To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth ofone of the most successful actresses and singers in the history of showbusiness,Hermes Press is proud to announce the publication ofDORIS DAY - IMAGES OF AHOLLYWOOD ICON, featuring rare and previouslyunpublished photographs from the late star's personal collection.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 3, 1922,Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff had dreams of becoming a professional dancer before anear-fatal car accident during her teen years left her bed-ridden with ashattered leg for over a year. While listening to the radio during her recoveryand becoming entranced by jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, Doris embarked onsinging lessons for two years, resulting in her becoming a local radio star andjoining big bands -- where she adopted the stage name of "Day" -- leading to aplum position with the Les Brown Orchestra.
While touring cross-country with Brown, Dayhad several hit records with the band, culminating with the end-of-World-War-IIanthem SentimentalJourney. After two failed marriages and givingbirth to her son Terry, Doris relocated to Los Angeles where she was discoveredby famed film director Michael Curtiz(Casablanca)and signed to a contract with Warner Brothers.
Starting with the 1948 Technicolor musicalRomance on the High Seas,where she introduced the Oscar®-nominatedhit song It'sMagic, Day quickly ascended to the top of themost popular stars in Hollywood. While continuing her recording career, shemoved effortlessly between song-filled, nostalgic features such asCalamityJane - introducing the Oscar®-winning hitSecretLove; gripping film noir(StormWarning); musical biography(Love Me or LeaveMe); a Hitchcock thriller(The Man Who Knew TooMuch) and modern romantic comedies with RockHudson (PillowTalk), Clark Gable(Teacher'sPet), Cary Grant(That Touch ofMink) and James Garner(The Thrill of ItAll).
Despite not making a film since 1968, Daystill holds the record as the number one female box-office star. Her many honorsinclude the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to theentertainment industry, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for LifetimeAchievement, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Academy Award®nomination for Pillow Talkand the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her filmsand recordings continue to appeal to audiences all over the world. The iconicOscar®-winning hit QueSera, Sera(Whatever Will Be WillBe) was not only the theme to her top tentelevision series The DorisDay Show but has resonated globally with severalgenerations.
A lifelong animal lover andpioneering animal welfare advocate, Day focused her later years on her heart'spassion--making this a better world for animals and the people who love them.Her celebrity voice has been instrumental in reducing shelter euthanasia,introducing spay/neuter initiatives, lobbying for laws that protect animals, andmany other programs. Since 1978, the Doris Day Animal Foundation has grown intoa national non-profit animal welfare leader and continues to carry on Day'slegacy.
DORIS DAY - IMAGES OF AHOLLYWOOD ICON offers hundreds of photos, including glamorous publicityportraits, behind-the-scenes images with famous friends and colleagues, andglimpses into her personal life. Longtime fan Paul McCartney has
contributed a Foreword. Turner Classic Movieshost Eddie Muller and singer-historian Michael Feinstein have contributedappreciations of Day's motion picture and singing careers, respectively. Acomplete filmography and discography are also included.
