“Those eyes, the intelligence, the intensity – she didn’t know how good she was. She just knew she could do it…It’s like she genuinely felt if it’s that easy; there couldn’t be much to it. It isn’t that easy for the rest of us. She was a natural.” – Three-time costar Tony Randall. Known most notably for her “girl next door” image with her beautiful blond hair, her innocent looks, and sweet disposition, Doris Day lit up the screen with each of the 39 films of her career. When looking beyond her appearance, however, it is not difficult to recognizer her talent, both as an actress as well as a vocalist. Day, like many other notable stars throughout the ages, serves as the classic example of an individual who was recognized at an early age for her obvious talent, whose name was changed for ease of pronunciation, who suffered unknown hardships in her personal life, and who persevered in spite of her set backs.
Early Years
"I was named by my mother in honor of her favorite actress, Doris Kenyon, a silent screen star of that year 1924." – Doris Day. Day was born in Cincinnati, OH as Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff on April 3, 1924. She was the youngest of three children, though her oldest brother, Richard, died before she was born. Even though she admits being shy, Day was Identified for her talents at an early age despite her kindergarten set back. Her mother sewed her panties to her dress, making it impossible for her to use the bathroom when she desperately needed to. The mishap resulted in a noticeable wet spot and an embarrassed Doris. This could have led to her stage fright later on in life. Her father, William, a piano teacher and performer, immersed Doris in music from infancy with his craft. He wanted (nearly demanded) her to become a concert pianist. Her mother, Alma, wanted her to pursue dancing, however. When her father left the family for another woman, Alma enrolled Doris into a dance school to spite her former husband. The rest, they say, is history.
Dancing Duo
While taking dancing lessons, Doris paired up with Jerry Docherty. Both children were about 11 years old at the time, and they hit it off from the start. The two became an instant hit and won every competition they entered. Both mothers resolved to move to Hollywood so that the children could receive proper training.
Accident
On Friday the 13th, October 1937, the night before Doris and her family were to leave for Hollywood permanently, their friends threw the Days a going away party. Doris left with some friends to grad a bite to eat. On the way home, the driver became lost, and the car was struck by a train as they tried to find their way back home. The driver and all three passengers were ejected from the car and hospitalized soon after. Doris’ dancing career was over for good as she spent the next 18 months on crutches. Once out of crutches, Doris tried to re-teach herself how to dance. That desire to get back on her feet, however, resulted in a fall, re-breaking her leg. Doris spent another year back in a cast.
Break-through Singer
Doris found solace in her two and a half years in a cast by singing along with the radio and with record album. She especially enjoyed the music of Ella Fitgerald. Her mother noticed Doris’ talent and pursued singing lessons. Because of her obvious talent, her vocal coach gave her three lessons for the price of one. It was Doris’ vocal coach, Ms. Grace Raine, who arranged for Doris to perform on a local talent program at a nearby Cincinnati radio station. Doris was so well received that she was asked to return each week to sing “Day After Day”, which caught the attention of many at-home listeners. Her experience in radio gave Doris the courage to venture further into the music business. She auditioned to be the singer of Barney Rapp’s big band at age 16, though she told him that she was actually 18. It was Rapp who gave her a name change so that it flowed better than “Doris Kappelhoff” and so that it fit on the marquee outside. Since she became noticed around Cincinnati for singing “Day After Day”, Rapp came up with “Doris Day.” She hated it! Day later commented on her name change saying, “It sounded really cheap. Like a burlesque singer. ‘Doris Day and her Dove Dance,’ that sort of thing” (Freedland 24).
Love Mishap
After joining Rapp’s big band, Day soon caught the eye of the audience as well as the musicians. She was smitten with and later married trombonist Al Jorden when she was just 17 years old. Shortly after the wedding, though, Jorden began physically abusing his young wife. Doris became pregnant shortly after the wedding, and Jorden immediately called for an abortion. He even went as far as pointing a gun at Doris’ womb indicating his intentions for both mother and child. The couple was divorced soon after the child, Terry, was born.
Les Brown
"She was every bandleader's dream, a vocalist who had natural talent, a keen regard for the lyrics and an attractive appearance." - Les Brown. Barney Rapp’s band moved on without Doris during her pregnancy. Once Terry was born, Doris contacted the station manager at WLW in Cincinnati to get back in the business. Doris was later approached by Les Brown to sing in his “Band of Renown” It was in 1945 with Les Brown’s band that Day recorded her first #1 hit song, ”Sentimental Journey.” The song could not have been released at a more appropriate time: at the end of WWII as the troops made their weary journey back home to the United States.
- “Never thought my heart could be so yearny
- Why did I decide to roam?
- Gotta take that sentimental journey
- Sentimental journey home”
Second Marriage, Second Divorce
Day started seeing tenor sax player George Weidler, who replaced Les Brown’s former tenor sax player, in 1943. The couple saw each other off and on for three years before marrying on March 30th, 1946. Meanwhile, Day signed a solo contract with Columbia Records and began working with notable radio personality and comedian Bob Hope. Day’s work with Hope and her contractual obligations with Columbia kept her in New York while Weidler worked in Los Angeles on a contract with CBS. The couple split on amicable terms and still maintained a good and very close (wink-wink) relationship after their separation.
From Radio to Film
After Day’s second marriage and second divorce, she accepted a role in her first film, Romance on the High Seas. While the film is not worth noting, both today and in its time, Day was recognized for her talent as an actress. Day moved on to perform as an actress and a singer in musical such as Tea for Two (1950), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), On Moonlight Bay (1951), By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) and Calamity Jane (1953)
Life as a Freelance Actress
In 1951 Day married her third husband and current agent, Marty Melcher, who was a non-musician (which seemed to do the trick). It was Melcher who decided Day would be better off not renewing her contract with Warner Brothers. Day’s newfound freedom in her career allowed her to accept roles that may have been out of her normal routine such as Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) in which she teamed up with actor James Stewart (from our first film of this class, Philadelphia Story). It was her work in Hitcock’s film that Day received an Oscar for Best Song for her performance in “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” The song went on to hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and quickly replaced “Sentimental Journey” and “It’s Magic” as Day’s signature song.
From Film to Television
Day was separated with her third husband on April 20th, 1968. This time, however, the separation left Day a widow rather than a divorce. Melcher died unexpectedly at the age of 53 from what was thought to have been a ruptured appendix. After her late husband’s death, Day discovered (to her chagrin) that he had committed her to a television series in which she was reluctant to take part. Day was successful in her role as a sitcom actress in “The Doris Day Show” and lead the program as co-executive producer with her son Terry for five years. It was for this series that Day receieved a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series in 1969. After her work in “The Doris Day Show,” Day went on to star in three other series from 1971 to 1986 – "The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special" (1971), "Doris Day Today" (1975), "Doris Day and Friends," (1985).
Awards and Accolades
- appeared in 39 films, released 29 albums, spent a total of 460 weeks in the Top 40 charts
- ranked the “biggest box-office star” for four years (1960; 1962–1964)
- 1959 – Academy Award nomination for Pillow Talk
- 1989 – Golden Globe
- 1989 – received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures
- 2004 – George W. Bush awarded Day the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor awarded a civilian. Upon accepting the award Day said, "I am deeply grateful to the President and to my country. ... To come from Cincinnati, Ohio, for God's sake, then to go to Hollywood, and to get this kind of tribute from my country. ... I love this country so much."
- Honorary Academy Award and Kennedy Center Honors Awards
- 2008 – Grammy for Lifetime Achievement
- 2010 – Legend Award from the Society of Singers in recognition for her lifetime achievement in the recording industry
Pillow Talk
- won the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
- nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Doris Day)
- nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter)
- nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (Richard H. Riedel, Russell A. Gausman, Ruby R. Levitt)
- nominated for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
- named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant
- gross of $ 18,750,000 at the Box Office
- 92% on RottenTomatoes.com
Works Cited
Dorisday.com. n.p., 2012. Web. 26 May 2012.
Freedland, Michael. Doris Day: the Illustrated Biography. London: Carlton Publishing Group, 2000. Print.
Kaufman, David. Doris Day: the Untold Story of the Girl Next Door. New York: Virgin Books, 2008. Print.
Santopietro, Tom. Considering Doris Day. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007. Print.
