A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship. The term comes from the saying, "to carry a torch for someone", or to keep aflame the light of an unrequited love.

Torch singing is more of a niche than a genre, and can stray from the traditional jazz-influenced style of singing, although the American tradition of the torch song typically relies upon the melodic structure of the blues.

Torch singers

Female singers of the pop vocal tradition are referred to as "torch singers" when their repertoire consists predominantly of such material. Though torch songs were usually previously associated with female singers, over recent years the term has also been applied to male singers. One example of a male "torch singer" is British singer Marc Almond, who has refined the genre. Mojo magazine called Marc Almond "the greatest Torch singer out there".

References

Category:Song forms

de:Torch Song ru:Сентиментальная любовная песня

name	Priscilla Ahn
background	solo_singer
birth name	Priscilla Natalie Hartranft
born	1984
origin	Fort Stewart, Georgia, U.S.
instrument	Guitar, piano, harmonica, ukulele, banjo
genre	Acoustic, folk
years active	2003–present
label	Blue Note
website	Priscilla Ahn's official website }}

Priscilla Ahn (born 1984) is an American singer-songwriter.

Early life and education

Ahn was born as Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia to Kay (née Ahn) and Harry Hartranft and spent her childhood living in the USA and South Korea. She lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania for several years and attended Tulpehocken Area High School. Her college music professor was impressed with her songwriting talents and inspired her to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in music after finishing school.

Career

Ahn adopted her Korean mother's maiden name for her musical career. She has toured with Joshua Radin, Amos Lee, and Ray Lamontagne and contributed vocals to the albums ''Supply and Demand'' and Kaleidoscope.

In June 2008 was selected as Artist of the Week in ''Paste'' magazine. She appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' in May 2011.

Two of her songs have been part of ''Grey's Anatomy'' episodes. Her song "I Don't Think So" was featured on an episode of ''Knight Rider''. Her song,"Dream" was featured on the soundtracks of the films ''Disturbia'', Bride Wars and Love Happens. Her song was also heard on an episodes of the ''Ghost Whisperer'', ''One Tree Hill'', ''Holby City'', ''Make it or Break it'' ''Brothers & Sisters'', ''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'', ''So You Think You Can Dance'' and ''Eli Stone''. The song "Living In A Tree" was part of a Jeep Wrangler commercial. Her song "Find My Way Back Home" was part of the soundtrack for the films ''My Sister's Keeper'' and ''Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove'', and the ITV drama ''Married Single Other''. Her song, entitled "A Good Day (Morning Song)" was part of an episode of ''Psych''.

Personal life

Priscilla Ahn married her long-time boyfriend Michael Weston in March 2010.

Discography

Albums

''A Good Day'', Blue Note Records, June 10, 2008.

''When You Grow Up'', Blue Note Records, May 3, 2011.

EPs

''Priscilla Ahn'' (2007, self-released)

''Live Session'', (2008, iTunes)

Singles

"Dream" (2008, Blue Note)

"I'll Never Smile Again" (2009)

"I Am Strong" by Tiesto featuring vocals by Priscilla Ahn (2009)

Music videos

"Dream"

"Red Cape"

"Vibe So Hot"

"I Don't Have Time To Love"

"When You Grow Up"

"Torch Song"

Compilation Appearances

''His Way, Our Way (Sinatra Tribute)''

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Korean descent Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American acoustic guitarists Category:American female guitarists Category:Musicians from Pennsylvania Category:People from Berks County, Pennsylvania Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

de:Priscilla Ahn fr:Priscilla Ahn pt:Priscilla Ahn simple:Priscilla Ahn sv:Priscilla Ahn

name	Joan Crawford
birth date	March 23, 1905
birth place	San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
death date	May 10, 1977
death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
birth name	Lucille Fay LeSueur
occupation	Actress
years active	1925–1972
spouse	Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.(1929–1933)Franchot Tone(1935–1939)Phillip Terry(1942–1946)Alfred Steele(1955–1959)
children	Christina, born on June 11, 1939Christopher (1943–2006)Cynthia (1947–2007)Cathy, born on January 13, 1947
relatives	Thomas E. LeSueur (father, 1868–1938)Anna Bell Johnson (mother, 1884–1958)Hal LeSueur (brother, 1901–1963)
signature	Joan Crawford Signature.svg }}

Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre.

Starting as a dancer in travelling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivalled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s she was labelled "box office poison", along with other such other actors as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

After an absence of nearly two years from the screen, Crawford staged a comeback by starring in ''Mildred Pierce'' (1945), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company through her marriage to company Chairman Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but was forcibly retired in 1973. She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s, when her performances became fewer; after the release of the British horror film ''Trog'' in 1970, Crawford retired from the screen. Following a public appearance in 1974, after which unflattering photographs were published, Crawford withdrew from public life and became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.

Crawford married four times. Her first three marriages ended in divorce; the last ended with the death of husband Al Steele. She adopted five children, one of whom was reclaimed by his birth mother. Crawford's relationships with her two older children, Christina and Christopher, were acrimonious. Crawford disinherited the two and, after Crawford's death, Christina wrote a "tell-all" memoir, ''Mommie Dearest'', in which she alleged a lifelong pattern of physical and emotional abuse perpetrated by Crawford.

Crawford was voted the tenth greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute.

Early life

Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas, the third child of Tennessee-born Thomas E. LeSueur (1868–1938), a laundry laborer of French Huguenot and English ancestry, and Anna Bell Johnson (1884–1958), who was of Swedish and Irish descent. Her older siblings were Daisy LeSueur, who died very young, and Hal LeSueur. Thomas LeSueur abandoned the family a few months before Crawford's birth. He reappeared in Abilene, Texas in 1930 as a 62-year-old construction laborer on the George R. Davis House, built in Prairie School architecture.

Crawford's mother subsequently married Henry J. Cassin. The family lived in Lawton, Oklahoma, where Cassin ran a movie theater. Crawford was unaware that Cassin was not her birth father until her brother Hal told her. The 1910 federal census for Comanche County, Oklahoma, enumerated on April 20, showed Henry and Anna living at 910 "D" Street in Lawton. Crawford was listed as five years old, thus showing 1905 as her likely year of birth. However, the state of Texas did not require the filing of birth certificates until 1908, allowing Crawford to claim she was born in 1908.

Crawford preferred the nickname "Billie" as a child and she loved watching vaudeville acts perform on the stage of her stepfather's theater. The instability of her family life affected her education and her level of schooling never really progressed beyond the fourth grade. Her ambition was to be a dancer. However, in an attempt to escape piano lessons to run and play with friends, she leaped from the front porch of her home and cut her foot deeply on a broken milk bottle. Crawford had three operations and was unable to attend elementary school for a year and a half. She eventually fully recovered and returned to dancing.

Around 1916, Crawford's family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Cassin was first listed in the City Directory in 1917, living at 403 East Ninth Street. While still in elementary school, Crawford was placed in St. Agnes Academy, a Catholic school in Kansas City. Later, after her mother and stepfather broke up, she stayed on at St. Agnes as a work student. She then went to Rockingham Academy, also as a work student. She later claimed the headmaster's wife there beat her and forged her grades to hide the fact that young Lucille spent far more time working, primarily cooking and cleaning, rather than being able to study academically. While attending Rockingham she began dating and had her first serious relationship, with a trumpet player named Ray Sterling. It was Sterling who reportedly inspired her to begin challenging herself academically. In 1922, she registered at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, giving her year of birth as 1906. Crawford attended Stephens for only four months before withdrawing after she realized she was not prepared for college.

Career

Early career

Under the name Lucille LeSueur, Crawford began dancing in the choruses of traveling revues and was spotted dancing in Detroit by producer Jacob J. Shubert. Shubert put her in the chorus line for his 1924 show, ''Innocent Eyes'', at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in New York City. While appearing in ''Innocent Eyes'' Crawford met a saxophone player named James Welton. The two were allegedly married in 1924 and lived together for several months, although this supposed marriage was never mentioned in later life by Crawford. She wanted additional work and approached Loews Theaters publicist Nils Granlund. Granlund secured a position for her with producer Harry Richmond's act and arranged for her to do a screen test which he sent to producer Harry Rapf in Hollywood. Stories have persisted that Crawford further supplemented her income by appearing in one or more stag, or soft-core pornographic, films, although this has been disputed. Rapf notified Granlund on December 24, 1924 that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had offered Crawford a contract at $75 a week. Granlund immediately wired the 19 year old LeSueur – who had returned to her mother's home in Kansas City – with the news; she borrowed $400 for travel expenses. The night after Christmas she left Kansas City and arrived in Culver City, California on January 1, 1925.

As Lucille LeSueur, her first film was ''Pretty Ladies'' in 1925, which starred ZaSu Pitts. Also in 1925 she appeared in small roles in the films ''The Only Thing'' and ''Old Clothes''. MGM publicity head Pete Smith recognized her ability but felt that her name sounded fake; it also, he told studio head Louis B. Mayer, sounded like "Le Sewer". Smith organized a contest in conjunction with the fan magazine ''Movie Weekly'' to allow readers to select her new name. Initially the name "Joan Arden" was selected but, when another actress was found to have prior claim to that name, the alternate name "Crawford" became the choice. Crawford initially wanted her new first name to be pronounced "Jo-anne". She hated the name Crawford, saying it sounded like "crawfish". Her friend, actor William Haines, quipped, "They might have called you 'Cranberry' and served you every Thanksgiving with the turkey!" Crawford continued to dislike the name throughout her life but, she said, she "liked the security that went with it".

Self-promotion and early successes

Growing increasingly frustrated over the size and quality of the parts she was given, Crawford embarked on a campaign of self-promotion. As MGM screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas recalled, "No one decided to make Joan Crawford a star. Joan Crawford became a star because Joan Crawford decided to become a star." She began attending dances in the afternoons and evenings at hotels around Hollywood, where she often won dance competitions with her performances of the Charleston and the Black Bottom. Her strategy worked, and MGM cast her in the film where she first made an impression on audiences, Edmund Goulding's ''Sally, Irene and Mary'' (1925). She played Irene, a struggling chorus girl. In the same year, Crawford worked on ''Lady of the Night'', starring Norma Shearer. Crawford was made up and used as a double for Shearer and her face is briefly seen. Crawford coveted the roles that Shearer played but knew that Shearer's husband, producer Irving Thalberg, guaranteed Shearer first choice of roles in any MGM property. "How can I compete with Norma?" Crawford was quoted as saying. "She sleeps with the boss."

The following year, Crawford was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, along with Mary Astor, Mary Brian, Dolores Costello, Dolores del Río, Janet Gaynor and Fay Wray. For the next two years, Crawford appeared in increasingly important films. In 1926, she made ''Paris'', where she was able to show her sex appeal. She became the romantic interest for some of MGM's leading male stars, among them Ramón Novarro, William Haines, John Gilbert and Tim McCoy. Crawford appeared in ''The Unknown'' (1927), starring Lon Chaney, Sr. who played a carnival knife thrower with no arms. Crawford played his skimpily clad young carnival assistant whom he hopes to marry. She stated that she learned more about acting from watching Chaney work than from anything else in her career. "It was then", she said, "I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera, and acting."

In 1928, Crawford starred opposite Ramón Novarro in ''Across to Singapore'', but it was her role as Diana Medford in ''Our Dancing Daughters'' (1928) that catapulted her to stardom. The role established her as a symbol of modern 1920s-style femininity that rivaled the image of her friend Clara Bow, the original IT girl, who was Hollywood's foremost flapper. A stream of hits followed ''Our Dancing Daughters'', including two more flapper-themed movies, in which Crawford embodied for her legion of fans (many of whom were women) an idealized vision of the free-spirited, all-American girl. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of her:

On June 3, 1929, Crawford married Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. at Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in New York City, although neither apparently was Catholic. Fairbanks was the son of Douglas Fairbanks and the stepson of Mary Pickford, who were considered Hollywood royalty. Fairbanks Sr. and Pickford were opposed to the marriage and did not invite the couple to their home, Pickfair, for eight months after the marriage. The relationship between Crawford and Fairbanks, Sr. eventually warmed; she called him "Uncle Doug" and he called her "Billie". Following that first invitation, Crawford and Fairbanks, Jr. became more frequent guests, which was hard on Crawford. While the Fairbanks men played golf together, Crawford was left either with Pickford or alone.

To rid herself of her Southwestern accent, Crawford tirelessly practiced diction and elocution. She said:

Her first talkie was ''Untamed'' (1929), opposite Robert Montgomery, which was a box office success. Crawford made an effective transition to sound movies. One critic wrote, "Miss Crawford sings appealingly and dances thrillingly as usual; her voice is alluring and her dramatic efforts in the difficult role she portrays are at all times convincing."

From Queen of the Movies to box office poison

thumb|Crawford in ''[[Rain (1932 film)|Rain'' (1932)]] With the early sound film, ''Our Blushing Brides'' (1930), another financial success, MGM began to develop a more sophisticated image of Crawford, rather than continuing to promote her flapper girl persona of the silent era. In 1931, she starred opposite Clark Gable in ''Possessed''. They began an affair during the production, resulting in an ultimatum from studio chief Louis B. Mayer to Gable that the affair end. Gable complied, although for many years their affair resumed sporadically and secretly. Upon release, ''Possessed'' was an enormous hit.

The studio then cast her in ''Grand Hotel'', which starred the most famous actors of the 1930s and was MGM's most prestigious movie of 1932. Crawford later achieved continued success with ''Letty Lynton'' (1932). Soon after its release, a plagiarism suit forced MGM to withdraw it. It has never been shown on television or made available on home video, and is therefore considered the "lost" Crawford film. The film is mostly remembered because of the "Letty Lynton dress", designed by Adrian: a white cotton organdy gown with large ruffled sleeves, puffed at the shoulder. It was with this gown that Crawford's broad shoulders began to be accentuated by costume. Macy's copied the dress in 1932, and it sold over 500,000 replicas in the United States. In May 1933, Crawford divorced Fairbanks. Crawford cited "grievous mental cruelty"; "a jealous and suspicious attitude" toward her friends and "loud arguments about the most trivial subjects" lasting "far into the night". Following ''Possessed'', Crawford starred opposite Gable in the hit ''Dancing Lady'' (1933), in which she received top billing. Crawford's next movies, ''Sadie McKee'', ''Chained'' and ''Forsaking All Others'' (all 1934), were among the top money makers of the mid-1930s.

In 1935, Crawford married her second husband, Franchot Tone, a stage actor from New York who planned to use his film salary to finance his theatre group. Tone and Crawford appeared together in ''Today We Live'' (1933) and were immediately drawn to each other, although Crawford was hesitant about entering into another romance so soon after her split from Fairbanks. The couple built a small theatre at Crawford's Brentwood home and put on productions of classic plays for select groups of friends. Before and during their marriage, Crawford worked to promote Tone's Hollywood career but Tone was ultimately not interested in being a movie star and Crawford eventually wearied of the effort. Tone began drinking and physically abusing Crawford and she filed for divorce, which was granted in 1939. Crawford and Tone eventually reconciled their friendship and Tone even proposed in 1964 that they remarry. When Tone died in 1968, Crawford arranged for him to be cremated and his ashes scattered at Muskoka Lakes, Canada.

The ''Motion Picture Herald'' placed Crawford on its list of the top-ten moneymaking stars from 1932, the first year of the poll, through 1936 and ''Life'' magazine proclaimed her "First Queen of the Movies" in 1937. Later in 1937 she dropped out of the top ten for the first time. In 1938 the ''Independent Film Journal'' named her and several other stars as "box office poison" based on their supposed lack of popular appeal. However, Crawford made a comeback with her role as home-wrecker Crystal Allen in director George Cukor's ''The Women'' in 1939. She broke from formula by taking the unglamorous role of Julie in ''Strange Cargo'' (1940), her eighth and final film with Gable. Crawford then starred as a facially disfigured blackmailer in ''A Woman's Face'' (1941), a remake of a European film which had starred Ingrid Bergman in the lead role three years earlier. While the film was only a moderate box office success, her performance was hailed by many critics.

Crawford adopted her first child, a daughter, in 1940. Because she was single, California law prevented her from adopting within the state so she arranged the adoption through an agency in Las Vegas. The child was temporarily called Joan until Crawford changed her name to Christina. She married actor Phillip Terry on July 21, 1942 after a six-month courtship. Together the couple adopted a son whom they named Christopher, but his birth mother reclaimed the child. They adopted another boy, whom they named Phillip Terry, Jr. After the marriage ended in 1946, Crawford changed the child's name to Christopher Crawford. After 18 years, Crawford's contract with MGM was terminated by mutual consent on June 29, 1943. In lieu of one more movie owed under her contract, MGM bought her out for $100,000. During World War II she was a member of American Women's Voluntary Services.

Move to Warner Bros.

For $500,000, Crawford signed with Warner Bros. for a three movie deal and was placed on the payroll on July 1, 1943. She also made a cameo with many other stars in the G.I. morale-booster ''Hollywood Canteen'' (1944). Crawford said one of the main reasons she signed with Warner Bros. was because she wanted to play the character "Mattie" in a proposed 1944 film version of Edith Wharton's novel ''Ethan Frome'' (1911). However, Bette Davis wanted to play Mattie and reportedly told Jack Warner, "Joan's far too old, and besides, she can't act" – although Davis was only three years younger.

Crawford wanted to play the title role in ''Mildred Pierce'' (1945), but Davis was the studio's first choice. However, Davis turned the role down. Director Michael Curtiz did not want Crawford and told Jack Warner, "She comes over here with her high-hat airs and her goddamn shoulder pads... why should I waste my time directing a has-been?" Curtiz demanded Crawford prove her suitability by taking a screen test. After the test, Curtiz agreed to Crawford's casting. Crawford starred opposite Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth and Butterfly McQueen. ''Mildred Pierce'' was a commercial success. It epitomized the lush visual style and the hard-boiled film noir sensibility that defined Warner Bros. movies of the later 1940s, earning Crawford the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

From 1945 to 1952, Crawford reigned as a top star and respected actress, appearing in such roles as Helen Wright in ''Humoresque'' (1946), Louise Howell Graham in ''Possessed'' (1947, for which she was nominated for a second Oscar for Best Actress) and the title role in ''Daisy Kenyon'' (also 1947). She did a critically well received sendup of her screen image in a cameo in the Doris Day-Jack Carson musical, ''It's a Great Feeling'' (1949). Other movie roles of the era include Lane Bellamy in ''Flamingo Road'' (1949), a dual role in the film noir ''The Damned Don't Cry'' (1950), and the title role of ''Harriet Craig'' (1950) at Columbia Pictures. After filming ''This Woman Is Dangerous'' (1952), Crawford asked to be released from her Warner Bros. contract. As she had done before, Crawford triumphed as Myra Hudson in ''Sudden Fear'' (1952) at RKO, which was the movie that introduced her co-star, Jack Palance, to the screen and earned Crawford a third and final Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Crawford adopted two more children in 1947, fraternal twins whom she named Cindy and Cathy.

Radio and television

Crawford worked in the radio series ''The Screen Guild Theater'' on January 8, 1939; ''Good News''; ''Baby'', broadcast March 2, 1940 on Arch Oboler's ''Lights Out''; ''The Word'' on ''Everyman's Theater'' (1941); ''Chained'' on the ''Lux Radio Theater'' and Norman Corwin's ''Document A/777'' (1948). She appeared in episodes of anthology television series in the 1950s and, in 1959, made a pilot for her series, ''The Joan Crawford Show'', but the show was never picked up by a network.

Al Steele and Pepsi Cola Company

Crawford married her final husband, Alfred Steele, at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas on May 10, 1955. Crawford and Steele met at a party in 1950 when Steele was an executive with Coca-Cola. They renewed their acquaintance at a New Year's Eve party in 1954. Steele by that time had become the President of Pepsi Cola. Alfred Steele would later be named Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi Cola. Crawford traveled extensively on behalf of Pepsi following the marriage. She estimated that she traveled over 100,000 miles for the company. Steele died of a heart attack in April 1959. Crawford was initially advised that her services were no longer required. After she told the story to Louella Parsons, Pepsi reversed its position and Crawford was elected to fill the vacant seat on the board of directors. Crawford, left near-penniless following Steele's death, accepted a supporting role in the film ''The Best of Everything'' (1959). It was her first non-starring role in her later career.

Crawford received the sixth annual "Pally Award", which was in the shape of a bronze Pepsi bottle. It was awarded to the employee making the most significant contribution to company sales. In 1973, Crawford was forcibly retired from the company at the behest of company executive Don Kendall, whom Crawford had referred to for years as "Fang."

Later career

After her triumph in RKO's ''Sudden Fear'', Crawford appeared in films ranging from the camp western film ''Johnny Guitar'' (1954) to the drama ''Autumn Leaves'' (1956), opposite a young Cliff Robertson. By the early 1960s, however, Crawford's status in motion pictures had diminished.

Crawford starred as Blanche Hudson, a wheelchair bound former A-list movie star in conflict with her psychotic sister in the highly successful thriller ''What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?'' (1962). Despite the actresses' earlier tensions, Crawford suggested Bette Davis for the role of Jane. The two stars maintained publicly that there was no feud between them. However, Crawford accused Davis of kicking her during the filming of a scene in which Jane attacks Blanche, and reportedly retaliated by wearing weights under her clothes in a scene in which Davis had to carry her. The director, Robert Aldrich, explained that Davis and Crawford were each aware of how important the film was to their respective careers and commented, "It's proper to say that they really detested each other, but they behaved absolutely perfectly." After filming was completed, their public comments against each other allowed the tension to develop into a lifelong feud. The film became a huge success, recouping its costs in 11 days of nationwide release and temporarily reviving Crawford's career. Davis was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Jane Hudson. Crawford secretly contacted the other Oscar nominees in the category (Katharine Hepburn, Geraldine Page and Anne Bancroft, all East Coast-based actresses), to let them know if they could not attend the ceremony, she would be happy to accept the Oscar on their behalf; all agreed. Both Davis and Crawford were backstage when the absent Anne Bancroft was announced as the winner, and Crawford accepted the award on her behalf. Davis claimed for the rest of her life that Crawford campaigned against her, a charge Crawford denied. That same year, Crawford starred as Lucy Harbin in William Castle's horror mystery ''Strait-Jacket'' (1964).

Director Robert Aldrich cast Crawford and Davis in ''Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte'' (1964). After a campaign of harassment by Davis while the film was on location in Louisiana, Crawford returned to Hollywood and entered a hospital. After a prolonged absence in which Crawford was accused of feigning illness, Aldrich was forced to replace her with Olivia de Havilland. Crawford was devastated. "I heard the news of my replacement over the radio, lying in my hospital bed", Crawford said. "I wept for 39 hours." Crawford nursed grudges against Davis and Aldrich for the rest of her life, saying of Aldrich, "He is a man who loves evil, horrendous, vile things." (to which Aldrich replied, "If the shoe fits, wear it, and I am very fond of Miss Crawford.")

Upon her release from the hospital Crawford played the role of Amy Nelson in ''I Saw What You Did'' (1965), another William Castle vehicle. She starred as Monica Rivers in Herman Cohen's horror thriller film ''Berserk!'' (1967). After the film's release, Crawford guest-starred as herself on ''The Lucy Show''. The episode, "Lucy and the Lost Star", first aired on February 26, 1968. Crawford struggled during rehearsals and drank heavily on-set, leading series star Lucille Ball to suggest replacing her with Gloria Swanson. Crawford was letter-perfect the day of the show and received two standing ovations from the studio audience.

In October 1968, Crawford's 29-year-old daughter, Christina (who was then acting in New York on the CBS TV soap opera ''The Secret Storm''), needed immediate medical attention for a ruptured ovarian tumor. Until Christina was well enough to return, Crawford offered to play her role, to which producer Gloria Monty readily agreed. Although Crawford did well in rehearsal, she lost her composure while taping and the director and producer were left to struggle to piece together the necessary footage.

Crawford's appearance in the 1969 TV film ''Night Gallery'' (which served as pilot to the series that followed), marked one of Steven Spielberg's earliest directing jobs. She starred on the big screen one final time, playing Dr. Brockton in Herman Cohen's science fiction horror film ''Trog'' (1970), rounding out a career spanning 45 years and over 80 motion pictures. Crawford made three more TV appearances, as Stephanie White in an episode of ''The Virginian'' (1970), entitled "The Nightmare"; as Allison Hayes in the made-for-TV movie ''Beyond the Water's Edge'' (1972); and as Joan Fairchild (her final performance) on an episode of the television series, ''The Sixth Sense'', entitled, "Dear Joan: We're Going To Scare You To Death" (1972).

Final years and death

In 1970, Crawford was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award by John Wayne at the Golden Globes, which was telecast from the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. She also spoke at her alma mater, Stephens College, from which she never graduated.

Crawford published her autobiography, ''A Portrait of Joan'' – written with Jane Kesner Ardmore – in 1962 through Doubleday. Crawford's next book, ''My Way of Life'', was published in 1971 by Simon and Schuster. Those expecting a racy tell-all were disappointed, although Crawford's meticulous ways were revealed in her advice on grooming, wardrobe, exercise, and even food storage.

In September 1973, Crawford moved from apartment 22-G to the smaller apartment 22-H in the Imperial House. Her last public appearance was September 23, 1974, at a party honoring her old friend Rosalind Russell at New York's Rainbow Room. Russell was suffering from breast cancer and arthritis at the time, and died two years later in 1976, aged 69. When Crawford saw the unflattering photos of both stars that appeared in the papers the next day, she said, "If that's how I look, then they won't see me anymore." Crawford cancelled all public appearances, began declining interviews and left her apartment less and less. Her dental-related issues, including surgery which left her in need of round the clock nursing care, also plagued her from 1972 until the middle of 1975. While on antibiotics for this problem in October 1974, Crawford's drinking caused her to black out, slip and strike her face. This incident scared her enough to give up drinking and smoking, although in public she insisted it was due to her return to Christian Science. The whole incident is recorded in a series of letters sent to her insurance company held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, as well as being documented by her friend, Carl Johnnes, in his book.

On May 8, 1977, Crawford gave away her beloved Shih Tzu "Princess Lotus Blossom", which she was too weak to care for properly. Crawford died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also ill with pancreatic cancer. A funeral was held at Campbell Funeral Home, New York, on May 13, 1977. In her will, which was signed October 28, 1976, Crawford bequeathed to her two youngest children, Cindy and Cathy, $77,500 each from her $2,000,000 estate. She explicitly disinherited the two eldest, Christina and Christopher, writing "It is my intention to make no provision herein for my son Christopher or my daughter Christina for reasons which are well known to them."

A memorial service was held for Crawford at All Souls' Unitarian Church on Lexington Avenue in New York on May 16, 1977, and was attended by, among others, her old Hollywood friend Myrna Loy. Another memorial service, organized by George Cukor, was held on June 24 in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California. Crawford was cremated and her ashes placed in a crypt with her last husband, Alfred Steele, in Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York.

Crawford's hand and footprints are immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street. In 1999, ''Playboy'' listed Crawford as one of the "100 Sexiest Women of the 20th century", ranking her #84.

''Mommie Dearest''

In November 1978, a year and a half after Crawford's death, Christina published ''Mommie Dearest'', which contained allegations that Crawford was emotionally and physically abusive to Christina and her brother Christopher. Many of Crawford's friends and co-workers, including Van Johnson, Ann Blyth, Marlene Dietrich, Myrna Loy, Cesar Romero, and Crawford's other daughters, Cathy and Cindy, denounced the book, categorically denying any abuse. But others, including Betty Hutton, Helen Hayes, James MacArthur, June Allyson, Liz Smith, and Rex Reed witnessed abuse. Bette Davis supported Christina's version, saying that Christina could not have made it up (Davis, while still alive, would ironically later become the target of her own daughter B. D. Hyman's tell-all in 1985, ''My Mother's Keeper''). ''Mommie Dearest'' became a bestseller and was made into the 1981 film ''Mommie Dearest'', starring Faye Dunaway as Crawford. Dunaway would later express regret for her portrayal of Crawford in her autobiography, ''Looking for Gatsby'', believing that her career had been damaged by the portrayal and at the hands of Crawford's friends.

Filmography

Notes

References

Bret, David (2006). '' Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr''. Robson. ISBN 1861059310.

Considine, Shaun (1989). ''Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud''. New York, E. P. Dutton, a division of Penguin Books. ISBN 052524770X.

Granlund, Nils T. (1957). ''Blondes, Brunettes, and Bullets''. New York, David McKay Company.

Hoefling, Larry J. (2008). ''Nils Thor Granlund: The Swedish Showman Who Invented American Entertainment''. Inlandia Press. ISBN 098223130X.

LaSalle, Mick (2000). ''Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood''. New York, Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312252072.

Leese, Elizabeth (1991). ''Costume Design in the Movies''. Dover Books. ISBN 048626548X.

Newquist, Roy, with introduction by John Springer (1980). ''Conversations with Joan Crawford''. New Jersey, Citadel Press, a division of Lyle Stuart, Inc. ISBN 0806507209.

Skal, David J. (1993). ''The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror''. Penguin Books. ISBN 0140240020.

Thomas, Bob (1978). ''Joan Crawford: A Biography''. New York, Bantam Books. ISBN 0553129422.

Dunaway, Faye (1998). ''Looking For Gatsby''. Pocket. ISBN 0671675265.

Further reading

''Just Joan: A Joan Crawford Appreciation'' by Donna Marie Nowak. Albany, BearManor Media 2010. ISBN 978-1-59393-542-9.

External links

The Best of Everything: A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia

Excerpt of 2008 biography from ''Vanity Fair''

Category:1905 births Category:1977 deaths Category:Actors from Oklahoma Category:Actors from Texas Category:American Christian Scientists Category:American film actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American radio personalities Category:American radio actors Category:American silent film actors Category:American television actors Category:American women in business Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Converts to Christian Science Category:Cancer deaths in New York Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer Category:People from San Antonio, Texas Category:People of Huguenot descent Category:20th-century actors Category:Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery

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name	William Orbit
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	William Mark Wainwright
alias	William Ørbit
birth date	December 15, 1956
origin	Shoreditch, Hackney, East London
instrument	Keyboards, guitar
genre	Electronic music, house music, ambient music, downtempo
occupation	Composer, record producer
years active	circa 1982–present
label	IRS, EMI, Virgin, N-GRAM, Maverick, Sanctuary, Kobalt, Decca
associated acts	Torch Song, Bassomatic
website	http://www.williamorbit.com }}

William Orbit (born William Mark Wainwright, 15 December 1956) is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album ''Ray of Light''. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums. He produced ''13'' by Blur and remixed some of the songs on the album.

Biography

Orbit was born in Shoreditch, London. In addition to being a producer, Orbit is also a composer and multi-instrumentalist who has specialised in keyboard electronica. Much of his work also features accomplished guitar and bass guitar playing. He has also recorded several largely instrumental solo albums on I.R.S. No Speak under the name Strange Cargo which features vocals by Beth Orton, Laurie Mayer and Joe Frank, among others. "Water from a Vine Leaf" was a popular track from the album ''Strange Cargo 3''.

Prior to that he formed the group Torch Song with Laurie Mayer in the 1980s. At that time the band developed Guerilla Studios in an abandoned school on the Harrow Road. They shared the premises with a group of Spanish anarchists and it became known as El Centro Iberico. They were later joined by a third member, Rico Conning.

Orbit was the musical force behind Bassomatic in the early 1990s; "Fascinating Rhythm" hit in 1990.

He has also produced and remixed songs by other artists, such as French pop star Étienne Daho. With Rico Conning he produced the Pop Satori album, Scottish act One Dove and Seal. He remixed Prince's song "Batdance", from ''Batman'' in 1989. Orbit's remixes carry his signature electronic sounds and techniques, making them sought after by fans of his solo work.

Orbit produced a version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (the original version of which gained fame as the main theme of the soundtrack to ''Platoon''). "Adagio" was lifted from the album ''Pieces in a Modern Style'' a compilation of classical re-workings, released under the alternatively-spelled artist name William Ørbit. Orbit's version of the track was remixed in 1999 by Ferry Corsten and became a big club music hit.

He has worked with girl groups All Saints ("Pure Shores", "Black Coffee", "Dreams", "Surrender") and Sugababes ("Spiral") and Pink ("Feel Good Time" from ''Charlie's Angels 2''). He produced "Dice" for Finley Quaye in collaboration with Beth Orton; Quaye also played guitar and sang on other Orbit tracks including the unreleased 'Arioso' featuring Madonna. He produced and played keyboards with U2 in the song "Electrical Storm" of their album ''The Best of 1990-2000''.

He founded Guerilla Records in 1989.

Orbit has also created several radio shows. In the late 1990s, he had a series on Los Angeles KCRW called ''Stereo Odyssey''. Orbit's song "Time To Get Wise" was used as a tag line in the 2004 film ''What the Bleep Do We Know!?''. Orbit worked with Madonna on her 1998 album, ''Ray of Light''.

In 2006 Orbit's album ''Hello Waveforms'' was released on the Sanctuary label. Subsequently he produced two tracks — "Louise" and "Summertime" — for Robbie Williams' 2006 album, ''Rudebox''. He also mixed several tracks on Laurie Mayer's most recent album, ''Black Lining''.

In autumn 2006 "Purdy", a track Orbit co-composed with Laurie Mayer and Rico Conning was used as the soundtrack in a television ad campaign for H&M; which starred Madonna and was directed by her and Dan Cadan.

Orchestral Suite

In 2007 Orbit composed his first orchestral suite for a full orchestra. The composition debuted on 8 July 2007 by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in the Bridgewater Hall at the Manchester International Festival.

2009 - present days

The 4 May 2009 saw Orbit's return with a new album, ''My Oracle Lives Uptown''.

Orbit lives in North London and Los Angeles and has his office and studio in Hoxton Square, London.

Live performances

He often DJs at various locations. Additional information concerning the dates and places of his live performances appears on his webpage.

A remix of his track "Purdy" done by Chicane can be found on ''Ministry of Sound: Inferno'' (2009).

William Orbit Odyssey by Ministry of Sound ‘Odyssey’ is a compilation of 42 tracks, including some of William Orbit’s own exclusives. The album was released in January 2010 and is divided into 3 discs; Discs 1 and 2 are unmixed, with many tracks reinterpreted to a greater or lesser extent, while Disc 3 is a continuous DJ mix by William Orbit.

Orbit Streamcast

Orbit has recently enabled an internet radio (streamcast) which allow listeners to hear more than 10 hours of his music, completely for free. In the playlist are variations of his well-known tracks, as well as released material. In addition, and what's more appreciated by fans, unreleased and rare material can also be found in this streamcast.

Latest productions

He produced Katie Melua's fourth album, called ''The House''. It was released on 24 May 2010 and had a remarkable chart performance (Gold in Germany and United Kingdom, as well as Platinum in Poland).

He also produced a track on Nadine Coyle's debut solo album "Insatiable" released on 8 November 2010.

Solo career

In August 2010 Orbit released ''Pieces in a Modern Style 2'', on Decca, which is follow-up a to the successful ''Pieces in a Modern Style''. The two CD version containing some notable remixes of interpretations of Vaughan Williams Violin Concerto - Lark Ascending.

Orbit is working as part of the art collective Luxor, with former English National Ballet dancer Anna-Mi Fredriksson and the artist Pauline Amos.

Discography

Artist	William Orbit
Studio	15
Compilation	3
Singles	9
Miscellaneous	8
References	}}

''More details and information about his discography can be found when exploring external links''

Torch Song

Year	Album
1984	''Wish Thing''	*Labels: I.R.S. Records
1986	''Ecstasy''	*Labels: Y II Records
1987	''Exhibit A''	*Labels: I.R.S.
1995	''Toward the Unknown Region''	*Labels: N-GRAM Recordings

Bassomatic

Year	Album
1990	''Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass''	*Labels: Virgin Records
1991	''Science & Melody''	*Labels: Virgin

Solo

;Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart positions
		! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"
	align="left"	*Labels: I.R.S. Records	–	–	–
align="left"	*Labels: I.R.S.	–	–	–
1990		*Labels: I.R.S.	–	–	–
1993		*Labels: Virgin Records	–	–	–
		*Labels: N-GRAM Recordings	–	–	–
	, Warner Music Group>WEA (2000 release)	2	33	198
2006		*Labels: Sanctuary Records	136	–	–
2009		*Labels: Kobalt	–	–	–
2010		*Labels: Decca Records	–	–	–

;Compilation albums

''The Best of Strange Cargos'' (1996, I.R.S.) — A compilation from Orbit's first three ''Strange Cargo'' albums, highlighted by two versions of "Water From A Vine Leaf", another collaboration with Beth Orton

''Strange Cargo Vol.1-3'' (2000, EMI Records) — 3 CD Box Set

''William / Orbit'' (2002, Universal) — U.S. two-disc publishing CD set to support William Orbit's publishing catalogue

;Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions			Album
		! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"	! style="width:3em;font-size:75%;"
		–	–	–
	–	–	–
1993		59	–	–
1999	align="left"	4	23	13
2000	align="left"	31	–	–
	align="left"	3	7	8
	–	–	–	''Much More Than Much Love'' (Finley Quaye album)
		–	–	–
	–	–	–

Miscellaneous

''Stereo Odyssey'' — 4-CDR set of KCRW radio show William produced circa 1996

''Rare Orbit Vol.1'' — A 3-CDR collection of rare & unreleased material & productions. 2008, source unknown. Contained unreleased sessions with Madonna, and some new material.

''Essential Mix'' — 2-CDR set of UK BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, 6 February 2000

''XFM 2003'' — 30 minute CDR of UK XFM Radio 'Superchunk', a mix/mashup collection of special rare and unreleased material, 17 August 2003

''XFM 2006'' — 30 minute CDR of UK XFM Radio 'Superchunk', another mix/mashup collection, 12 March 2006

''World Odyssey Mix'' — 25 minute CDR of UK BBC Asia Network Radio 'Pathaans Musical Rickshaw', a diversified mix/mashup collection, 17 May 2009

''KCRW 2009'' — 40 minute CDR of Los Angeles KCRW Radio Station show 'Morning Becomes Eclectic', a two piece live session with Laurie Mayer and interviews with Jason Bentley - 2 July 2009

In 2010, some of the rare tracks were made public on www.orbitstreamcast.com.

References

External links

Official website

Category:1956 births Category:Maverick Records artists Category:Living people Category:Ableton Live users Category:English electronic musicians Category:English record producers Category:Grammy Award winners

bg:Уилям Орбит de:William Orbit el:Ουίλιαμ Όρμπιτ es:William Orbit fr:William Orbit it:William Orbit ka:უილიამ ორბიტი nl:William Orbit pl:William Ørbit pt:William Orbit ru:Орбит, Уильям sq:William Orbit fi:William Orbit sv:William Orbit tr:William Orbit

Name	Doris Day
Birth name	Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff
Birth date	April 03, 1924
Birth place	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1939-75, 1985-86, 2011-
Spouse	Al Jorden (1941–43, divorced)George Weidler (1946–49, divorced)Martin Melcher (1951–68, his death)Barry Comden (1976–81, divorced)
Children	Terry Melcher (deceased)
Website	dorisday.com(Official Site)ddaf.org(Doris Day Animal Foundation) }}

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff; April 3, 1924) is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording, "Sentimental Journey", in 1945. After leaving the Les Brown & His Band of Renown to try a solo career, she started her long-lasting partnership with Columbia Records. Recording more than 650 songs, the contract lasted from 1947 to 1967, becoming Day's only recording label and one of the label's greatest recording stars. In 1948, after being persuaded by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne and her agent at the time, Al Levy, she auditioned for a part to Michael Curtiz, which led to her the lead in ''Romance on the High Seas'', her first film.

With a legendary Hollywood "girl-next-door" image and capable of delivering comedy, romance as well as heavy drama, she appeared in 39 films, recorded 28 albums and spent 460 weeks in the Top 40 charts . She also received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in ''Pillow Talk'', won a Golden Globe, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Legend Award from the Society of Singers, and, in 1989, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

Being the biggest box-office star in four years (1960; 1962; 1963; 1964) and being in the top ten for ten years (1951-1952; 1959-1966), Day become the top-ranking female box-office star of all time and ranked sixth among the top ten box office performers (male and female), as of 2009.

Early life

Doris Day was born in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Evanston to Alma Sophia Welz (a housewife) and William Kappelhoff (a music teacher and choir master). All of her grandparents were German immigrants. In ''Doris Day: Her Own Story'' she states, "I was named by my mother in honor of her favorite actress, Doris Kenyon, a silent screen star of that year 1924." Her biographer, Pianist Jim Martinez, who organized her 87th birthday party in her hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, at Day's hotel, the Cypress Inn, states that according to Doris Day's current assistant, when Day was a teenager, she added two years to her age so she would be old enough to sing with big bands. The youngest of three children, she had two brothers: Richard, who died before she was born, and Paul, a few years older.

Her parents' marriage failed owing to her father's reported infidelity. Although the family was Roman Catholic, her parents divorced. After her second marriage, Day herself would become a Christian Scientist. She has been married four times. Day developed an early interest in dance, and in the mid-1930s formed a dance duo with Jerry Doherty that performed locally in Cincinnati. A car accident on October 13, 1937, damaged her legs and curtailed her prospects as a professional dancer. While recovering, Day took singing lessons, and at 17 she began performing locally

It was while working for local bandleader Barney Rapp in 1939 or 1940 that she adopted the stage name "Day" as an alternative to "Kappelhoff," at his suggestion. Rapp felt her surname was too long for marquees. The first song she had performed for him was "Day After Day", and her stage name was taken from that. After working with Rapp, Day worked with a number of other bandleaders including Jimmy James, Bob Crosby, and Les Brown. It was while working with Brown that Day scored her first hit recording, "Sentimental Journey", which was released in early 1945. It soon became an anthem of the desire of World War II demobilizing troops to return home. This song is still associated with Day, and was rerecorded by her on several occasions, as well as being included in her 1971 television special.

Career

Film career

While singing with the Les Brown band and briefly with Bob Hope, Day toured extensively across the United States. Her popularity as a radio performer and vocalist, which included a second hit record "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time", led directly to a career in films. Already in 1941 Day appeared as a singer with the Les Brown band in a soundie (a Cinemasters production). After her separation from her second husband, George Weidler, in 1948, Day reportedly intended to leave Los Angeles and return to her mother's home in Cincinnati. Her agent Al Levy convinced her to attend a party at the home of composer Jule Styne. Her performance of the song "Embraceable You" impressed Styne and his partner, Sammy Cahn and they recommended her for a role in ''Romance on the High Seas'', which they were working on for Warner Brothers. The withdrawal of Betty Hutton due to pregnancy left the main role to be re-cast, and Day got the part. The film provided her with another hit recording "It's Magic."

In 1950 U.S. servicemen in Korea voted her their favorite star. She continued to make minor and frequently nostalgic period musicals such as ''Starlift'', ''The West Point Story'', ''On Moonlight Bay,'' ''By the Light of the Silvery Moon,'' and ''Tea For Two'' for Warner Brothers. In 1953 Day appeared as ''Calamity Jane'', winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Secret Love" (her recording of which became her fourth U.S. No. 1 recording).

After filming ''Young at Heart'' (1954) with Frank Sinatra, Day chose not to renew her contract with Warner Brothers. She elected to work under the advice and management of her third husband, Marty Melcher, whom she married in Burbank on April 3, 1951. Day had divorced saxophonist-songwriter George W. Weidler (born September 11, 1917 - died July 26, 1995) on May 31, 1949 in Los Angeles in an uncontested divorce action after marrying him on March 30, 1946 in Mount Vernon, New York, separating in April 1947 and filing for divorce in June 1948. Day subsequently took on more dramatic roles, including her 1954 portrayal of singer Ruth Etting in ''Love Me or Leave Me''. Day would later call it, in her autobiography, her best film. She starred in ''The Pajama Game'' in 1957 with John Raitt, Carol Haney & Eddie Foy Jr. She was also paired with such top stars as Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Cary Grant, David Niven, and Clark Gable.

In Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), Day sang "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and became her signature song. According to Jay Livingston, who wrote the song with Ray Evans, Day preferred another song used briefly in the film, "We'll Love Again" and skipped the recording for "Que Sera, Sera". At the studio's insistence she relented. After recording the number, she reportedly told a friend of Livingston, "That's the last time you'll ever hear that song". However, the song was used again in ''Please Don't Eat the Daisies'' (1960), and was reprised as a brief duet with Arthur Godfrey in ''The Glass Bottom Boat'' (1966). "Que Sera, Sera" also became the theme song for her CBS television show (1968–73). ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' was her only film for Hitchcock and, as she admitted in her 1975 autobiography, she was initially concerned at his lack of direction. She finally asked if anything was wrong and Hitchcock said everything was fine — if she weren't doing what he wanted, he would have said something.

She had one more Top Ten hit with "Everybody Loves a Lover" in 1958.

Box office success

In 1959, Day entered her most successful phase as a film actress with a series of romantic comedies, starting with ''Pillow Talk'', co-starring Rock Hudson, who became a lifelong friend. Day received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Day and Hudson made two more films together, ''Lover Come Back'' (1961) and ''Send Me No Flowers'' (1964). Day also teamed up with James Garner, starting with 1963's ''The Thrill of It All'', followed later that year by ''Move Over, Darling''. ''Move Over, Darling'' had originally been entitled ''Something's Got to Give'', a 1962 comeback vehicle for Marilyn Monroe and featuring Dean Martin. The film was suspended following the firing of Monroe and her subsequent death. A year later, it was renamed and recast with Day as the lead character.

By the late 1960s, the sexual revolution of the baby boomer generation had refocused public attitudes about sex. Times changed, but Day's films did not. Critics and comics dubbed Day "the world's oldest virgin", and audiences began to shy away from her films. As a result, she slipped from the list of top box office stars, last appearing in the Top 10 in 1967 with ''The Glass Bottom Boat'', her final hit film.

One of the roles she turned down was that of the iconic Mrs. Robinson in ''The Graduate'', a role that eventually went to Anne Bancroft. In her published memoirs, Day said that she had rejected the part on moral grounds. Her final feature film, ''With Six You Get Eggroll'', was released in 1968.

Recording success

Day's last major hit single came in the UK in 1964 with "Move Over, Darling", co-written by her son specifically for her. The recording was a notable departure for Day, with its distinctly contemporary-sounding arrangement. In 1967, Day recorded her last album, ''The Love Album'', essentially concluding her recording career, though this album was not released until 1994.

Bankruptcy and television career

1960s

When third husband Marty Melcher died April 20, 1968, Day was shocked to discover that her husband of 17 years and his business partner Jerome Bernard Rosenthal had squandered her earnings, leaving her deeply in debt. Rosenthal had been her attorney since the late 1940s, and he represented her on May 31, 1949, in her uncontested divorce action against her second husband, songwriter George W. Weidler. In February 1969, Day filed suit against Rosenthal and won the then-largest civil judgment (over $20 million) until that time in the state of California.

1970s

On September 18, 1974, Day was awarded $22,835,646 for fraud and malpractice in an hour-long oral decision by Superior Judge Lester E. Olson, ending a 99-day trial that involved 18 consolidated lawsuits and countersuits filed by Day and Rosenthal that involved Rosenthal's handling of her finances after she terminated him in July 1968. The civil trial included 14,451 pages of transcript from 67 witnesses. Represented by attorney Robert Winslow and the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP, Day was awarded $1 million punitive damages, $5.6 million plus $2 million interest for losses incurred in a sham oil venture; $3.4 million plus $1.2 million interest over a hotel venture; $2.2 million plus $793,800 interest for duplicate or unnecessary fees paid to Rosenthal; more than $2 million to recoup loans to Rosenthal; $3.9 million plus $1 million interest for fraud, and $850,000 attorney fees for Day. Olson also enjoined Rosenthal from prosecuting any more lawsuits against Day or her business operations. (Rosenthal had filed more than 20 suits from 1969 to 1974). Olson, an expert in complex financial marital settlements, read every page of 3,275 individual exhibits and 68 boxes of miscellaneous financial records.

In October 1979, Rosenthal's liability insurer settled with Day for about $6 million payable in 23 annual installments. Rosenthal continued to file an appeal in the 2nd District Court of Appeal, and also filed another half-dozen suits related to the case. Two were libel suits, one against Day and her publishers over comments she made about Rosenthal in her book in which he sought damages. The other suits sought court determinations that insurance companies and individual lawyers failed to defend Rosenthal properly before Olson and in appellate stages. In April 1979, he filed a suit to set aside the $6 million settlement with Day and recover damages from everybody involved in agreeing to the payment supposedly without his permission.

1980s

In October 1985, the state Supreme Court rejected Rosenthal's appeal of the multimillion-dollar judgment against him for legal malpractice, and upheld conclusions of a trial court and a Court of Appeal that Rosenthal acted improperly. In April 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the lower court's judgment. In June 1987, Rosenthal filed a $30 million lawsuit against lawyers he claimed cheated him out of millions of dollars in real estate investments. He also named Day as a co-defendant, describing her as an "unwilling, involuntary plaintiff whose consent cannot be obtained". Rosenthal claimed that millions of dollars Day lost were in real estate sold after Melcher died in 1968, in which Rosenthal asserted that the attorneys gave Day bad advice, telling her to sell, at a loss, three hotels, in Palo Alto, Dallas and Atlanta and some oil leases in Kentucky and Ohio. Rosenthal claimed he had made the investments under a long-term plan, and did not intend to sell them until they appreciated in value. Two of the hotels sold in 1970 for about $7 million, and their estimated worth in 1986 was $50 million. In July 1984, after a hearing panel of the State Bar Court, after 80 days of testimony and consideration of documentary evidence, the panel accused Rosenthal of 13 separate acts of misconduct and urged his disbarment in a 34-page unsigned opinion. The panel's findings were upheld by the State Bar Court's review department, which asked the justices to order Rosenthal's disbarment. He continued representing clients in federal courts until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against him on March 21, 1988. Disbarment by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals followed on August 19, 1988.

The Supreme Court of California, in affirming the disbarment, held that Rosenthal engaged in transactions involving undisclosed conflicts of interest, took positions adverse to his former clients, overstated expenses, double-billed for legal fees, failed to return client files, failed to provide access to records, failed to give adequate legal advice, failed to provide clients with an opportunity to obtain independent counsel, filed fraudulent claims, gave false testimony, engaged in conduct designed to harass his clients, delayed court proceedings, obstructed justice and abused legal process. Terry Melcher stated that it was only Martin Melcher's premature death that saved Day from financial ruin. It remains unresolved whether Martin Melcher was himself duped. Day stated publicly that she believed her husband innocent of any deliberate wrongdoing, stating that he "simply trusted the wrong person". According to Day's autobiography, as told to A. E. Hotchner, the usually athletic and healthy Martin Melcher had an enlarged heart. Most of the interviews on the subject given to Hotchner (and included in Day's autobiography) paint an unflattering portrait of Melcher. Author David Kaufman asserts that one of Day's costars, actor Louis Jourdan, maintained that Day herself disliked her husband, but Day's public statements regarding Melcher appear to contradict that assertion.

''The Doris Day Show''

Upon her husband's death on April 20, 1968, Day learned that he had committed her to a television series, which became ''The Doris Day Show''.

"It was awful", Day told ''OK! Magazine'' in 1996. "I was really, really not very well when Marty [Melcher] passed away, and the thought of going into TV was overpowering. But he'd signed me up for a series. And then my son Terry [Melcher] took me walking in Beverly Hills and explained that it wasn't nearly the end of it. I had also been signed up for a bunch of TV specials, all without anyone ever asking me."

Day hated the idea of doing television, but felt obligated. "There was a contract. I didn't know about it. I never wanted to do TV, but I gave it 100 percent anyway. That's the only way I know how to do it." The first episode of ''The Doris Day Show'' aired on September 24, 1968, and, from 1968 to 1973, employed "Que Sera, Sera" as its theme song. Day grudgingly persevered (she needed the work to help pay off her debts), but only after CBS ceded creative control to her and her son.

The show was successful, enjoyed a five-year run, and functioned as a curtain-raiser for ''The Carol Burnett Show''. The show is remembered today for its abrupt season-to-season changes in casting and premise. It was not as widely syndicated as many of its contemporaries were, and has been little seen outside the United States and the United Kingdom. By the end of its run in 1973, public tastes had changed and her firmly established persona was regarded as passé. She largely retired from acting after ''The Doris Day Show'', but did complete two television specials, ''The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special'' (1971) and ''Doris Day to Day'' (1975). She appeared in a John Denver TV special in 1974.

1990s and renewal of interest

A Greatest Hits CD released in 1994 became another entry into the British charts, while the song "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" was included in the soundtrack of the Australian film ''Strictly Ballroom'', and a theme song for the British TV show "Coupling". Mari Wilson performed the song "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" for the title sequence.

2000s

In 2006, Day recorded a commentary for the DVD release of the fifth (and final) season of her TV show. Recently Day has participated in telephone interviews with a radio station that celebrates her birthday with an annual Doris Day music marathon. In July 2008 she appeared on the Southern California radio show of longtime friend, newscaster George Putnam, reported in the ''Los Angeles Times''.

While Day turned down a tribute offer from the American Film Institute, she received and accepted the Golden Globe's Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 1989. In 2004, Day was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom but declined to attend the ceremony because of her fear of flying. Day did not accept an invitation to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for the same reason.

Both columnist Liz Smith and film critic Rex Reed have mounted vigorous campaigns to gather support for an honorary Academy Award for Day to herald her film career and her status as the top female box-office star of all time. Day was honored in absentia with a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in Music in February 2008.

2010s

''My Heart'', Day's first new album in nearly two decades is set to be released in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2011. The album is a compilation of previously unreleased recordings produced by Day's son, Terry Melcher, prior to his death in 2004. Tracks include the 1970s Joe Cocker hit "You Are So Beautiful", the Beach Boys' "Disney Girls" and jazz standards such as "My Buddy", which Day originally sang in her 1951 film ''I'll See You in My Dreams'', Day dedicates this song to her son.

Personal life

In 1975, Day released her autobiography, ''Doris Day: Her Own Story'', an "as-told-to" work with A. E. Hotchner. The book detailed her first three marriages:

To Al Jorden, a trombonist whom she first met when he was in Barney Rapp's Band, from March 1941 to 1943. Her only child, son Terry Melcher, was born from this marriage. Jorden, who was reportedly physically abusive to Day, committed suicide in 1967 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

To George Weidler (a saxophonist), from March 30, 1946 to May 31, 1949. Weidler, the brother of actress Virginia Weidler, and Day met again several years later. During a brief reconciliation, he helped her become involved in Christian Science.

To Martin Melcher, whom she married on April 3, 1951. This marriage lasted far longer than her first two. Melcher adopted Terry (thus renaming the boy Terry Melcher), and produced many of Day's movies. After her autobiography was published, Day married one last time.

Her fourth and last marriage was to Barry Comden, who was roughly a decade younger, from April 14, 1976 until 1981. Comden was her first husband from outside of show business. Comden was the ''maitre d''' at one of Day's favorite restaurants. Knowing of her great love of dogs, Comden endeared himself to Day by giving her a bag of meat scraps and bones on her way out of the restaurant. When this marriage unraveled, Comden complained that Day cared more for her "animal friends" than she did for him. Comden died on May 25, 2009, aged 74.

While promoting the book, Day caused a stir by rejecting the "girl next door" and "virgin" labels so often attached to her. As she remarked in her book, "The succession of cheerful, period musicals I made, plus Oscar Levant's highly publicized comment about my virginity ('I knew Doris Day before she became a virgin.') contributed to what has been called my 'image', which is a word that baffles me. There never was any intent on my part either in my acting or in my private life to create any such thing as an image." Day said she believed people should live together prior to marriage, something that she herself would do if the opportunity arose. At the conclusion of this book tour, Day seemed content to focus on her charity and pet work and her business interests. (In 1985, she became part-owner with her son of the Cypress Inn in Carmel, California.)

In May 1983, she became a grandmother. In 1985 she briefly hosted her own talk show, ''Doris Day's Best Friends'' on CBN. Despite the worldwide publicity her show received, it was canceled after 26 episodes. Terry Melcher first made a brief attempt to become a surf music singing star, then became a staff producer for Columbia Records in the 1960s, and was famous for producing some latter-day recordings by The Beach Boys and The Byrds. In November 2004, he died from complications of melanoma, aged 62.

Day is a committed Republican.

Animal welfare activism

Day's interest in animal welfare and related issues apparently dates to her teen years when she was recovering from an automobile accident and took her dog Tiny for a walk without a leash. Tiny ran into the street and was killed by a passing car. Day later wrote she was wracked with guilt and loneliness. In 1971, she co-founded Actors and Others for Animals and appeared in a series of newspaper advertisements denouncing the wearing of fur, alongside Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickinson, and Jayne Meadows. Day's friend, Cleveland Amory, wrote about these events in ''Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife'' (1974).

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Day promoted the annual Spay Day USA, and on a number of occasions, actively lobbied the United States Congress in support of legislation designed to safeguard animal rights. She also founded The Doris Day Animal League, which was merged into The Humane Society of the United States in 2006. Staff members of the Doris Day League took positions within The HSUS, and Day recorded public service announcements for the organization. The HSUS now manages Spay Day USA, the one-day spay/neuter event she originated.

A facility to help abused and neglected horses opened in 2011 and bears her name: the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center. It is located in Murchison, Texas, on the grounds of an animal sanctuary started by her late friend, author Cleveland Amory. Day contributed $250,000 toward the founding of the center.

Recent years

Day now lives near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

References

Further reading

Barothy, Mary Anne. ''Day at a Time: An Indiana Girl's Sentimental Journey to Doris Day's Hollywood and Beyond''. Hawthorne Publishing, 2007.

Bret, David. ''Doris Day: Reluctant Star''. JR Books, London. 2008.*

McGee, Garry. ''Doris Day: Sentimental Journey''. McFarland & Company, Inc., 2005.

Patrick, Pierre and Garry McGee. ''Que Sera, Sera: The Magic of Doris Day Through Television''. Bear Manor Media, 2005.

Patrick, Pierre and Garry McGee. ''The Doris Day Companion: A Beautiful Day (One on One with Doris and Friends)''. BearManor Media, 2009.

Braun, Eric. "Doris Day." Orion Books, 1994.

Santopietro, Tom. "Considering Doris Day". Thomas Dunn Books, 2008.

External links

Doris Day Animal Foundation

Doris' Official Website

Discovering Doris (Longest running fan tribute website)

Spotlight at Turner Classic Movies

Doris Day Animal League

Doris Day on "Solid! The encyclopedia of big band, lounge, classic jazz and space-age sounds"

Photographs of Doris Day

Doris Day Official Discography (+78rpm)

Theatrical tribute to Doris Day (Touring to Hollywood and Scotland in 2011)

Category:1924 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:American Christian Scientists Category:American film actors Category:American people of German descent Category:American pop singers Category:20th-century actors Category:American female singers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Big band singers Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Category:Converts to Christian Science Category:Musicians from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Animal rights advocates Category:California Republicans Category:Ohio Republicans

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