Now in their 80s, these two divas have been called by many names over the years: Debbie Reynolds has been described as America’s sweetheart or the quintessential girl-next-door. Rita Moreno has been called a spicy Latin spitfire, and MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer once called her “a Spanish Elizabeth Taylor.” Now these stars have written memoirs that are must-reads for anyone who wants to explore their lives beyond those labels.
The title of Reynolds’ book — Unsinkable: A Memoir — refers to her Academy-Award-nominated role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. This memoir picks up from the last chapter of her previous autobiography, Debbie: My Life, which came out in 1988. In that book’s closing pages, she wrote about finally finding love with her new husband after two broken marriages. This one, she believed at the time, would last for the rest of her life — but life seldom works out the way we plan. No matter how painful the subject matter, the actress shares, in excruciating detail, a very personal account of her husband and money troubles — and how the one caused most of the other. The immediate, “you-are-there“ style that Reynolds and co-author Dorian Hannaway use makes this book hard to put down..
Over the latter half of Reynolds’ life, she has become known and celebrated for her astounding collection of cinematic memorabilia, including Marilyn Monroe’s “subway” dress from The Seven Year Itch and Audrey Hepburn’s “Ascot “ gown and hat from My Fair Lady. Throughout much of the 1980s and ’90s, her quest was to find a permanent home to house these items.
She thought she had finally found one when she opened a hotel and museum in Las Vegas. Within a few years, however, Reynolds discovered that her husband had betrayed her emotionally and financially -- she even writes how, at one point, she feared for her life from this man she thought she knew. Along the way, her dream was destroyed and much of her incredible collection was lost. Yet this same collection would ultimately save her from financial ruin. Though it’s heartbreaking to read about someone’s dream crashing and burning, it is equally inspiring that Reynolds refused to give up and continues to prevail.
In the second half of the book, Reynolds lightens the mood considerably by recounting her film career, movie by movie, and sharing memories and juicy stories about each one. These include how she once found Tony Randall jumping up and down in the dressing trailer next to hers, completely nude, and how dancer Bob Fosse groped her on the set of Give the Girl a Break. (“Bobby would come up behind me and press his ‘gift’ into my backside,” she writes.) Among her lighter anecdotes are those involving her long friendships with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra, and how she co-starred with the Lincoln Futura that would, in due course, become TV’s Bat-mobile.
By contrast, Rita Moreno: A Memoir is a full-on autobiography She is one of the very few artists — and the only one of Hispanic descent — to be awarded an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and two Emmys. Moreno triumphed over many boundaries in her career, easing the way for countless performers.
“Pretend to be someone I’m not,” Moreno writes; “this idea has lasted most of my life — it is how I coped — but not without profound consequences.”
Born Rosita Dolores Alverio in Puerto Rico, she relates how, when she was 5 years old, her mother took her to New York City, leaving behind a baby brother she would never see again. After a harrowing ocean voyage, they eventually wound up in the barrios of the Bronx.
While studying Spanish dance with Paco Cansino, an uncle of Rita Hayworth, she made her nightclub debut performing opposite him at age 9. She made her Broadway debut at 13. Before long she was signed by MGM, and numerous pages of her memoir are devoted to stories of her adventures there, including one memorable publicity tour with Ann Miller where they encountered a flirtatious soon-to-be President John F. Kennedy.
Show-biz enthusiasts will also love reading about the making of West Side Story for which Moreno won the Academy Award for best supporting actress. In the book, she characterizes the film’s original choreographer, Jerome Robbins, as being “filled with a puzzling self-loathing that spilled over onto all the people with whom he worked. He was never mean to me, but he was brutally hard on me.”
Several years later, Moreno added a Tony Award to her Oscar for portraying the outrageous Googie Gomez in Terrence McNally’s classic comedy The Ritz. But Moreno’s absorbing narrative is also heart-wrenching, particularly when she admits to being involved in a number of toxic and often obsessive relationships with several Hollywood heavy-hitters. Not the least of these was her passionate — and passionately dysfunctional — romance with the mercurial Marlon Brando, which led her to attempt suicide.
Each book offers a refreshing glimpse into the family lives of these entertainers. Moreno has been married once — to physician Lenny Gordon – a union that lasted for 45 years, until his death in 2010. She discusses her loss in an especially poignant chapter titled “Losing Lenny.” And she expresses the “incomparable” joys of being the mother of her beloved daughter Fernanda. Reynolds, too, devotes plenty of space in her book to her close relationship with her children, Todd and Carrie Fisher — without whom, she says, she would never have made it through all that she has.
It’s interesting to note where the two actresses’ lives have intersected. For instance, leading man Gene Kelly personally hired Moreno for her supporting part in Singin’ in the Rain, but that was not the case with Reynolds. and she reports that early on, the actor even seemed to resent her, driving her to tears during production. In another coincidence, Moreno alludes to a “disastrous” date that she went on with Harry Karl, heir to the Karl Shoes dynasty, who eventually became Reynolds’ second husband.
More recently, Moreno starred on the hit TV show Oz from 1997 to 2003, and she will receive the coveted Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2014. Reynolds has had supporting roles in films such as In and Out and this summer’s Liberace: Behind the Candelabra.
These two incredible women are American treasures, and their stories are valuable to all of us, as well.
Unsinkable: A Memoir, published by William Morrow, and Rita Moreno: A Memoir, published by Celebra Books, are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail outlets.
WhistlePig and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Wind Tunnel-Trialed Whiskey Is a Ryed You Don’t Want to Miss
SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.
The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.
Like Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s signature C43 racing vehicles, trial barrels were tested in the team’s wind tunnel in Switzerland before hitting the track. Select barrels then endured varying levels of G-Forces at the WhistlePig farm and distillery for the finishing touch, accelerating the interaction between the whiskey and the wood, staying true to the physical nature of Formula 1.
“Partnering with WhistlePig has been a very exciting experience. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake is dedicated to being the best on the track, and the crew at WhistlePig is fearless in their pursuit to create the best whiskey out there,” said Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “We’re really looking forward to fans tasting our custom Rye Whiskey and raising a glass to the rookies, veterans, legends and the exhilarating sport of F1.”
"Joining forces with WhistlePig to release a Single Barrel Rye Whiskey that represents my culture and team has been an honor,” said Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “Formula 1 brings together fearless, thrill-seeking motorsports professionals, and WhistlePig has a shared passion for boundary-pushing innovation. Together, we’ve selected something alarmingly good for fans to enjoy this season when the cars are not on track.”
The Limited Edition Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel will be available for purchase online starting around September 13 for $49.99 MSRP per 750ml bottle and sold in select stores across the U.S. Consumers can win VIP merchandise by scanning the QR code on the back of each bottle.
"We're taking our third Legends Series release on a ryed like never before,” said Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig Head Blender. "Our experiments with dynamic aging went full throttle during finishing trials at the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake wind tunnel, in turn inspiring new ways to expose barrels to G-forces back at the WhistlePig Farm. The herbal and floral notes of the lychee and tea barrel selected with the team create a new, podium-topping experience for PiggyBack Rye."
Fans and collectors have followed WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series, celebrating those who give 100% in the name of greatness, since its launch in March 2022 with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, David Ortiz (“Big Papi”), followed by Country Music Duo Brothers Osborne in November 2022.
To learn more about WhistlePig Whiskey, visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. You can also check out WhistlePig Whiskey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About WhistlePig Whiskey
Located off the grid on a 500-acre Vermont farm, WhistlePig Whiskey is crafted by a new generation of whiskey distillers and blenders driven to reinvent and unlock the flavor of Rye whiskey. Through their rebellious pursuit of experimenting and pushing boundaries in the industry, WhistlePig has become the leading independent craft whiskey brand for innovation. WhistlePig is committed to becoming the best whiskey on and for the planet, starting with its locally sourced ingredients and sustainable supply chain and distilling process. For more information, head to whistlepigwhiskey.com.
When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.
I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.
If you don’t have a primary care physician who specializes in LGBTQ+ care in your community, you may need to educate yourself (and your provider). But, before you seek such therapy, here are five things you should know!
- Monitor closely. At Spectrum Medical Care Center, we screen patients for certain risks before starting anyone on hormones. We frequently monitor patients in the first year to ensure there are no adverse reactions and lab results are within safe ranges. Follow-up care is also important to assess your comfort with the transition as well as the social impact and social support you’re experiencing.
- Some changes are permanent, some temporary. For transmasculine individuals going on testosterone, they’ll experience these permanent changes: deepened voice, clitoral enlargement (also known as bottom growth), more body, facial hair, and male pattern baldness. Reversible changes include cessation of menses, increased muscle mass and strength, body fat redistribution, and skin oiliness or acne. For those going on estrogen therapy, the most permanent change is breast growth. Feminizing hormone therapy can also cause atrophy (shrinkage) of the genitals and loss of erectile function that may not be reversible. Estrogen will thin body hair, soften the skin, can increase scalp hair, and decrease muscle mass and strength, all of which are reversible.
- You can’t pick and choose results. Unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose the physical changes you want, which may feel challenging. Some of my patients will say, ‘Okay, ‘I’ve seen the permanent changes I want, and I don’t want it to go any further,’ and so at that point, we stop therapy. Low-dose hormone therapy can slow down the rate of changes, allowing for a more gradual physical transition. We counsel patients in advance about the common changes, and it’s up to the individual as to when they’d like to scale back and determine whether some benefits are worth the potential risks.
- Be aware of risks. Like any medical treatment, there are potential risks involved. Some risks with testosterone therapy include increased red blood cell mass, acne, hypertension, sleep apnea, weight gain, and dyslipidemia (increases the chance of clogged arteries). Cardiovascular disease is likely increased with additional risk factors for testosterone and estrogen therapy. Transfeminine patients going on estrogen therapy may experience weight gain, thromboembolic disease (when a blood clot breaks off and blocks another blood vessel), and a high level of triglycerides in the blood.
Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!
Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.
"Our entire team is honored to be named Best of the Best. To be the only gay men's resort recognized in the Top 1% is incredibly humbling," said Kent Taylor, General Manager at Descanso. "We appreciate Tripadvisor and we're grateful to all our guests who gave us such high marks and reviews to help us reach this achievement."
“Ranking among the Best of the Best demonstrates that you have provided exemplary experiences to those who maZer most: your guests,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “With changing expectations, continued labor shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am con6nually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt.”
Santiago Resort was once again honored by Tripadvisor with a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award, placing it among the top 10% of travelers’ top reviewed des6na6ons. Twin Palms will become eligible for ranking in 2024.
Check out all the reviews, and discover more about Descanso Resort on Tripadvisor here. We have an excellent library of resort imagery available to accompany editorial and additional resources on our press page. Please contact Descanso Resort’s General Manager, Kent Taylor, at kent@descansoresort.com for further information.
About Descanso Resort
Inspired by Palm Springs’ history as a des6na6on for Hollywood stars to unwind in privacy, Descanso offers guests a casual yet modern take on the legendary style of that 6me. Created by the same hospitality team that revitalized Palm Springs’ much-loved San6ago Resort and recently launched the all-new Twin Palms Resort, the Descanso property opened in 2022 featuring 15 spacious guest rooms with custom-designed furniture, dreamy King-size beds, and luxe details. Ameni6es include continental breakfast, poolside lunch, welcome snack basket, and lots of special touches. For guests who need to stay connected, the entire property is equipped with blazing-fast Wi-Fi. Mul6-speed bikes are available for exploring the surrounding midcentury neighborhoods and public art installations. Like the Hollywood stars before them, guests at Descanso are encouraged to unwind, relax, and rest in style.
About Tripadvisor
Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.