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The television and motion picture industries have not only brought many individuals into the homes of Americans, but into their hearts as well. The motion picture industry dates back to the late 1800's. These motion pictures, however, did not become popular until much later. The 1950's brought the boom of the television and motion picture industries to life. Many new faces found gracing the silver screen, became legendary with this boom. Many stars will always be remembered, but there are a few that will never be forgotten. One of these classic actresses that has and will continue to stand the test of time is Doris Day. Doris Day is an American icon who should never be forgotten due to her life and impact on the American and European
society.Doris Day was born Doris Maryann Von Kappelhoff in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents divorced when she was 11. Even at an early age she had dreams of becoming a star. Her idol was Ginger Rogers, and she wanted to be just like her. By age 11, Doris had been very successful with her dancing. With her partner, Jerry Doherty, she had won several awards. They won a contest and received five hundred dollars. Their mothers asked them if they would like to go to Hollywood and visit the famous Franchon & Marco’s dance school. Of course, they both agreed. It was after that their mothers decided to move to Los Angeles for good. Doris was not enrolled in school that Fall because they would be moving in October. The day before they were to leave Doris got a call from some friends; they wanted to go for shakes. On the way home from the
burger joint the car that Doris was riding in was struck by a train. Her right leg was shattered along with her dreams of becoming the next ginger Rogers.While recovering from her leg injury, she began singing along with her favorite big band records. Although she sang to all of her records, Doris concentrated heavily on
her favorite, Ella Fitzgerald. Her mother heard her and decided that if she couldn’t dance, she could sing. The broken bones in her leg were almost healed, when she took
a bad fall. She was prematurely trying a dance routine when she tripped and fell, destroying all the healing that had taken place in her leg. Because Doris was an active girl, she became bored easily. To ease her boredom, her mother began to take her to voice lessons. Music teacher Grace Raine became Doris’ coach. Doris once stated, “Grace Raine really taught me virtually everything I ever learned about singing.” She began singing on “Carlin’s Carnival,” a radio show toward the end of the healing process. Later she was contacted by Barney Rapp. He wanted her to sing in his new club, “The Sign of the Drum.” He paid her twenty-five dollars a week.It was because of Barney that she changed her name. He talked to her about changing her name within the first few days she was there. He wanted to put her name on the marquee and in the ads he was running, but Kappelhoff was too long. He suggested several names but none that fit her approval. Finally, he suggested Doris Day. She had a hit with the song “Day by Day,” and Barney suggested naming her after that. She wasn’t crazy about it then and still isn’t. However, she couldn’t come up with anything better, and so it stuck. She later said, “I never did like it. Still don’t. It sounds phoney.” Nevertheless, Doris Day was on her way to becoming a household name.
Once her music career got going, it really took off. She had many people wanting her to sing in their bands, as she had grown to be a popular singer. Doris’ schedule became extremely hectic as, she was always on the road. She never went to college. Therefore, Doris never had the opportunity to experience the teen years like most did. The second year of high school was the last formal education that she ever received. She spent hours on bumpy buses traveling from location to location. She sang with Les Brown, Bob Crosby, Fred Waring, Bob Hope, and many other notable people.
The popularity of her music was outstanding. People said that she had “golden tonsils.” She sang all through her career, whether she was acting or singing, making dozens of recordings. Singing is something that she never gave up. “She was a band leaders dream, a vocalist with natural talent, a keen regard for the lyrics, and an attractive appearance,” Les Brown once said. At this time, Doris was only 16 years old. While singing for Les Brown, she cut fourteen sides between November 1940 and April 1941. In 1945, she sang “My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time.” This song was on the Billboard charts at Number One for seven weeks. Then it was “Sentimental Journey” for nine weeks. “Sentimental Journey” was perceived for many years as her theme song. Those two records greatly increased her popularity. In 1946, Doris signed a one year contract with Columbia Records as a solo artist. She cut her first record for them in 1947, beginning an alliance which endured until late 1966.
Throughout the years Doris would have numerous hits. She had many chart topping songs and records. Doris was a very popular artist, and could take songs that had flopped and turn them into chart toppers. In 1952, she adapted a song that had been based on two different sets of lyrics written for an identical tune. Doris had the lyrics changed and took the song, “ A Guy Is A Guy” to the top of the charts. Some of the songs she sang in her movies were nominated for “Best Song” for the Academy Awards. Doris Day had so many chart toppers and highly acclaimed songs, that I couldn’t possibly list them all. She was the Golden Girl of the music industry. The song “Que Sera, Sera” which she sang in the Hitchcock thriller, “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” became a very successful song for her. In fact, it is the most popular of all her songs. “Que Sera, Sera” belongs to Doris Day. It was also kind of a motto for her own life. She took the words, “whatever will be, will be” and lives by hem still at the age of 78.
While singing for Barney Rapp at, “The Sign Of The Drum,” Doris had to travel several miles causing her mother to have to haul her back and forth. This form of transportation only lasted a few weeks. Her mother then asked if there was anyone who would be able to give Doris a ride. After much deliberation on his part, she convinced a trombone player, Al Jorden, to be her transportation. Al was convinced that girls were trouble. He said they were always late and just caused problems. Doris made a deal
with him. She said, “Listen, the first time I’m late, I mean, if you give the horn one honk and I’m not right out the door and into the car, you take off and that’ll be the end of it.” Although she was never late, there were other problems to be considered.He wasn’t a very social person and was angered easily. He later asked her out on a date and under protest, she went. Surprisingly, “Al the date” was different from “Al the chauffeur.” His Jekyll-Hyde personality should have been warning enough, but it wasn’t. After dating for several months, Al asked Doris to marry him. They were engaged for only a month before Doris, shortly after her 17th birthday, quit Les Brown and moved to New York to marry. Les Brown heavily persuaded her not to. Even Doris' mother tried to tell her not to marry Al Jorden. Nothing seemed to work. Being a wife and raising a family was something that Doris had always wanted to do.
It was only after a few short days that she met the real man that she had married. Al was very abusive and violent. He became jealous very easily. On the second day of their marriage Doris went to meet Al for lunch. Billy, the manager of Al’s band had gotten Doris a wedding gift, a nice leather make-up case. Al became very jealous of this gift. Later, when they got back to their apartment, he slapped her and began shouting obscenities at her. After having hit her, he began to sob and apologize. She forgave him thinking that it was a individual outburst that wouldn’t happen again. He beat her again on several other occasions, and always ended up begging for forgiveness. The burden of not knowing when these jealousy fits would take place was unbearable for Doris.
Just when she was ready to leave him, she found out that she was pregnant. This happened in the second month of their marriage. With Al being a violent man, Doris was not sure how he would take the news. To her surprise, he wept. However, soon after finding out about her pregnancy, he brought home the name of an abortionist. Doris was appalled and had no desire to have an abortion. Because he was not ready to have a baby, he had other plans to get rid of the baby.
