6 Things You Never Knew About Doris Day, Plus: What Charity Did She Start?
Born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Doris Day spent decades as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses. She was best known for her sunny personality, beautiful singing voice and timeless, high-energy films including Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers. Doris captivated audiences throughout the ’50s and ’60s with her music and onscreen stardom, but there was much more to her than just her charm. While she passed away at the age of 97 on May 13, 2019, we are still celebrating her birthday with six fascinating facts about the legendary star:
1 She changed her name (and was inspired by a song she herself sang)
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Doris changed her birth name from Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff to Doris Day after being encouraged by bandleader Barney Rapp, whom she worked with early in her career. Initially, she was named by her mother after her favorite silent film star Doris Kenyon (in the mid ’70s, they reportedly became neighbors!). The name “Day” was inspired by her performance of the song “Day After Day” in the late 1930s.
2 A car accident as a teen changed her career path
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As a teenager, Doris dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, but a severe car accident at age 15 shattered that dream when she badly damaged her legs. While recovering, Day began taking singing lessons, discovering her natural talent for music. This twist of fate ultimately led her to a career as a singer and, eventually, one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses.
3 She refused to have her songs used in films that had profanity
Before becoming a film star, Day had a successful music career; she was a popular big-band singer in the 1940s, performing with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. One of her early hits, “Sentimental Journey,” became an anthem for soldiers returning home after World War II and cemented her status as a leading vocalist of the era.
The music world can be a bit rough-and-tumble, which sometimes clashed with Day’s profound hatred of profanity. She wouldn’t allow her songs to be in movies that used swear words, and if someone cursed around her, she made them put a quarter in a “swear jar.”
Doris Day almost turned down one of her most iconic songs
4 She advocated for animal rights in her spare time
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In the 1970s, long before celebrity activism was common, Day dedicated herself to animal welfare. She founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation and later the Doris Day Animal League, working to promote spaying and neutering programs and fight against animal cruelty. The DDAL established Spay Day USA in 1994 to prevent animal shelter overcrowding; she also worked to stop puppy mills and even advocated for more animal-friendly hotels.
5 She never won a competitive Oscar
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Despite being one of the biggest box office stars of the ’50s and ’60s, Day never won a competitive Academy Award. She was nominated once for Best Actress for Pillow Talk (1959) but lost to Simone Signoret. However, she did receive the 1989 Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988, recognizing her immense contributions to entertainment.
6 Best friends with Rock Hudson
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Day and Rock Hudson starred in multiple romantic comedies together, including Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back. Their onscreen chemistry translated into a deep, lifelong friendship. In the 1980s, when Hudson was battling AIDS, she publicly supported him, helping raise awareness at a time when stigma surrounding the disease was high. She once told People, “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. We had a marvelous time.”
Remind 
1961
January 2021
We set our time machine to 1961 and get a whiff of America’s shiny new-car smell.
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