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Glasshouse Images/REX/Shutterstock
02of 16Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/ShutterstockDay was actually a distinguished child dancer in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, before a tragic car accident cut her career short in 1937 at the age of 15. The actress was driving with friends when a train struck their car twice, shattering her right leg.The crash left her bedridden for months while she recovered, but it led to her discovering her singing talent as she sang along to the radio — launching a successful career as a recording artist.
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Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Day was actually a distinguished child dancer in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, before a tragic car accident cut her career short in 1937 at the age of 15. The actress was driving with friends when a train struck their car twice, shattering her right leg.
The crash left her bedridden for months while she recovered, but it led to her discovering her singing talent as she sang along to the radio — launching a successful career as a recording artist.
03of 16Bettmann/GettyGoing solo in 1947, she successfully auditioned for Warner Bros. in 1948 (pictured) and was cast in the studio’s attempts to rival the romantic musicals that were the specialty of MGM.
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Bettmann/Getty
Going solo in 1947, she successfully auditioned for Warner Bros. in 1948 (pictured) and was cast in the studio’s attempts to rival the romantic musicals that were the specialty of MGM.
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Getty
Day dated future POTUSRonald Reaganwhile they starred in the 1952 filmThe Winning Team,shortly before she married her third husband, Marty Melcher (she was previously married to Al Jorden and George Weidler).
In her 1975 memoirDoris Day: Her Own Story, Day talked about her love affair with Reagan and what the politician was like before the White House.
“He wasn’t actually in politics, of course, but he had what I would call a political personality — engaging, strong and very voluble,” she wrote.
05of 16Doris Day in 1955 forLove Me or Leave Me.Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/GettyBy the mid-’50s came better roles at other studios. This included what even she considered her best film, 1954’sLove Me or Leave Me, a dramatic, though highly fictionalized, biopic of ’20s singer Ruth Etting, who lived under the thumb of her short-tempered, controlling husband. (Day played down parallels between the movie’s plot and her own life.)
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Doris Day in 1955 forLove Me or Leave Me.Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty
By the mid-’50s came better roles at other studios. This included what even she considered her best film, 1954’sLove Me or Leave Me, a dramatic, though highly fictionalized, biopic of ’20s singer Ruth Etting, who lived under the thumb of her short-tempered, controlling husband. (Day played down parallels between the movie’s plot and her own life.)
06of 16Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via GettyIn 1956, for Alfred Hitchcock, she co-starred with James Stewart inThe Man Who Knew Too Much,in which she introduced the Oscar-winning song that became her signature, “Que Sera Sera.““Jimmy was such a great actor,” Day told PEOPLE in 2011. “He was so natural, and he made everything real. That’s the way it should be.”
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Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
In 1956, for Alfred Hitchcock, she co-starred with James Stewart inThe Man Who Knew Too Much,in which she introduced the Oscar-winning song that became her signature, “Que Sera Sera.”
“Jimmy was such a great actor,” Day told PEOPLE in 2011. “He was so natural, and he made everything real. That’s the way it should be.”
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Doris Day and her close friend, actor Rock Hudson, in 1959 forPillow Talk.Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
DayandRock Hudsonenjoyed anenduring bondthat began when they starred in the 1959 classicPillow Talkand lasted until his death in 1985.
Reminiscing about the first time they met, Day told PEOPLE in 2011 that she “knew almost nothing about him” beforehand. “I remember asking someone ‘Is his name really Rock? That’s odd, don’t you think?’ " remembered Day.
“But it didn’t take long to get to know him because he was funny. He really has a great sense of humor. And he named me Eunice. He always had to have a name for me. There were many of them, but Eunice he liked best,” she recalled. “We had a marvelous time.”
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AP/REX/Shutterstock
Day at the 1960 Oscars, with her third husband, producer Marty Melcher.
Melcher was also her manager and a producer on many of her movies; after his death in 1968 she discovered he’d mismanaged or embezzled almost $20 million from her.
09of 16Snap/REX/Shutterstock"He was very private and reserved,” said Day ofThat Touch of Minkcostar Cary Grant. “We got along great. He was the consummate pro.”
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Snap/REX/Shutterstock
“He was very private and reserved,” said Day ofThat Touch of Minkcostar Cary Grant. “We got along great. He was the consummate pro.”
10of 1620th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/ShutterstockA comedy queen Day — sometimes as a career woman, but always squeaky clean — costarred in a handful of other films with costars like James Garner and Rod Taylor, here with her in 1965 inDo Not Disturb.
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20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
A comedy queen Day — sometimes as a career woman, but always squeaky clean — costarred in a handful of other films with costars like James Garner and Rod Taylor, here with her in 1965 inDo Not Disturb.
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CBS via Getty
13of 16Doris Day.Photoshot/GettyAlthough in 2012 she released a CD of songs she recorded years ago, since the early ’80s, the world’s favorite “girl next door” kept a low profile and lived on 11 acres in Carmel, California, where she devoted most of her time to her charitable organization,the Doris Day Animal Foundation.Some speculatedthat she turned her attention to furry friends because of all the people who had disappointed her in her lifetime, though Day herself never publicly addressed the subject. Three of her four marriages ended in divorce, and her third husband (and manager) Martin Melcher died and left her broke until she sued to reclaim more than $20 million from his business partner.
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Doris Day.Photoshot/Getty
Although in 2012 she released a CD of songs she recorded years ago, since the early ’80s, the world’s favorite “girl next door” kept a low profile and lived on 11 acres in Carmel, California, where she devoted most of her time to her charitable organization,the Doris Day Animal Foundation.
Some speculatedthat she turned her attention to furry friends because of all the people who had disappointed her in her lifetime, though Day herself never publicly addressed the subject. Three of her four marriages ended in divorce, and her third husband (and manager) Martin Melcher died and left her broke until she sued to reclaim more than $20 million from his business partner.
14of 16Doris Day and son Terry Melcher.Jim Smeal/WireImageFor Day, as she told PEOPLE in 2011, her greatest loss in life was the 2004 death (from melanoma) of her son, music producer Terry Melcher.“I had him when I was [18], so we were like sister and brother,” said Day, who found his passing “really hard. But I keep him with me. I wish he was here.“Melcher’s father was Day’s first husband, Al Jorden.Day divorced Jordenshortly after Terry’s birth; her third husband, Marty Melcher, ultimately adopted Terry, giving him his last name.
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Doris Day and son Terry Melcher.Jim Smeal/WireImage
For Day, as she told PEOPLE in 2011, her greatest loss in life was the 2004 death (from melanoma) of her son, music producer Terry Melcher.
“I had him when I was [18], so we were like sister and brother,” said Day, who found his passing “really hard. But I keep him with me. I wish he was here.”
Melcher’s father was Day’s first husband, Al Jorden.Day divorced Jordenshortly after Terry’s birth; her third husband, Marty Melcher, ultimately adopted Terry, giving him his last name.
15of 16Tom Wargacki/WireImageWith her fourth and final husband, Barry Comden; the two wed in 1976 but divorced in 1981, and Day never married again.
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Tom Wargacki/WireImage
With her fourth and final husband, Barry Comden; the two wed in 1976 but divorced in 1981, and Day never married again.
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Courtesy Doris Day
Day sent PEOPLE a photo fromher 97th birthday celebrationin April 2019.
source: people.com
