Doris Day

Who Was Doris Day?

Doris Day was one of Hollywood’s top stars during the 1950s and 1960s, celebrated for her talents as both an actress and a singer. Before gaining fame on the big screen, she sang with several big bands before embarking on a solo career in 1947. Day became known for her roles in popular film musicals, such as Calamity Jane (1953) and The Pajama Game (1957). Beyond entertainment, she was a passionate advocate for animal welfare, founding multiple organizations dedicated to the cause.

Early Life

Born Doris von Kappelhoff, Day initially pursued dance, studying ballet and tap as a child. In her teens, she won a local dance competition with her partner Jerry Doherty. However, her dreams of becoming a professional dancer were cut short when she suffered a serious leg injury in a 1937 car accident. During her recovery, she turned to music, inspired by legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, and began taking voice lessons to develop her own vocal style.

Early Music Career

Day’s career began with singing gigs on local radio, and she later performed with bandleader Barney Rapp, who suggested she adopt the stage name “Day,” inspired by the song “Day After Day.” In 1940, she joined Bob Crosby’s band before teaming up with Les Brown and his orchestra later that year. With Brown, Day achieved her first major successes, including two number-one hits, “Sentimental Journey” and “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time,” both in 1944. These songs resonated deeply with audiences during World War II, and her relatable, personable style made her a beloved figure in American music.

After leaving Brown’s band in 1946, Day transitioned to acting, while continuing to release music. She enjoyed further success as a solo artist, scoring hits such as “Love Somebody” (1948), a duet with Buddy Clark, and several songs from her movie soundtracks. In 1958, she had her last chart-topping hit with “Everybody Loves a Lover,” marking the end of an era in her illustrious music career.

Films and Television Career

Doris Day made her film debut in 1948 with the musical Romance on the High Seas, stepping in for Betty Hutton, who had to exit the production. For this film, Day recorded “It’s Magic,” a hit song that boosted her early career. Though she later became known as the queen of romantic comedies, Day demonstrated her versatility in more dramatic roles as well. In Young Man with a Horn (1950), she portrayed a singer involved with a troubled musician, played by Kirk Douglas. That same year, she starred in the thriller Storm Warning, portraying a woman married to an abusive Ku Klux Klan member. In Love Me or Leave Me (1955), Day played a fictionalized version of jazz singer Ruth Etting, opposite James Cagney.

Two of her biggest hits came in the mid-1950s. In Calamity Jane (1953), she played a rugged cowgirl and sang “Secret Love,” a song that became a classic. She also worked with Alfred Hitchcock in the 1956 thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much, co-starring Jimmy Stewart. The film featured the iconic song “Que Sera, Sera,” which became one of Day’s signature tunes and later served as the theme for The Doris Day Show. Day continued her success with the film adaptation of the musical The Pajama Game (1957) and earned her only Academy Award nomination for the romantic comedy Pillow Talk (1959), her first of several collaborations with Rock Hudson.

Day’s film career flourished throughout the early 1960s with notable roles alongside James Garner in The Thrill of It All (1963) and Cary Grant in That Touch of Mink (1962). These films cemented her status as one of the most popular stars of the era. However, by the end of the decade, her wholesome, charming persona seemed out of sync with changing times. Her later films, such as The Ballad of Josie (1967) and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), did not achieve the same level of success. Day found more favorable reception on television, starring in The Doris Day Show, which aired from 1968 to 1973, in which she played a widow raising two sons in the countryside.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1975, Doris Day retired from acting and shifted her focus to animal welfare advocacy. As a founding member of Actors and Others for Animals, she used her celebrity to raise awareness about animal rights. In 1978, she established the Doris Day Pet Foundation, and later, in 1987, she launched the Doris Day Animal League, a lobbying organization. The League eventually merged with the Humane Society of the United States in 2007, while her foundation evolved into the Doris Day Animal Foundation, supporting various animal welfare initiatives.

In the 1980s, Day briefly returned to television with Doris Day’s Best Friends, a show about animal care. Though she had been a top box-office star, critical recognition for her work came later in life. She received three Grammy Hall of Fame Awards, a Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2004, President George W. Bush honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her impact on American culture.

Day made a surprising return to music in 2011 with the release of My Heart in the U.K., her first album in over two decades. The album was well-received and made her the oldest artist to reach the top 10 on the U.K. charts with new material. Doris Day passed away on May 13, 2019, at her home in Carmel Valley, California.

Personal Life

Despite her on-screen success, Day faced challenges in her personal life. Her first marriage to musician Al Jorden was brief and tumultuous, producing one son, Terry, before they divorced. Her second marriage to George Weidler also ended quickly. In 1951, Day married Martin Melcher, who became her manager. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1968. After Melcher’s passing, Day discovered that he had squandered most of her fortune through poor investments, leaving her nearly bankrupt. She eventually recovered $22 million through a lawsuit.

Day married for the fourth and final time in 1976, to Barry Comden, but they divorced in 1981. She also endured the tragic loss of her only son, Terry, who died of cancer in 2004.

In 2017, it was revealed that Day was born in 1922, not 1924 as previously believed. She marked her 95th birthday with a statement celebrating the discovery: “I’ve always said that age is just a number and I have never paid much attention to birthdays, but it’s great to finally know how old I really am!”