LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A gaggle of yesteryear's movie stars, rouged and primped yet slightly unsteady in high heels, paid tribute to media mogul Ted Turner, who was in Hollywood on Wednesday to receive a star on the Walk of Fame.

One by one, luminaries such as 1940s aqua musical queen Esther Williams, actress and dancer Betty Garrett, former child stars Margaret O'Brien and Cora Sue Collins, and others thanked the lanky media mogul for replaying their classic films and reviving their faded fame on his Turner Classic Movies cable channel.

"We in the '30s, '40s and '50s (films) owe such a debt to Ted Turner. So many actors ... when they stop being popular, they sort of fade into the sunset," said Ann Rutherford, 84, who appeared in "Gone With The Wind" in 1939.

By reviving the old movies, uncut and without commercial interruption, many old stars have enjoyed renewed interest from fans in the form of fan mail and invitations to special events, Rutherford said. "I am indebted to Ted Turner for making my golden years platinum."

Turner, 65, was the chief executive of Turner Broadcasting from 1963 until the company's merger with Time Warner in 1996. He built it into a powerful cable company with networks airing sports, round-the-clock TV news and classic films. He remained with Time Warner as Vice Chairman until May 2003.

"It's really wonderful to see myself (on cable TV) at 3 in the morning when I was young," added Betty Garrett, 85, a dancer who starred in old Hollywood musicals including "On The Town" (1949). Esther Williams, 81, sleekly dressed in a black pantsuit, stood with help from a friend, smiled and waved.