Doris Day was one of the major American stars of all time: an actress, singer, and animal welfare activist.
She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with No. 1 recordings all over America. (Wikipedia)
Her success lasted during her long career.
She was Oscar-nominated multiple times. Her songs and albums were no. 1 in Billboard charts and internationally recognized (like for instance, in the UK).
Coming from a German family in Cincinnati, Doris recorded more than 650 songs, from 1947 to 1967. (Wikipedia)
Doris Day was one of the biggest film stars in the 1950s–1960s era, starring in many musicals and comedies, and other types of films, together with all the major stars of her time.
She is one of the forgers of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Day starred in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense film The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) with James Stewart.
She sang two songs in the film, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and "We'll Love Again". The film was Day's 10th movie to be in the Top 10 at the box office. Day played the title role in the thriller/noir Julie (also 1956) with Louis Jourdan. (Wikipedia)
After three successive dramatic films, Day returned to her musical/comedic roots in The Pajama Game (1957) with John Raitt. The film was based on a Broadway play of the same name.
She worked with Paramount Pictures for the comedy Teacher's Pet (1958), alongside Clark Gable and Gig Young.
She co-starred with Richard Widmark and Gig Young in the romantic comedy film The Tunnel of Love (also 1958) but found scant success opposite Jack Lemmon in It Happened to Jane (1959).
In 1959, Day entered her most successful phase as a film actress with a series of romantic comedies.
This success began with Pillow Talk (1959), co-starring Rock Hudson who became a lifelong friend, and Tony Randall. Day received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. It was the only Oscar nomination she received in her career.
Day, Hudson, and Randall made two more films together, Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964).
Day starred in Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) and with Cary Grant in the comedy That Touch of Mink (1962).
During 1960 and the 1962 to 1964 period, she ranked number one at the box office, the second woman to be number one four times, an accomplishment equaled only by Shirley Temple. (Wikipedia)
It was during the making of The Man Who Knew Too Much, when she saw how camels, goats, and other "animal extras" in a marketplace scene were being treated, that Doris Day began actively preventing animal abuse. (Wikipedia)
She was so appalled at the conditions the animals used in filming were kept in, that she refused to work unless they were properly fed and cared for.
The production company had to set up "feeding stations" for the various goats, sheep, camels, et cetera, and feed them every day before Day would agree to go back to work. (Wikipedia)
In 1971, she co-founded Actors and Others for Animals.
In 1978, Day founded the Doris Day Pet Foundation, now the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF). (Wikipedia)
A non-profit grant-giving public charity, DDAF funds other non-profit causes throughout the US that share DDAF's mission of helping animals and the people who love them. The DDAF continues to operate independently.
Day actively lobbied the United States Congress in support of legislation designed to safeguard animal welfare on several occasions, and in 1995 she originated the annual Spay Day USA.
After she retired from films, Day lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She had many pets and adopted stray animals.
Since the 1980s Day owned a hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea called the Cypress Inn which she originally co-owned with her son. (Wikipedia)
In our times too, it is a real pleasure to see some of the old movies that had her and listen to her popular, appealing songs.
I recommend you to do so if you want some variety in the time you spend watching shows.
