Happy Birthday, Doris!

Today is the 90th birthday of one of my favorite actresses, the lovely Ms. Doris Day. (It’s really her 92nd, but she says 90th, so just go with it.) From the first moment I saw Doris, I knew she was great. No, make that incredible. I’m not going to recount her life story, review her films, or anything like that. Instead, I’d like to tell you all what Doris means to me. Katharine Hepburn may be my number one, but sometimes, Doris gives her a run for her money. (Yep, you read that right.)

I don’t remember my first Doris Day film. Or the first time I heard that beautiful voice of hers. I knew who she was—if you said her name five years ago, before I became a die-hard classic film fan, I could’ve told you who she was. At that point, she was a singer from a long time ago who for some reason was considered supremely outdated. But then I slowly started to delve into her work. Piece by piece, I was learning more and more. Suddenly, I knew a whole lot about Doris, and my past ignorance about who she really was struck me as extremely embarrassing. How did this incredibly stylish, funny, and gorgeous woman get such an incorrect reputation?

 Unfortunately, time hasn’t been kind to Doris’s image, being labeled as a kind of virgin queen who belonged to the Victorian age, which doesn’t even come close to the true Doris. I found her to be the complete opposite of what people were claiming. She’s a great comedienne, a fantastic actress, a great dancer, and good lord, can we talk about that voice?! It’s clear, but with a slight vibrato, and she gives the lyrics such an emotional charge. Oh, I’m a fan.

 The most important thing to me, though, was that Doris projected strength, intelligence, kindness, and a great sense of humor. She’s never mean, but she likes to have a good laugh. And sure, some of her characters have been clumsy—but aren’t we all? That doesn’t mean that we’re airheads, it just means we’re human. Doris has such warmth. And her work for animals is awesome. She’s so committed to helping them, which just makes me a bigger fan.

 I thought I’d end this post with a small questionnaire that I’ll answer, and you guys can feel free to answer it yourself in the comments.

Favorite Doris film? This is a tough one, but I’d say PILLOW TALK. It’s hilarious, sophisticated, the chemistry between Doris and Rock is amazing, and Tony Randall is just one of the best supporting actors to me.

Favorite moment in any of her movies? Probably her breakdown scene in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. That sounds a little weird, but it’s always one of the reasons why I watch the movie. It’s touching, heartbreaking, and so convincing. Definitely one of her best moments.

Favorite song from one of her films? I love the soundtrack from LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME, but my favorite might just be “It All Depends on You”. It’s just the piano and Doris, and it’s lovely. Either that or the theme song from PILLOW TALK. That’s a seriously catchy song and it sold me on the film instantly.

Order of favorite Doris/Rock films? The order they came out: PILLOW TALK, LOVER COME BACK, SEND ME NO FLOWERS.

‘40s, ‘50s, or ‘60s Doris? Definitely ‘50s. You’ve got her Hitchcock film, her first romantic comedy with Rock, her stellar performance as Ruth Etting, her personal favorite CALAMITY JANE, YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, the cute ON MOONLIGHT BAY series, the underrated THE PAJAMA GAME…it’s all so good.

Movie of hers that you most want to see but haven’t yet? I’m bound and determined to see YOUNG AT HEART, with Frank Sinatra. I’ve heard mixed reviews on it, but I’ve just got to see it for myself. I also think JULIE would be interesting, if only to stare at Louis Jourdan. (You know what I’m talking about.)


And finally, I’ll leave you with a few links also related to Ms. Day:
Unpublished LIFE photos: http://life.time.com/icons/doris-day-rare-early-photos-of-a-singing-and-acting-superstar/#1
Good article on TCM’s excellent blog: http://moviemorlocks.com/2014/04/03/happy-birthday-doris/
Recent phone interview between Robert Osborne and Doris: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/966042/Robert-Osborne-Interviews-Doris-Day-TCM-Original-.html
Fantastic article about the Doris/Rock romantic comedies (although I totally disagree with his judgment of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy’s films): http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/classic/features/lovers-come-back-200004

With love,
Michaela

Comments

Post a Comment

You might've missed these popular posts...

Loving and Fighting Furiously: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

Image
Let me preface this by saying I set myself up for failure on this one. So much as been written about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz -- books, movies, TV specials, great blog posts. I can't possibly include all of the vast information I have at my fingertips, so if you're at all intrigued by my post, good news: there is a wealth of material out there. The Ball-Arnaz relationship was messy and sometimes hurtful, but it all came from two people who loved each other more than they could say. Their marriage brought them a legacy that transformed them into icons, yet they weren't the Ricardos -- they were Lucy and Desi, fallible people who ultimately couldn't stay together. "Man, that's a hunk of woman!" That's what a handsome 23-year-old Cuban said when he saw a gorgeous 28-year-old redhead in 1940. Wearing a tight gold lamé gown with a slit down the center to show off her legs and sporting a fake black eye and loose hair, Lucy had been filming for Da
Continue »

Top Ten: Fred Astaire's Partners

Image
Every August, TCM dedicates one day to one exclusive star. It's times like these I'm thankful to the television gods for both airing TCM and for creating the DVR; Summer Under the Stars covers a vast array of different films and I can always find at least five that I've been dying to see. This August is a bit different because I'll also be contributing to the SUTS Blogathon that runs alongside the programming, hosted by Kristen at Journeys in Classic Film. I really wanted to cover a bunch of people, but things have been absolutely bonkers for me lately. I have other blogathons I already committed to that I still have to write for, I'm going back to IU shortly, and I had gallbladder surgery recently that kept me away from my blogging (but not my film viewing!). Because of all this, I just chose three wonderful stars -- sorry, my beloved Gene Tierney and Kate Hepburn! -- and today I bring you the first of those. For the complete list of entries, click here . There&#
Continue »

Announcing the 100 Years of Esther Williams Blogathon!

Image
  There have been quite a few centennials to honor this year -- Lana Turner, Donna Reed, Jane Russell, Judy Holliday, Dirk Bogarde -- but there is one I'm especially excited to celebrate: Esther Williams! To commemorate this gorgeous human being's 100th birthday, I'm bringing back my Esther blogathon from last year, which ended up being such a lovely way to honor her legacy. Because Esther's filmography isn't very large, I'll allow any topic to be claimed a maximum of two (2) times. That being said, you can cover more than her films, such as her autobiography, her history with swimsuits, her TV work, an overview of her teamings with people like Busby Berkeley, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, etc. I will say that if any of her work with Van Johnson is taken the maximum number of times, I'll still be holding my annual Van blogathon in August (which I'll be announcing very soon), so you'll have another chance to cover it. Again, because the topics are a
Continue »

Fred Astaire tells Rita Hayworth... You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Image
In the early 1940s, Fred Astaire was already a legend, thanks to his massively successful teaming with Ginger Rogers. Amazingly enough, although the actor had conquered vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood, he still had many more iconic achievements to look forward to. Rita Hayworth, on the other hand, was just beginning her rise to film stardom when she was first paired with Astaire for 1941's You'll Never Get Rich . As Fred tells it, "Gene Markey, then a producer at Columbia Pictures, asked me to discuss an idea about working with a little girl they had under contract there. She was primarily a dancer, he said, and sure to become a terrific star. She had only done a few B pictures up to that time. Her name was Rita Cansino -- recently changed to Hayworth. I had heard about this beautiful daughter of my old vaudeville-days friend Eduardo Cansino." Time passed, though, and Astaire began to wonder why he hadn't heard from Markey again until he read that the pr
Continue »

Announcing the Sixth Annual Doris Day Blogathon!

Image
  Well, long time, no see! Life has made it hard to keep up with my blog, but I'm going to try my best to stick with my annual blogathons, including my Doris Day one. This year is particularly special because it's going to be Doris's centenary ! The rules are the same as they have been: you can write about anything relating to Doris -- her films, her music, her personal life, her work with animals, her role as a style icon, the list goes on! I also won't limit how many posts you want to do. Because there is so, so much you can write about, I'd prefer no duplicates . Sorry, all, it's first come, first serve. You can post on any of the three days of the blogathon, or you can post early. I only ask that you be sure to send me your link and I'll try to post it as soon as possible. Now grab a banner, spread the word, and I'll see you in April! List of Participants: The Stop Button | Young Man with a Horn (1950) Box Office Poisons | That Touch of Mink (196
Continue »

The ABCs of Esther Williams

Image
We don't talk about Esther Williams enough. That's basically what I've been shouting from the rooftops ever since I started learning about her in 2013, after her death at the age of 91 encouraged me to take notice of the remarkable life and career of the woman deemed the Million Dollar Mermaid. As a longtime lover of classic Hollywood, I'm used to admiring people and films that are annoyingly, stupidly, and unfairly dismissed by others, but the lack of appreciation for Esther has always stung me the most. Before I even started my master's degree two years ago, I knew I wanted my thesis to be about her and it was more fun and interesting than I could have imagined. Don't get me wrong, it was also super stressful, but researching Esther was worth it. A sensuous pin-up, an incredible athlete, and an ambitious, business-savvy careerwoman, she is simply one of my favorite people. August 8 would have been her 99th birthday, and so I thought it'd be nice to
Continue »

Esther Williams enthralls in... Dangerous When Wet (1953)

Image
It's a bright, beautiful morning at the Higgins' Arkansas dairy farm. Giving us what may be the sunniest opening to a film ever, the Higgins family -- comprised of Pop (William Demarest), Ma (Charlotte Greenwood), cute little pipsqueak Junior (Donna Corcoran), middle daughter Suzie (Barbara Whiting), and the eldest child, Katy (guess who?) -- leaves the house one by one as they sing "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side" and march to their swimming hole for their daily exercise routine. When it comes time to jump in the water, though, Katy only dips her toe in and turns her attention to the book she brought, which is such a fun bait-and-switch. Esther Williams is going to read about farming instead of swim?! Finally, Pop tells Katy to do her laps before breakfast. She begrudgingly obliges, and in she goes, baseball cap and all, doing a simple but wonderful underwater swim -- until she suddenly hears some advertisement jingle that breaks her out of her peaceful rou
Continue »

Bob, Bing, and Dottie take the... Road to Rio (1947)

Image
  With the exception of 1962's Road to Hong Kong , the "Road" movies starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour are some of the funniest, weirdest comedies that ever came out of classic Hollywood. Brimming with inside jokes, delightful musical numbers, and plenty of decadent costumes and sets, the series always features Hope and Crosby as a pair of pals who find themselves in the worst situations as they travel to such places as Morocco, Bali, and Zanzibar. To be honest, not all of the films have aged well thanks to racist jokes and occasionally sexist attitudes, but one of the best entries, as I discovered this year, is Road to Rio . From the moment the opening credits started, this movie had me hook, line, and sinker. (I'm an absolute sucker for animated credits.) The plot follows musicians Hope and Crosby as they're forced to flee every gig because of one woman or another, finally winding up on a ship bound for Rio after they accidentally burn down the
Continue »

Bette and Errol

Image
"The most beautiful person we've ever had on the screen... He openly said he knew nothing about acting, and I admired his honesty because he was absolutely right." -- Bette Davis on Errol Flynn "Now Bette was a dynamic creature, the great big star of the lot, but not physically my type; dominating everybody around, and especially me, or trying to. This drove me off." -- Errol Flynn The relationship between Flynn and Davis was not an easy one. In the late 1930s, both stars saw their popularity rising to astronomical heights. After setting the screen on fire in 1935 with Captain Blood , Flynn became a swashbuckling icon with The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City , and The Dawn Patrol to name a few. Similarly, at this time, Davis gave some of her own career-defining performances in Jezebel and Dark Victory . During this period, Davis and Flynn made two films together: 1938's The Sisters and 1939's The Private Liv
Continue »

The Fifth Annual Doris Day Blogathon is here!

Image
  Who else is excited to celebrate Doris Day for three whole days?! After TCM's recent Star of the Month tribute to this illustrious triple threat, I can't think of a more fitting way to kick off April and celebrate Doris's 99th birthday. Participants, please leave me a comment below once you are ready to submit your entry. I'll try to post them as soon as I can! And if you're running a bit late, no worries -- I'll still accept it! Realweegiemidget Reviews |  Move Over, Darling  (1963) Filmland Follies |  Romance on the High Seas  (1948) Love Letters to Old Hollywood |  Lullaby of Broadway  (1951) Here's Booking at You, Kid |  April in Paris  (1952) Taking Up Room |  Calamity Jane  (1953) Cinema Cities |  Day and Rock Hudson Movies Meet Their Match |  Day's appearances on  What's My Line? Box Office Poisons |  The Glass Bottom Boat  (1966) Box Office Poisons |  Day's title tracks Whimsically Classic |  On Moonlight Bay  (1951) and  By the Light o
Continue »