Doris Day
Doris Day, born Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff on April 2, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a celebrated American actress and singer. Initially aspiring to be a dancer, her career took a turn after a leg injury led her to pursue singing, where she found success on radio and with prominent bands. Day gained fame in Hollywood with her role in "Romance on the High Seas" (1948) and became known for her wholesome, girl-next-door characters in romantic musicals and comedies throughout the 1950s and 60s, including hits like "Calamity Jane" and "Pillow Talk," for which she received an Academy Award nomination. In addition to her acting career, she was a talented singer; her rendition of "Que Sera, Sera" became her signature song and won an Academy Award. Day's personal life included four marriages and a commitment to animal welfare activism. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and passed away on May 13, 2019, at the age of 97. Doris Day remains an iconic figure in American entertainment history, remembered for her contributions to film and music.
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Doris Day
- Date of birth: April 3, 1922
- Place of birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Died: May 13, 2019
- Place of death: Carmel Valley, California
Doris Day used her singing and acting talents to become a leading film star during the 1950s.
Actor and singer Doris Day was born Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff on April 2, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to parents Alma Sophie Welz and Frederick Wilhelm von Kappelhoff (a.k.a. William Joseph Kappelhoff). Originally an aspiring dancer, Day fractured her leg in an automobile accident in 1937, and her hope of becoming a professional dancer ended abruptly. During her recuperation, Day began voice lessons and made her singing debut on a Cincinnati radio station. While singing professionally with Barney Rapp and his band, she changed her surname to Day, after the song “Day after Day.” 
In 1946, Warner Bros. hired Day to star in the film Romance on the High Seas (1948). Following that film’s success, Day began to move into the role of leading lady in several films and starred in fourteen additional Warner Bros. movies. Romantic musicals such as My Dream Is Yours (1949), I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951), and Calamity Jane (1953) solidified Day’s nice-girl image. Day also gave powerful dramatic performances in movies such as Love Me or Leave Me (1955) and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). In 1959, she starred in the bedroom farce Pillow Talk, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Before Day became known as an actor, she was a popular singer and had several hit songs. The 1950s saw her combine her acting and singing talents to become a well-loved actor. In The Man Who Knew Too Much, she sang the song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” The song won an Academy Award and served as her signature song throughout her career.
Day was married four times: to trombonist Al Jorden (1941, divorced 1943), saxophonist George Weidler (1946, divorced 1949), film producer Martin Melcher (1951 until his death in 1968), and restauranteur Barry Comden (1976, divorced 1981). She had one son, Terrence Paul, with Jorden; he was later adopted by Melcher and took his last name. Following Martin Melcher's death, Day discovered that he had left her deeply in debt, as well as committed to a television series she had no interest in. The Doris Day Show lasted for five years, from 1968 to 1973. Day subsequently hosted a talk show, Doris Day’s Best Friends (1985–86), on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), but it was canceled after one season.
Day released her twenty-ninth studio album, My Heart, in 2011. The songs on the album had been recorded in the 1980s and were produced by her son, Terry Melcher, who died of melanoma in 2004.
Day died at her home in Carmel Valley, California, on May 13, 2019, at the age of ninety-seven.
Impact
A popular actor throughout the 1950s, Day played wholesome, girl-next-door characters who exemplified the ideal American woman of her time. She continued her film career for another decade; during the 1960s, she starred in light comedies such as Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960), Touch of Mink (1962), and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), her last Hollywood film. A close friend and frequent costar of actor Rock Hudson, Day was one of the few to whom he revealed his diagnosis of AIDS prior to the public disclosure of his illness.
In 2004, Day was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush for services to the entertainment industry and for her activism on behalf of animal welfare.
In September 2017, the Cincinnati city council voted to rename part of a downtown street Doris Day Way, in Day's honor.
Bibliography
Elber, Lynn. “Birthday Surprise for Ageless Doris Day: She’s Actually 95.” AP News, Associated Press, 2 Apr. 2017, apnews.com/4e59795cb64440bfa2567554e1f53097/only-ap-birthday-surprise-doris-day-shes-really-95. Accessed 1 May 2018.
Freedland, Michael. Doris Day: The Illustrated Biography. André Deutsch, 2000. Chronicles Day’s life and career.
Harmetz, Aljean. "Doris Day, Movie Star Who Charmed America, Dies at 97." The New York Times, 13 May 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/obituaries/doris-day-death.html. Accessed 3 June 2019.
Knight, Cameron. “Downtown Street to Be Renamed Doris Day Way (on Doris Day Day).” Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sept. 2017, www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/09/26/downtown-street-renamed-doris-day-way-on-doris-day-day/685750001/. Accessed 1 May 2018.
Rosen, Marjorie. “Sunny Side Up, Sunny Side Down: The Turbulent Life of Doris Day.” Biography, Apr. 2003, pp. 76–81. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9299395&site=ehost-live. Accessed 1 May 2018. A concise biography.