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Doris Day, long celebrated for her wholesome image and upbeat persona, took a firm stand against these perceptions, dismissing them as “make-believe” in her autobiography, “Doris Day: Her Own Story.”
In her initial conversation with A. E. Hotchner, the author of the 1976 book, Day candidly shared that her mother had advised against revealing her life’s story. “She said, ‘Your life just hasn’t been that happy that you can do a book. You know the image people have of you, but the truth is — all the terrible things that have happened to you, and all the times you’ve suffered, well, my goodness, when you think of all the unhappiness you’ve had — what’s there to write about?'” Day recalled (via Internet Archive). This frank introduction set the tone, prompting Hotchner to question why she would want to share her story given its challenges. Day replied, “I’m tired of being thought of as Miss Goody Two-shoes, that’s why. … I’m not the All-American Virgin Queen, and I’d like to deal with the true, honest story of who I really am.”
Day expressed her disdain for the concept of “image,” suggesting it had contributed to a misleading public perception of her. She boldly declared, “This image I’ve got … It has nothing to do with the life I’ve had.” Her openness was refreshing and earned her admiration for her honesty.
So, if Doris Day was unlike her public persona, what was she truly like? Despite her reputation for being perpetually cheerful, she was often perceived as such without effort. Hotchner himself noted their first encounter, saying, “Doris Day arrived 15 minutes late on a chariot of sunshine.” Yet, as Day emphasized, this was not a deliberate act on her part.
Doris Day faced many misfortunes
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So, if Doris Day was one of those celebs who are nothing like they seem, what was she like in real life? Certainly, it seems she did come across as peppy in many scenarios. Even A. E. Hotchner wrote of their first meeting, “Doris Day arrived 15 minutes late on a chariot of sunshine.” However, Day pointed out that she wasn’t trying to.
“There must be something about me, about whatever it is that I give off, that accounts for this disparity between who I am and who I appear to be,” she mused, noting that it confused her nonetheless. After all, she pointed out, “At ten years of age I discovered that my father was having an affair with the mother of my best friend. Divorce followed.” She also recounted the serious accident she thankfully survived, saying, “At thirteen, I was in an auto that was hit by a train, and that abruptly ended my promising career as a dancer.” That wasn’t all, though. Day added, “I was married at seventeen to a psychopathic sadist.” She’d later marry another mean man, Martin Melcher, who squandered her fortune and put her into debt. All in all, there were a ton of reasons why Day shouldn’t be seen as the poster child of happiness, but after listing her misfortunes, she quipped, “Yes, sir, America’s la-di-da happy virgin!”
Day would muse on her reputation as Hollywood’s most happy-go-lucky star once again in a 1989 BBC interview. “I’m not Miss Goody Two-shoes! I don’t know where that — from where it came. I really don’t. I think it’s rather silly, because I’m not at all, and I’ve played all kinds of roles,” she said (via Culture Vulture Rises). Well, whether or not the public believed it, no one could ever accuse Day of trying to put on a front.