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Doris Day: the wholesome face of postwar American optimism
The Guardian ^ | 05/13/2019 | Peter Bradshaw

Posted on 05/13/2019 7:17:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The actress, who has died aged 97, worked with the greats of Hollywood’s golden era and rivalled the crossover success of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley

The face of Doris Day, eerily beautiful in all its buttery-blond wholesomeness, beamed over Hollywood in the 50s and early 60s like a gigantic roadside billboard advertising the American way. In that extraordinary period of white America’s postwar prosperity and patriotism, Doris Day was the biggest box office and recording star in the US: easily equalling the music-movie crossover success of alpha males such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, although somehow without being entitled to the guys’ iconic status.

Day’s career was a roll call of studio-era greatness. She worked with Michael Curtiz (who discovered her) and Alfred Hitchcock, and played opposite James Stewart, Clark Gable, James Cagney and Cary Grant. But her uncoolness – a vital, mysterious ingredient of her success even in her extraordinary heyday – was soon held against her. No one ever says that Doris Day is their favourite star, in the way that no one says vanilla is their favourite ice-cream flavour. Yet a heck of a lot of vanilla ice-cream gets sold.

Day was utterly without irony and she radiated a can-do straightforwardness, optimism and good nature that resonated with millions of filmgoers. She rolled up her sleeves and got on with whatever she was contractually obliged to do: a lot of good pictures, one or two brilliant ones – of which, more in a moment – and a lot of embarrassing nonsense. But she didn’t complain. Day was in her way the presidential first lady of Hollywood’s early 60s: dignified, a good sport, lovable.

John Updike, a fan of Day’s, found something fascinating and alluring in just this niceness.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: dorisday
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1 posted on 05/13/2019 7:17:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

A long life, well lived,......


2 posted on 05/13/2019 7:19:23 AM PDT by clintonh8r (Truth is hate speech to those who hate the truth.)
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To: SeekAndFind

DORIS DAY, SINGING "IT's MAGIC", IN THE MOVIE, "ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS"


3 posted on 05/13/2019 7:19:49 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: clintonh8r

DORIS DAY as CALAMITY JANE


4 posted on 05/13/2019 7:21:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

5 posted on 05/13/2019 7:21:56 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

6 posted on 05/13/2019 7:22:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

“White America”?!

What kind of racist diatribe is this article?


7 posted on 05/13/2019 7:23:09 AM PDT by Skywise
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To: SeekAndFind

8 posted on 05/13/2019 7:23:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wait...she died?


9 posted on 05/13/2019 7:29:45 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Skywise

It’s The Guardian. They’re left of Pravda.


10 posted on 05/13/2019 7:31:33 AM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: the OlLine Rebel
Yep. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/doris-day-dead-pillow-talk-actress-que-sera-sera-singer-was-97-772821
11 posted on 05/13/2019 7:32:43 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys all aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Skywise

I managed to read about half of the full article.

The author seems to be an effeminate homosexual, and everything signifies that every actor or screenplay is secretly gay.


12 posted on 05/13/2019 7:34:35 AM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: Vigilanteman

OK finally saw a thread a bit earlier on FR. This is the kind of thing usually would jump out at me on opening. But even this thread doesn’t really talk about her dying, so I wasn’t sure.

She just had a birthday, too.

Hoping this means lots of DD movies this weekend to record again.


13 posted on 05/13/2019 7:37:57 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: MrEdd

Or not gay enough.


14 posted on 05/13/2019 7:42:56 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: MrEdd

I read the article. I need to wash!


15 posted on 05/13/2019 7:48:53 AM PDT by Dr. Ursus
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To: SeekAndFind

Three. Who are the three?

Peggy Lipton and someone else, now Doris.

Who’s the someone else? I forgot.


16 posted on 05/13/2019 7:50:05 AM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: All

Good bye to a caring and lovely woman. R.I.P.


17 posted on 05/13/2019 7:51:29 AM PDT by Retvet (Retvet)
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To: Skywise

“What kind of racist diatribe is this article?”


No kidding. I’m getting pretty sick and tired of this $hit.

How about just writing an article celebrating Doris Day. That’s what one usually does when a person dies. If she, herself, was a racist (and there is no evidence of this of which I am aware) - well, then talk about that. But bringing up “White America” in this context is absurd and disgusting.


18 posted on 05/13/2019 7:59:10 AM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt, The Weapons Shops of Isher)
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To: SeekAndFind

Too bad her personal life wasn’t as wholesome.

DD and Ronald Reagan were a hot item at one time.

RIP


19 posted on 05/13/2019 8:00:14 AM PDT by jjotto (Next week, BOOM!, for sure!)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

RE: Wait...she died?

Yes, today. At age 97.


20 posted on 05/13/2019 8:00:35 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it will)
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