Annette Funicello, her husband, and a live-in nurse were all hospitalized following a fire at their Encino home early Thursday morning; all were suffering from smoke inhalation and are reportedly in good condition.
The 68-year-old diminutive singer/actress shot to adolescent fame as an original cast member of the Disney television show The Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to a successful singing career with hits that included "Tall Paul" and "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me." As she aged, Funicello was able to parlay her sex appeal, long-cultivated among legions of maturing male Mouseketeer fans, into a highly lucrative succession of films which exploited the public's fascination with the Southern California beach culture. Teamed with fellow icon Frankie Avalon, she appeared in the films "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Bikini Beach," among others. Still under contract to Disney, however, Funicello was required to wear only bathing suits that concealed her navel.
In the '70s, Funicello became the spokesperson for Skippy peanut butter and appeared in numerous commercials for the product.
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late '80s, her last screen appearance was in 1987's "Back to the Beach," which reunited her with Avalon.
The cause of the fire, which caused extensive damage to her home, is still undetermined.
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