Mouseketeer Funicello Still Sprightly

Of all of the Valley’s contributions to pop culture, Annette Funicello is by far the sprightliest.

The Valley is where she grew up, became famous and raised her children. She lives in Encino now, gamely carrying on despite a crippling disease that struck her in middle age.

Born in Utica, N.Y., in 1942, she was 4 when her family moved west, settling into a home on Fulcher Avenue in North Hollywood. A bashful child, she had beautiful, dusky features and, it turned out, a lucky star. One spring evening in 1955, she was in a ballet-class recital at the Burbank Starlight Bowl. In the audience was Walt Disney, scouting children for “The Mickey Mouse Club.”

That lucky star glimmered through a remarkable decade. As a Mouseketeer, she never considered herself the prettiest girl or the best dancer. But her friendly, unpretentious smile dazzled audiences. When the show ended, she turned to pop music with a rather thin voice. But it was echoed and multiplied in the recording studio to create the “Annette sound” that fans loved.

Barely 20, with a voluptuous figure, she starred in “Beach Party,” the first surf movie. Although she never bared her navel--her promise to Disney--the film was a huge hit and launched a string of sequels.

Then, in her mid-20s--at the peak of her fame--she retired for the life of the typical Valley mom: car-pooling to school and softball games while raising a daughter and two sons.

Not until 1987 did she make a feature film comeback with the nostalgic spoof “Back to the Beach.” Reviews were favorable, and a sequel was in the works when her lucky star dimmed. Multiple sclerosis forced her to retire. Now in a wheelchair, she is still perky--and quite lovely--as she makes appearances on behalf of charitable causes.