Doris Day – Bourgeoise Bloomers

Doris was adorable in every movie she ever made. Beautiful inside and out with a superb whispery, jazzy, melodious voice to match. That was adorable too.
What many people don’t know is that Doris was originally a dancer until a car accident permanently damaged her legs She had broken them both. What did Doris do?

She didn’t give up. She spent her months, years, of recuperation teaching herself how to sing with a particular emphasis on phrasing that was truly unique. Doris may have appeared all ditzy on the outside but she had true grit. From the 40s to the 60s her film career did not slow and Doris was loved world wide. Amongst my favourites are ‘By The Light Of The Silvery Moon’ with Gordon MacRae, a Christmas classic, ‘Young At Heart’ with Frank Sinatra, in which she doesn’t sing but is the support for her broken down piano player husband, ‘Love Me Or Leave Me,’ based on the life of Ruth Etting, in which she starred with James Cagney, ‘Calamity Jane’ with Howard Keel
and ‘Pillow Talk’ with Rock Hudson.
Her personal life was not always perfect however. In the early part of her career when she was moving from big band singer into the movies she was romanced by Arty Shaw who was abusive and later, married Marty Melcher, who robbed her of every penny she owned. In 2004 she lost a son to skin cancer and from that moment on disappeared from public view. Doris was Rock Hudson’s best friend even when ‘Aids’ began it’s slow takeover of his beautiful face and body. All this she survived.
She was never bitter and was true to her Christian faith to the end. Her love of animals is legendary and throughout her life she was a crusader on their behalf. As I said she was and will be forever adorable.

Renee Lou Dallow

( Hybiscus Bloom. )

Love-Me-or-Leave-Me_

In the 40s and 50s Doris Day was the girl next door. All sugar and spice. That was the image people fell in love with. She was blonde,blue eyed and impeccably groomed. Matter of fact that describes nearly all the so called celebrities gracing our screens now. Oh well back to Doris ….

She could be goofy too. On screen she had a definite persona and it was good. Real good. She could sing,dance and act with the best of them but always as the sweet innocent ingenue?

While all was fluffy happy endings on film her personal life was not quite as cheery. Doris married four times and had one son. Of those four marriages it was the third to manager Marty Melcher that lasted the longest. When he died in 1968 Doris apparently found herself bankrupt as dear Marty had squandered most of her earnings on bad business investments.

She did,however, manage to recoup most of her losses and went on to marry again as well as star in her own show. ‘The Doris Day Show’ was a huge success and was , of course, squeaky clean from start to finish. Doris is an animal rights activist and still going strong.

But was the Doris audiences loved so much for her holier than thou dedication to moral puritanism really such a goody two shoes in real life? Can anybody be that perfect? Should anyone be that perfect? What if she actually did have a few little imperfections? What if …

She wore fur?