won," "Tammy and the Bachelor," and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," for which she received an Academy Award nomination in 1964.

Thirty-two years later, in 1996, she won another Academy Award nomination for her role in the Albert Brooks film, "Mother" ... She has had two award-winning records, "Tammy," a signature song for her, and "Abba Dabba Honeymoon," a duet with Carleton Carpenter.

In Las Vegas

Reynolds has been a LV headliner for nearly four decades ... Performing live is her favorite; a typical show combines singing, dancing, comedy and impressions, which are accurate and at times devastating ... Her Barbra Streisand and Zsa Zsa Gabor are classics ... Most of all, she is a great communicator, achieving a one-to-one rapport with the entire audience.

She has been a contributor and lifelong supporter of the Girl Scouts as well as founder and president of the Thalians, a nonprofit charitable organization that has raised millions for emotionally-disturbed children.

During her four-year marriage to singer Eddie Fisher, she gave birth to two children, Carrie and Todd ... Carrie Fisher is an award-winning writer for her "Postcards from the Edge" ... Her latest script, "Those Old Broads," will co-star Reynolds with Joan Collins, Shirley MacLaine and Elizabeth Taylor, who followed Reynolds as Mrs. Eddie Fisher.

In conclusion

As associate producer of the Rich Little "Great Pretenders" series for HBO, I had the privilege of working with Reynolds, a true trouper and a multitalented person, very giving ... As a columnist, I watched her valiant but losing battle to save her Debbie Reynolds hotel-casino ... To me, she is also "The Unsinkable Debbie Reynolds."

Weekend wrap-up

Las Vegas goes international this weekend with the Greek Food Festival, today through Sunday at St. John's Greek Orthodox Church; acclaimed Irish singer Maureen O'Connell appears in a fund-raising concert and dinner at the Regent Las Vegas this evening for the U.S.-Ireland Alliance; and the 10th annual LV International Mariachi Festival, 8 p.m. Saturday in the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Mariachis Vargas de Tecalitlan, Sol de Mexico and Los Reyes de Mexico will perform along with Lucero, Humberto Herrera and the Ballet Folklorico de San Juan in the four hour-plus festival.

The Flarumba Dance Troupe combines flamenco with modern Spanish styles, 7:30 tonight and 2 p.m. Saturday, Winchester Community Center ... Taste of Las Vegas, a feast of food and music, takes place today through Sunday, County Government Center Amphitheater ... The LV Philharmonic's season premiere offers a program of Spanish music, featuring guitarist Angel Romero, 8 p.m. Saturday, in UNLV's Ham Hall ... See you next Thursday.