Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds: fans pay tribute

The lives of "Star Wars" star Carrie Fisher and her actress mother Debbie Reynolds have been celebrated at a public memorial. The event, featuring humor, music, and dance, was a chance for fans to remember the legendary Hollywood pair following a private service earlier in the year. The mother and daughter were remembered in the 1,200-seat theater at Hollywood's Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

The lives of Reynolds and Fisher continue to be celebrated

Fisher, who was known for playing Princess Leia in the hit film franchise, died in December aged 60 after she suffered a heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles.

Her mother died a day later after a suspected stroke. Reynolds starred in a string of classic Hollywood films in the 1950s and 1960s.

The event, organized by Todd Fisher, Reynolds' son and brother of Carrie, befit the Hollywood screen legends with singing, dancing and a cameo by a "Star Wars" character. Fisher spoke lovingly about his sister and mother, who died in December, then introduced a video featuring movie clips and images of the family through the years. Todd also recalled Reynolds’ last day, during which she told him she wanted to be buried with Carrie. “She looked at me to ask for permission to leave, said she wanted to be with Carrie, closed her eyes and went to sleep,” he shared.

'Beloved showboat'

There were speeches of remembrance from Aykroyd -- who was briefly engaged to Fisher in the 1970s before she wed singer/songwriter Paul Simon and Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz. Aykroyd recalled how he once saved Fisher's life, applying the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a Brussels sprout. "If I had been with our beloved showboat, I might have been able to save her again," Aykroyd lamented.

Mark Hamill paid tribute to Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds as their public memorial began in California on Saturday. “We Remember Them…As long as we live, they too shall live” he wrote in a Twitter post, accompanied by images of the mother-daughter duo through the years.