Doris Day's screen image was catered to the perfection of fashion. The screen legend dawned attire such as tweed pencil skirts, cropped jackets, pillbox hats, and white satin strapless gowns. The Doris Day on-screen persona epitomized grace, coolness and femininity. In 2003, Peyton Reed directed the popular romantic comedy Down with Love, which was a wonderful tribute to the Doris Day comedies of yesteryear. Down with Love featured the dynamic acting duo of Renee Zellweger and Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor, in roles that were reminiscent of Doris Day and Rock Hudson.
   Although Day’s screen characters were generally the picture of perfection; her personal life was anything but sublime.  Doris Day was married four times; each marriage presented it own unique set of problems. Day incurred a mountain of debt due to the squandering of her money by her third husband, Marty Melcher.  When Melcher died in 1968, Doris Day was left financially bankrupt; in effect, owing thousands of dollars to creditors. 
     It was the type of ironic roller coaster lifestyle outside the headlines, which only a movie star could live.  Doris Day finally succeeded in being happy with the hosting of her own variety TV show, ‘The Doris Day Show’ which ran successfully from 1968 to 1973.

    Doris Day epitomized the so-called “girl next door”.  Her coy, cinematic depiction of the innocent, naïve, and unsuspecting blonde has been incorporated in a myriad of feminine roles in recent years.  It’s hard to imagine a Mary Tyler Moore, a Rhoda, or a Marlo Thomas in That Girl, without considering some of Day’s many subtle influences.  Consider the Doris Day type, David Lynch cast so effectively with Laura Dern, who portrayed the naïve Sandy Williams in the 1980’s cult film, Blue Velvet. 
    In retrospect, Doris Day was a gorgeous, talented woman who wonderfully graced the Hollywood screen and left a lasting impression on a generation of American women on how to be: confident, moral, successful, and beautiful.    

 

--Amanda Stouffer

In 1987, Doris Day founded the "Doris Day Animal League", and she currently devotes much of her time towards the cause of helping animals.

http://www.ddal.org/

In 2004 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom but refused to attend the ceremony because of a fear of flying. She has turned down an honorary Academy Award and a Kennedy's Center Honor for similar reasons.

 

 

Actress - filmography
(1970s) (1960s) (1950s) (1940s)

  1. "The Governor & J.J."
        - A Day in the Life (1970) TV Episode (voice)
  2. "The Doris Day Show" (1968) TV Series .... Doris Martin
  3. With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) .... Abby McClure
    ... aka A Man in Mommy's Bed
  4. Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) .... Margaret Garrison
  5. Caprice (1967) .... Patricia Fowler
  6. The Ballad of Josie (1967) .... Josie Minick
  7. The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) .... Jennifer Nelson
    ... aka The Spy in Lace Panties
  8. Do Not Disturb (1965) .... Janet Harper
  9. Send Me No Flowers (1964) .... Judy Kimball
  10. "The Beverly Hillbillies"
        - Jed Becomes a Movie Mogul (1964) TV Episode .... Judy Kimball
  11. Move Over, Darling (1963) .... Ellen Wagstaff Arden, aka Eva Swensen and Eve
  12. The Thrill of It All (1963) .... Beverly Boyer
  13. Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) .... Kitty Wonder
  14. That Touch of Mink (1962) .... Cathy Timberlake
  15. Lover Come Back (1961) .... Carol Templeton
  16. Midnight Lace (1960) .... Kit Preston
  17. Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) .... Kate Mackay
  18. Pillow Talk (1959) .... Jan Morrow
  19. It Happened to Jane (1959) .... Jane Osgood
    ... aka Jane from Maine (USA)
    ... aka Twinkle and Shine
  20. The Tunnel of Love (1958) .... Isolde Poole
  21. Teacher's Pet (1958) .... Erica Stone
  22. The Pajama Game (1957) .... Katherine 'Babe' Williams
  23. Julie (1956) .... Julie Benton
  24. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) .... Jo McKenna
  25. Love Me or Leave Me (1955) .... Ruth Etting
  26. Young at Heart (1954) .... Laurie Tuttle
  27. Lucky Me (1954) .... Candy Williams
  28. Calamity Jane (1953) .... Calamity Jane
  29. So You Want a Television Set (1953) (uncredited) .... Cameo appearance
  30. By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) .... Marjorie Winfield
  31. April in Paris (1952) .... Ethel S. 'Dynamite' Jackson
  32. The Winning Team (1952) .... Aimee Alexander
  33. Starlift (1951) .... Cameo appearance
  34. I'll See You in My Dreams (1951) .... Grace LeBoy Kahn
  35. On Moonlight Bay (1951) .... Marjorie 'Marjie' Winfield
  36. Lullaby of Broadway (1951) .... Melinda Howard
  37. Storm Warning (1951) .... Lucy Rice
  38. The West Point Story (1950) .... Jan Wilson
    ... aka Fine and Dandy (UK)
  39. Tea for Two (1950) .... Nanette Carter
  40. Young Man with a Horn (1950) .... Jo Jordan
    ... aka Young Man of Music (UK)
    ... aka Young Man with a Trumpet (Australia)
  41. It's a Great Feeling (1949) .... Judy Adams
  42. My Dream Is Yours (1949) .... Martha Gibson
  43. Romance on the High Seas (1948) .... Miss Georgia Garrett
    ... aka It's Magic (UK)