Remembering: Doris Day

We at the House of Geekery were saddened to learn of the passing of Hollywood icon Doris Day. Day got her first taste of show business as a singer in the 1930’s and 1940’s and through sheer hardwork and determination got noticed by notable band leaders of the day who wanted to work with the talented young woman. Her musical career eventually led to work in Hollywood as she made her film debut working with legendary director Michael Curtiz in Romance on the High Seas. Even a notorious curmudgeon like Curtiz could not help but be charmed by Doris Day. In 1953 she would land the lead role in Calamity Jane for which she would win an Oscar for her original song “Secret Love” in the film.

While her talent and delightful girl-next-door screen presence made her a fan favorite in musicals and comedies, she would transition into more dramatic roles like Midnight Lace and her acclaimed performance in Love Me or Leave Me. That being said she never forgot her roots and continued to rule the box office through the rest of the 50’s and 60’s with comedies like Don’t Eat the Daisies, Pillow Talk, and my personal favorite or her’s Send Me No Flowers. Of all the iconic leading men she worked with in her storied career, Day had a particularly strong chemistry with Rock Hudson. In 1985 the duo were responsible for a television landmark when the actress stood alongside Hudson’s side as he revealed to the world that he was battling AIDS. The fact that America’s Sweetheart dealt with the situation with empathy and compassion played a massive role in changing the national viewpoint on the disease.

As Doris Day stepped away from the spotlight she invested herself heavily in animal welfare charitable causes founding the Doris Day Pet Foundation. As an entertainer and a human being Doris Day charmed generations of moviegoers and will be missed by her millions of fans.