Willow Springs Study Club presents

A Sentimental Journey

It’s no small wonder that Doris Day was able to achieve all that she did over a 73-year period. She grew up in Cincinnati, OH and was the daughter of a music teacher/choirmaster father and homemaker mother.

At the early age of 13, she formed a dance duo with a partner, Jerry Doherty. This ended tragically when Doris suffered a severe right leg injury in a car accident. 

For three years, as she was recovering, Doris played records and sang along with them, especially those of Ella Fitzgerald. This prompted her mother to have voice lessons for her. Much later, Doris credited her music teacher as having the biggest effect on her music career.

Doris began to sing in various radio shows and clubs where she eventually ended up in Les Brown’s band. After many performances, she earned the title “Wholesome Box-Office Star and Golden Voice of Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).”

Doris’ vocal recordings soon led to a role in the movie “Romance on the High Seas” at age 26. The film led her to a number two hit recording as a soloist, “It’s Magic,” which, followed by two months, her number 1 hits, “Love Somebody” and “Someone Like You.” Her fourth number one hit was “Secret Love” from the movie “Calamity Jane,” Doris’ favorite movie. She had four number one hits in five years. She was number one female vocalist nine times in ten years. She recorded 650 songs from 1947-1967. 

Doris began to take on more dramatic roles in contrast to the musical-comedy-romantic ones that had made her popular. She starred in “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much (with the hit song “Que Sera, Sera”), which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and “Midnight Lace.”

Doris’ next successful films were “Pillow Talk,” “Lover Come Back” and “Send Me No Flowers,” all with Rock Hudson. Her final feature film was “With Six You Get Egg Roll” in 1968. She made 39 movies from 1948-1968.

After Doris’ third husband, Martin Melcher, died in 1968, she was shocked to learn that Melcher had squandered her earnings, $23 million, leaving her deeply in debt. Melcher had signed Doris to have her own television series, “The Doris Day Show.” He also signed her up for a number of TV specials. She had to take the jobs to pay off her debts. Her last TV show was “Doris Day’s Best Friends” in 1985.

Doris had four unhappy and failed marriages throughout her lifetime. At the age of 17, she married a trombone player named Al Jorden. He was verbally and physically abusive to her from the first day they were together. They had a son, and divorced when Doris was 18.

Doris’ second marriage was to George Weidler, a saxophone player whom she married only three years after her first divorce. They both practiced the concept of Christian Science. George was overwhelmed and intimidated by Doris’ enormous popularity and success, and he left her after a brief three-year marriage.

Doris’ third husband was Martin Melcher whom she married in 1951. He was also her agent and business partner. He had generously adopted her son, Terry, and Doris thought he “hung the moon”. Then tragedy struck in 1968 when he died suddenly, leaving the bewildered Doris in bankruptcy. She was still practicing Christian Science.

Doris’ fourth husband was Barry Comden, a restaurant matre d’ who swept her off her feet at age 54. They married in 1976. Doris’ pet dogs and cats meant more to her than Barry. He had to play second fiddle to them. The marriage ended in divorce in 1987. Doris happily settled in a Carmel, CA house alone. She called the fourth divorce “the biggest mistake of my life”.

In 1968, at the age of 46, Doris began her mission to save stray animals full time. She regretted ever making the movie “That Touch of Mink" with Cary Grant in 1968 in which she wore genuine mink coats. She did not enjoy working with Grant. She later became a major voice for animal rights, founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation in 1978 and spent her last 40 years promoting animal rights. 

In many of her movies, Doris became a fashion queen for the designer clothing she wore, especially two-piece dress suits with matching hats. She measured a perfect 36-24-36.

Doris Day left this world a sunnier, happier, brighter, friendlier, warmer and more honest place. We have not and will not see the likes of her again.