03 April 2013

Happy Birthday, Doris Day!

Doris Day during rehearsals for Calamity Jane (1953).

Today is Doris Day’s birthday. Born on April 3, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Doris is an incredible actress and singer who during her film career was able to move easily between musical comedies and dramas. She is also a great animal lover whose two charities—the Doris Day Animal Foundation and Doris Day Animal League—have helped save and improve the lives of thousands of animals.

For me, watching a Doris Day film immediately takes me back to my childhood when I would sit enthralled in front of the television set whenever one of her films came on. By the Light of the Silvery Moon, On Moonlight Bay, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Pillow Talk, That Touch of Mink, and Midnight Lace were just a few of her films that turned me into a huge fan. To this day, I still know the words to all of her songs and can often be found singing them (much to the dismay of my neighbours). But none of her films made more of an impression on me than Calamity Jane (1953). From the buckskin outfits to the dancing to the fights with Buffalo Bill to her drink order ("make mine sarsaparilla"), I loved Calamity Jane and Doris Day. So it seems only fitting to pay her tribute today with a clip of one of the best songs in the film, “I Could Do Without You,” which she performed with the handsome Howard Keel. So Happy Birthday, Doris Day! 


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