The Fabulous Real Estate Of Hollywood Icon Debbie Reynolds
Hollywood actress Debbie Reynolds was more than a film icon — she was also a real estate investor who acquired a handful of unique properties to support the arts and her dream of owning a Hollywood-themed museum. The 84-year-old “Singin’ In The Rain” star died Wednesday, one day after the death of her daughter and Star Wars star Carrie Fisher, 60. In honor of the legend, Bisnow honed in on some of the real estate holdings that passed through Reynolds' hands.
More than 40 years into her career, Reynolds purchased a closed hotel not far from the Las Vegas Strip that she wanted to turn into a partial museum to house her $10M worth of memorabilia. She was 66 years old when she bought the property — formerly the Paddlewheel Hotel — from Horn and Hardart Corp in 1991, and planned to give it a $15M facelift. She renamed it Debbie Reynolds’ Hotel & Casino.
Her hotel and museum had 194 rooms and featured memorabilia from Hollywood’s Golden Years (the 1920s through the 1950s) from herself and other stars, including Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. But the hotel/museum combo didn’t last long due to lack of financing and closed in 1997. She sold it in 1999 and it was eventually picked up by the World Wrestling Federation and remodeled as the Greek Isles.
Reynolds also owned a dance studio in the Los Angeles area before her passing. The studio is still functioning, and has been a staple in the North Hollywood community since it was established in 1978. The studio boasts a nice lounging area that serves fresh coffee, dressing rooms, showers and six studios.
In 2000, the actress bought a Beverly Hills home for nearly $1M. Built in 1934, the hacienda-style, 2,500 SF house is on an acre and includes three bedrooms and bathrooms. Before she made her purchase, the house hadn't been on the market in 62 years and she grabbed it for a bargain.
Reynold’s home was previously owned by screenwriter Charles Bennett until he passed in 1995. From there, Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head picked it up for half a decade before Reynold’s snagged it. Reynolds bought the house seven years after her daughter Carrie Fisher bought her Spanish-style Coldwater Canyon mansion for $13.5M in 1993, and the two lived directly across the street from one another.
