Que será, será …
For Doris Day fans, the lilting memories of the entertainer’s amazing 50-year run on stage and screen will live forever, both in those now-haunting lyrics of that Oscar-winning song and across the film musicals and playful rom-coms of a more innocent mid-century America.
Day died early Monday in her Carmel Valley home at the age of 97. She was surrounded by loved ones, including her fellow pet lovers who will remember their friend as much for her benevolent animal-rights work as they will for her legendary screen presence. The Doris Day Animal Foundation said in a statement that Day was surrounded by close friends and “had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia.”
Remembered as one of the most popular screen actresses of all time, Day’s sing-song sweetness and oh-gosh innocence put her adoring fans in the palm of her hand. However, shadows lurked behind the glittering scrim of her celebrity: Doris’s third husband, Martin Melcher, her manager and producer of many of her films, turned out to be a louse. Day found out after his 1968 death that he had mismanaged or embezzled nearly $20 million from her. Their son, Terry, later became the initial target of the Manson Family; they later were behind the grisly killing of actress Sharon Tate.
Here are some things you may not have known about the celebrated and much-loved movie star:
Day was named after a song …
It seems appropriate, given her 21 Billboard Top 10 hits, that Day’s stage name would come from a piece of music. She was born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, but the fledging pop singer was christened Doris Day after band leader Barney Rapp was wowed by her rendition of “Day After Day.”
But she had yet another name …
According to IMDb, she got the nickname Clara Bixby when actor Billy De Wolfe told her in 1950, on the set of “Tea for Two,” that she looked more like Clara Bixby than a Doris Day. That nickname stuck, and close friends called her that for the rest of her life.
And a third one, too.
Rock Hudson, who co-starred with Day in “Pillow Talk,” called her Eunice, according to IMDb. He said that whenever he thought of her as Eunice, it made him laugh.
Hudson got some help carrying his co-star through NYC
The first scene that was shot for Day’s hit picture “Pillow Talk” actually appears toward the end of the film, and it features Hudson dragging Day out of bed and carrying her through the streets of New York City to his apartment. IMDb reports that “after many takes, Hudson’s arms were hurting, so they created a sort of sling which held Day in a crate-like device and hooked over Hudson’s shoulders to evenly distribute her weight.”
Day did not dig her signature song — at first
While she is now known for her signature swan song, “Que Será, Será,” it turns out Day didn’t fancy the tune when she first heard it. After initially refusing to sing the song, eventually featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” Day recorded it. Smart move: It scored the 1956 Academy Award for best original song with the alternative title “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Será, Será).”
A hit TV show and some sleight of hand
Day’s contract with CBS to make “The Doris Day Show” (1968-73) made a bit of Hollywood history, according to IMDb, with Day’s “production company getting several million dollars in up-front fees. It was negotiated by Martin Melcher, her husband of seventeen years,” says the report. “However, after Melcher died unexpectedly in April of 1968, just five months before the series was to debut, Day said she had no knowledge of ever having signed on to do the show.”
Some of the “extras” in one of her films spawned her interest in animal rights
Animals became her cause celebre after Day was introduced to camels, goats and other animal ”extras” on the set of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in 1956. When she saw how they were treated in a marketplace scene, says IMDb, she committed much of her life’s energy toward working to prevent animal abuse.
She married two musicians, a bum and a doting maitre d’
Day was married four times: first to a trombonist named Al Jorden, then a saxophonist named George Weidler, then a fraudster named Martin Melcher, and finally a charming restauranteur named Barry Comden. Day met Comden in 1976 at the Beverly Hills Old World Restaurant, where he was the maitre d’. According to a 2009 story in the Los Angeles Times, Comden “always made sure that her favorite wine was chilled and provided her with ample leftovers for her dogs to eat. Soon after they got together, Comden came up with the idea for a line of pet food that would feature her name. Day embraced the concept because she thought that the profits would help establish her nonprofit animal foundation.”
Carmel-by-the-Sea celebrates her each April
April 3 is practically a holy day for folks in this Central Coast playground. Each year on Day’s birthday, including her 97th last month, fans come out to celebrate the local legend. In addition, the Doris Day Animal Foundation hosts a three-day weekend of events leading up to Day’s Big Day. This year’s celebration included a VIP reception at the Cypress Inn, which included TV host and personality Peter Marshall (perhaps best known as the original host of “The Hollywood Squares”), impressionist Rich Little and Jackie Joseph, Day’s co-star on “The Doris Day Show.” Day, who lived in nearby Quail Lodge, did not attend this year’s celebration.
Her voice was really something …
Day’s fans, of course, already know what an amazing singing voice she had. But for those who aren’t as familiar with her work, check out what true voice aficionados have to say about her pipes and the amazing things she could do with them: “Her singing is clear, direct, sweet, and full of happy energy,” says VoiceCouncil magazine. “Some things to consider about Day’s singing: it sounds effortless, but she is an excellent technical singer. Her breath control, her diction, her dynamic control are all flawless. She had a masterful command of the different colors in her voice. She could sing light or strong in any part of her range. She constantly varied her delivery to tell wonderful stories. She sang every song as if she cared deeply about what she was singing. It’s no wonder she was such a revered actress.”
And here’s to you, Doris Day!
Last but not least, you probably didn’t know that Day turned down the role of Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate,” which went to Anne Bancroft. Coo-coo-ca-choo!
