NEWS LITE : REYNOLDS WILLING TO ASSIST CASINO.

Debbie Reynolds is willing to work with buyers to maintain the Hollywood entertainment theme of her bankrupt hotel-casino that goes up for auction Wednesday.

Ultimately, the property's fate will lie in the hands of its new owner, meaning the Las Vegas resort could close, change theme entirely or continue on as the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino.

Her son, Todd Fisher, doubts it will close because most prospective buyers want to know whether Reynolds, her name and her Hollywood Motion Picture & Television Museum are available.

``Debbie is saying, look, when you own the property, we'll talk,'' Fisher, chief executive of the resort's operating company, told the Las Vegas Sun.

The hotel-casino that opened in 1993 has suffered financially despite millions of dollars spent on renovations. The 180-room hotel includes a 500-seat showroom where Reynolds and other celebrities performed, along with a museum of Hollywood memorabilia.

Seinfeld packs house with ticket giveaway

Jerry Seinfeld was giving tickets away again.

Like he did in Nebraska, Seinfeld assured himself of full houses at four weekend shows in Iowa by making tickets free. The Des Moines shows wrapped up Seinfeld's international comedy tour before his highly touted Broadway show will start Aug. 9.

The comedian who ended his popular sitcom this year praised Iowa audiences for being on the spot for the sudden freebie.

``Why not?'' Seinfeld said. ``You were in the right place at the right time - that's what made my career.''

The audience learned about the giveaway just before the comedian took the stage Friday night at the Des Moines Civic Center, where Seinfeld gave away all of the nearly 11,000 tickets to his four weekend shows.

Audience members who paid more than $60 each for tickets were given refunds. About 2,000 remaining tickets were given away Saturday morning.

King Hussein breaks clinic's floral record

Florists near the Mayo Clinic love Jordan's King Hussein almost as much as the supporters flooding them with orders for get-well floral bouquets.

The king has been hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., since July 14 for chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Several florists said they have filled more orders for Hussein than for any other Mayo patient.

Dogs, cats get summer shaves

DALLAS - It takes a special brand of pooch to pull of a hairstyle called the Teddy Bear. And only the toughest tabby can sport a lion cut.

This summer, pets of all breeds and sizes are singing . . . er, panting the praises of close-cropped cuts. So, many pet owners are taking their pet in for a haircut.

``We shave Elliot in the summer because he's very long-haired,'' said cat owner Rita Grove-Merrill. ``Yum Yum doesn't like him after he's been shaved because he doesn't recognize him.''

To cut down on confusion, both cats are shaved and shorn, a practice that many pet experts suggest. However, they warn that animals can get sunburned.

``Shaving allows easier access for bathing, and it's probably somewhat cooler for the dog,'' said Dr. Bob Hawthorne, a veterinarian at the White Rock Animal Hospital. ``But if they're shaved, they should not be left outside; they'll get sunburned.''

Many pet owners turn to groomers to get this summer's hot looks.

The folks at All Breed Grooming Salon say they have been kep busy giving their doggie clients summer cuts. Styles such as the GI Joe and GI Jane crew cuts can cost upward of $30.

``The coat is like your hair - it complements you and makes you look gorgeous,'' said shop owner George Kesegich, teasing Sasha's fluffy, white bangs.

Sasha, a 12-year-old Lhasa apso dog, sits primly as her coif is trimmed. She seems unconcerned that the thick locks drifting to the floor could fill a paper lunch bag.

All that nipping and clipping - not to mention the newly naked derriere - can make a dog or cat feel downright bashful.

``Some of them act kind of sheepish afterward; others walk around like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread,'' said Dr. Lisa Dunn, a vet at the I-30 Animal Hospital.

Celebration for Charles draws lover

Prince Charles' 50th birthday party wasn't the surprise that his sons had hoped, but there was one prominent unadvertised guest at Friday's celebrations.

Camilla Parker Bowles, who reportedly met Prince William and Prince Harry for the first time only this summer, was there to cheer her longtime love, according to Press Association, the British news agency.

She was among 100 guests at the festivities at Highgrove, Charles' home in Gloucestershire in western England.

The party, arranged by Prince William, 16, and Prince Harry, 13, was well in advance of their father's actual birth date, which is Nov. 14.

Contrary to some earlier reports, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend, but spent the weekend at her Sandringham estate. Charles' brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, were there and so was his sister, Princess Anne.

William and Harry had been planning a surprise party, but their plans were revealed by the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

``We are not confirming any details of this private party given by Prince William and Prince Harry for their father,'' said Charles' spokeswoman, Sandy Henney.

``There are no media facilities and members of the media are not welcome,'' she said.

Journalists had to stand outside to see who went to the party.

- News Lite is compiled from Daily News staff and wire reports.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1) REYNOLDS

(2) HUSSEIN

(3) Elliot the cat gets a ``lion cut'' from a groomer with Puppy Love mobile grooming service in Texas.

Jim Mahoney/The Dallas Morning News