Doris Day was a known dancer, singer, actress, and animal rights activist. She was the embodiment of good values and a wholesome image. But who was the person behind the starlet’s smile? Read on to find out who Doris Day really was…
Many Hats
Doris Day was an American actress, singer, and animal welfare activist. Throughout her life, she held a myriad of different positions in the entertainment industry.
Birth Given Name
Though she’s been known as Doris Day in songs and television, her full name is Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff. She changed her name to Doris Day for her upcoming career in the industry.
A Singer From a Song
Day got her stage name from Barney Rapp’s song “Day After Day” after the famous singer suggested a change. Kappelhoff was too long for most marquees at the time, so she chose a shorter name from her favorite song.
Happy Birthday!
Her birthday is on April 3, 1922. Having this birthday would make Doris Day an Aries!
In Memorium
She passed away on May 13, 2019, due to pneumonia. She humbly requested no funeral, grave marker, or memorial. That’s just the kind of person she was.
Ohio Girl
Doris Day was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she would later become interested in dance as a future profession. Though she later moved to Los Angeles, she always thought of Ohio as home.
Family Matters
Her parent’s names were Alma Sophia and William Joseph Kappelhoff. Her father was a music teacher and choirmaster. Her mother was a housewife. They separated when she was young.
German Upbringing
All of her grandparents were German immigrants, making her upbringing very traditionally German.
Wrong Year!
For most of her life, Day reportedly believed she had been born in 1924 and reported her age as such. She believed she was two years younger than her actual age!
Too Little Too Late
It was not until her 95th birthday when the Associated Press found her birth certificate showing 1922 as her birth year. Day passed away shortly after, knowing her real age.
Brotherly Love
Doris Day is the youngest of three siblings. She had two older brothers, though she only grew up with one. Richard died before her birth and Paul, who was two to three years older.
Wandering Eye
Doris Day grew up in a family separated by divorce. Her father was reportedly unfaithful and cheated on her mother, Alma. She was young during this period.
Dancing Queen
She developed an early interest in dance and in the mid-1930s formed a dance duo with Jerry Doherty. The duo performed locally in Cincinnati.
Cut Short
A car accident on October 13, 1937, injured her right leg and ended her dreams as a professional dancer. She began to look elsewhere for creative outlets.
Starting the Journey
In 1945 “Sentimental Journey†was Doris’s breakout song, after many years as a band singer.
Por Que?
Maybe one of her best-known songs, “Que Sera, Sera” was initially rejected. She felt it was too childish to sing, but agreed after studio pressure. She reportedly did it in one take because she hated it so much.
Flying Solo
When she began a solo career, she left the band known as Les Brown & His Band of Renown.
Hit Machine
Starting in 1947 and continuing for 20 years, Doris Day recorded more than 650 songs.
Almost First Lady
She briefly dated Ronald Reagan. She says in her autobiography that they met on the set of a movie The Winning Team, though she began a relationship with her agent soon after.
Hotel California
Doris Day spent the later years of her life at a hotel that she owned called the Cypress Inn. It is located in Carmel, California. No surprise, it’s pet-friendly.
In Loving Memory
Day died on May 13, 2019, after contracting pneumonia. Her death was announced by her charity, the Doris Day Animal Foundation.
Fame Game
Because of how many songs she was able to produce in her lifetime, she is regarded as one of the most popular and acclaimed singers in the 20th century, as well as a renowned actress.
Classical Beauty
Doris Day began to become a name in cinema during the end Classical Hollywood Film era, though she’s often associated with the time.
Looking for Love
Day was unlucky in love. She had four marriages in her lifetime. Barry Comden (6 years, divorced); Marty Melcher (17 years until his death); George Weidler (3 years, divorced) and Al Jorden (2 years, divorced).
Only Child
Doris Day only had one child with Marty Melcher. Her son Terry grew up to be a very successful music producer who worked with some of the biggest artists of his time.
Film Debut
Her first film was Romance on the High Seas in 1948.
A New Chapter
The success of Romance on the High Seas sparked a twenty-year career as a motion picture actress, and she largely left her music career behind.
Jack of All Trades
She starred in a series of successful films that ranged from musicals to comedies to dramas.
Calamity Doris
Day played the title role in Calamity Jane (1953) and starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) with James Stewart.
The Rocky Movies
Her most successful films were the ones she made co-starring Rock Hudson and James Garner. To name a few, Pillow Talk in 1959 and Move Over, Darling in 1963.
Carry On
In Pillow Talk, she was attached to Rock Hudson with a harness, as the carrying became too taxing for him.
Famous Faces
She also co-starred in films with such leading men as Clark Gable, Cary Grant, David Niven, and Rod Taylor
Small Screen Stardom
After her final film in 1968, she went on to star in the CBS sitcom The Doris Day Show (1968–1973).
Money Problems
Doris Day was only on The Doris Day Show only because she was deeply in debt. In fact, she didn’t sign on voluntarily– her agent did that for her.
Old Age
Denver Pyle played Day’s father on the show, but he was only 2 years older!
Fear of Flying
She was terrified of flying and tried to avoid going up in the air whenever she could. She turned down some awards because of the phobia.
Missed Opportunity
She turned down the role of Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate in order to retain her chaste image.
Title Holder
Due to her Goody-Two-Shoes personality and public image, she was nicknamed “The Worlds Oldest Virgin”.
Top Ten
Day was usually one of the top ten singers between 1951 and 1966.
Musical Celebrity
She’s been mentioned in songs by Elton John, Wham!, Billy Joel, and the Beatles.
Making A Name
As an actress, she became the biggest female film star in the early 1960s.
Big In the Box Office
Doris Day ranked sixth among the box office performers by 2012.
Her Heartsong
In 2011, she released her 29th studio album, titled “My Heart”, which became a UK Top 10 album featuring new material.
Award of a Lifetime
Among her awards, Day has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Legend Award from the Society of Singers
The Best of the Best
In 1960, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Deserving DeMille
In 1989 was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
President’s Pal
In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.
LA Lady
In 2011 she was awarded the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award.
RIP Doris
Doris Day was one of the last surviving stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Rock Hudson
One of Doris Day’s most famous co-stars was Rock Hudson, who she starred alongside frequently. Rock was as Roy Scherer on November 17, 1925. He was three years older than Doris.
Father Found
Once the Great Depression hit, Rock’s father abandoned their family. In his absence, Rock’s mother remarried to a Marine Corps officer whom Rock hated. He adopted Rock without consent and legally changed his name to Roy Fitzgerald.
High School Years
In high school, Rock was a shy glee club kid. He ran errands, delivered newspapers, and worked as a gold caddy. He also worked in a movie theater, where he was interested in acting.
Stage Fright
Rock also tried out for many school plays but won no parts due to his inability to remember lines. This persisted into his acting career.
Navy Years
After high school, Rock enlisted in the US Navy. He was in the service for three years.
LA Living
After serving in the Navy, Rock moved out to LA to pursue acting. He lived with his now-remarried biological father and worked odd jobs to support himself.
Name Change
Rock Hudson changed his name after sending a headshot to talent scout Henry Wilson. Wilson combined the names of Rock of Gibraltar and Hudson River to get the final pseudonym.
Not a Good Fit
Reportedly, Rock Hudson hated the name change. He always felt he was more of the Roy he was born as, but kept quiet to achieve his success.
Role Runner
His first role was in the movie Fighter Squadron in 1948. He had one line in the film, but it took 38 takes for him to say it completely since he kept forgetting it.
Critics Are Saying
Though he was massively popular before the movie, his romantic comedy Pillow Talk with Doris Day made him the most popular star in the country in 1959. He came in second for the following three years.
The Great Decline
After some time, Hudson’s career hit the decline. He starred in smaller roles and smaller films until his passing. His last role was in the ABC soap opera Dynasty.
RIP Rock
Rock passed away in 1984 due to complications with AIDS. He had hidden the HIV diagnosis for most of his life, as his homosexuality wasn’t public information. He’s one of the first celebrities diagnosed with AIDS.
Rock’s Homosexuality
Rock kept his personal life out of headlines. Once there were rumors about his sexuality, Rock’s agent traded other client’s information to stall the exposure.
Public Secrets
Apparently, many of Rock’s costars knew about his secret. Actresses Julie Andrews, Mia Farrow, Elizabeth Taylor, and Susan Saint James all reported being aware of the stars love life.
Cover Story
Rock married Phyllis Gates to convince the public that he was straight. This backfired, and Gates tried to blackmail Hudson, even though she was also homosexual.
Broken Friendships
Rumors of a secret marriage between Rock and his longtime friend Jim Nabors. Though this rumor was never true, it caused the friendship to end. The two never spoke again.
Rock’s Death
He passed away on October 2, 1985. He was 59 years old. His death reminded people of the morality of those afflicted with AIDS, and propelled the disease to the forefront of conversation and research.