No one personified the hopes and dreams of post-war America more than Doris Day. She was ranked the biggest box-office star for four years (1960 and 1962-1964) and ranked in the top 10 for 10 years (1951-1952 and 1959-1966, became the top-ranking female box-office star of all time, and is currently ranked sixth among the all-time top 10 box-office performers.
Having graduated from dance-band singer to Hollywood queen in 1948, Doris quickly became the nation's big-screen sweetheart. Her movie career also featured two Oscar-winning songs – 'Secret Love' from 1953's
Calamity Jane
and 'Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)' from
The Man Who Knew Too Much
. Yet she impressed British director Alfred Hitchcock by being able to deliver the intensity of performance he wanted without guidance. Indeed, some critics went so far as to claim she was wasted on lighter fare.
While America's favorite blonde had little luck with her men in real life – she married four times – she was more than content to share the music and movie spotlight with co-actors. The late-1950s/early-1960s string of light romantic comedies she made, many with Rock Hudson, confirmed her reputation as an all-American screen queen and brought her an Oscar nomination for 1959's
Pillow Talk
.
She left Hollywood in 1968 on the death of her third husband Marty Melcher, after which she hosted a TV series, The Doris Day Show, for five years until 1973. She devoted her time to animal rights causes. Yet a strong fan following took Doris back to the charts in the current millennium, proving that class is timeless.
This book catalogues her Hollywood career, her tangled love life, and the behind-the-scenes challenges she had to overcome to claim her iconic status.