Doris Day Reluctant Star
Doris Day’s private life is so shocking that it is hard to believe that this wonderful woman and actress who delighted us on the big screen with her warm smile had so much misery away from the cameras. In his book “Doris Day: Reluctant Star” biographer David Bret delves into the career and life of Doris Day and like other Doris Day biographies, including her own, has more than a few shocks in-between the pages.
Being a biography “Doris Day: Reluctant Star” follows the tried and tested route of chronicling Day’s life from her childhood growing up in Evanstown, Cincinnati through to her stepping away from the limelight and living as many claim a recluse who looks after stray cats and animals. While growing up the young Doris trained to be a dancer but her plans for a dancing career were curtailed when an accident left her with a severe leg injury. In many ways it was a mixed blessing because had she not had to quit dancing we may never have had the delight of such movies as “Pillow Talk”, “On Moonlight Bay” and of course “Calamity Jane”.
As biographer David Bret covers Day’s life he covers all the elements for her career as a singer leading to her move into being an actress and of course going in to great detail over her life away from the public which to be frank is where “Doris Day: Reluctant Star” is at its most interesting. As already mentioned Day’s personal life was of great contrast to her public one, and when you learn that she smoked, swore and had various relationships and affairs it does make your head spin. But you are equally taken a back when you learn that she was knocked about by various men in her life and swindled out of money. If it wasn’t that Doris Day had already mentioned these things in her own autobiography you would be questioning the authenticity of these almost revelatory moments.
As someone who appeared in quite a few movies Doris Day worked with many well known names along the way and many of them get a mention such as Rock Hudson who became one of her closest friends. Others who get mentioned are Frank Sinatra who didn’t have a great working relationship with Day whilst Billy de Wolfe did which is very apparent if you watch their movies together. There are numerous others and it does give “Doris Day: Reluctant Star” an almost well rounded feel because you do get the positives and negatives when it came to Day’s career.
With Day for the most turning her back on show business the final couple of chapters are a little short of anything meaty and the lack of information on what Day has done since her career is quite patchy with rumours over her walking the streets late at night collecting stray cats to look after being about the only major thing. But in one of the funnier moments if these final pages is the fact that some people were under the impression that Doris Day had passed away a recluse and were amazed to discover she was still alive and kicking. She lives near Carmel-by-the-sea in California.
For more information, visit All About Doris Day
Related Posts:
Author: annesiguerez-estevan
This author has published 13 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.