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Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door
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$29.95
$17.64*
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| Part No: | 1905264305 |
| Manufacturer: | Virgin Books |
| MFG Part: | |
| Customer Rating: | 3.5 / 5.0 |
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David Kaufman has now written the long-awaited, definitive biography of Doris Day. By telling Day’s incredible, previously untold story, Kaufman takes the reader to the epicenter of American popular culture— a roller-coaster saga, from the 1940s to the 1980s. While Day symbolized virtuous America to the rest of the world—especially in her heyday, the 1950s and early 1960s—both she and that era are still perceived as being far more innocent and carefree than they really were. Indeed, what makes Day’s story so richly fascinating is the fact that she was in many ways the opposite of her image as “the girl next door.” She was also a real-life Cinderella who regretted having gone to the ball and who found a series of princes who proved far less than charming. Thanks to Kaufman’s dogged diligence in tracking down countless colleagues and intimates, he gives us: Scintillating tales of fame, beauty, money, tragedy, sexual ambiguity, and sexual conquests. Anecdotes about a vast array of major subsidiary players in Day’s life, including Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Charles Manson, Mickey Mantle, Candice Bergen, and Rock Hudson. Kaufman reveals Day’s demons while emphasizing the extraordinary credit she deserves as an artist. In the tradition of great biographies, Kaufman’s detailed work not only reveals the surprising story of one of America’s most beloved icons, but also compels us to rush back and see her best films—including The Man Who Knew Too Much, Pillow Talk, Love Me or Leave Me—and to listen to her unforgettable songs—“Sentimental Journey,” “Secret Love,” “Que Sera, Sera.” Though she made more than 550 recordings and starred in 39 movies—not to mention her own TV show for five years—the epic story of Doris Day’s life has never been told . . . until now.
| Piecing Together a Portrait | 2008-10-23 | 4 / 5 |
| It looks like few available details have been left out of this lengthy biography of one of America's pop-cultural icons. The material comes from a variety of sources-- the public record (fan mags, old interviews, etc.) Day's friends, insider fans, and professional associates, And a heck-of-a-lot of material it is. Tellingly, however, there is none from Day herself, her sole surviving ex-husband, or whatever rivals or enemies she may have incurred over a long lifetime. That doesn't mean the results necessarily amount to a biographical whitewash-- critical comments of both her and some of her movies are included.
Nonetheless, such additional sources would likely have produced a more penetrating result. The overall impression is of a genuinely personable, down-to earth celebrity with a somewhat complex, guarded, but not dark, inner-life. Also, there's the suggestion of a person who seals herself from as much conflict and confrontation as possible, even when it's probably not advisable. Nonetheless, whatever personal negatives come through, they're certainly not major.
Perhaps the book's most damaging revealations concern the several affairs carried on with married men at various points in her life. There's not much detail, but the liaisons are asserted as fact. For many fans, I suppose, these will count most heavily against the squeaky clean image that her career cultivated. In a way, however, it's rather surprising that such a basically friendly figure as Day should have drawn as much critical comment as her career has.
It's not the person herself, I believe, that's invited criticism, though she did have a hand in shaping movie selection. Rather, it's the basically one-dimensional image suggested by many of her films that projected her, both humorously and not so humorously, as the ultimate movie light-weight. Deserved or not, I think it's fair to say that whatever the merits of the many films, she remains an unusually talented singer and actress, even if recognition of the latter was slow in coming.
The one difficulty I have with the book is the welter of details. It's often hard to piece these into a meaningful generalization about the leading personalities in her life, including Day herself. Perhaps author Kaufman's refusal to generalize was deliberate, leaving that risky task to the reader. Nonetheless, the burden of filling in a general picture of what emerges is left up to each individual. Whether that was a wise course or not is up to the reader to decide, but be prepared to do some assembling. |
| Part Rehash, Too much devoted to author's opinions of her films & TV shows | 2008-10-11 | 3 / 5 |
| I was hoping for the ultimate Day biography, but this one was rather disappointing.
The author cites Doris' 1975 Autobiography frequently; it is apparent he did not procure an interview with the reclusive actress, so we don't get a lot of new information. It is a nice general biography of Doris, provided you are not familiar with her book or other Day biographies. What I don't care for is the author sometimes gives rather harsh assessments of Doris' movies and her TV shows. A great portion of the book is devoted to the author's opinions on her body of work, and most of it is not favorable. Apparently he did this in order to plump up the size of the book. In other words, there's a lot of "filler" in this book and not much real substance. I didn't buy this book to read one person's opinions on her movies and TV shows; I bought it in hopes of having a more thorough, comprehensive biography of Doris, with hopefully new information. This didn't quite make it, but it is an entertaining read.
Another thing I find odd is he appears to faintly disapprove of Doris having cosmetic surgery; there's a hint of scandal in his tone. It's like he has a dated view on cosmetic procedures, which is strange considering that this book was published in 2008. Nowadays having a face lift or breast augmentation is very common and back in the 70's when Doris had her surgeries, such procedures were very popular with the Hollywood set.
If you want to read this book, check it out of the library before purchasing. I recommend "Considering Doris Day" and "Doris Day: Her Own Story" as better biographies of this talented, bright, bubbly star. |
| Rivals----I Don't Think So! | 2008-10-05 | 5 / 5 |
| | It's so refreshing to see people taking time off from insulting me to take turns in praising and insulting someone else. It was quite by chance that Mr Kaufman and I ended up with the same cover, and as biographers we are very similar. The fans seem to be buying both books: had there been just one book, it would not have sold half so well. So in a way Mr Kaufman's fans are doing me a favour, though I very much doubt if any of the following reviewers have taken the time to read either book properly. They have been too busy writing these meaningless little exercises proclaiming their own self-importance. |
| A Woman of Considerable Talent... before she met Rock Hudson | 2008-10-04 | 4 / 5 |
| I have always been a fan of Doris Day. In many ways, I grew up with Doris Day's characters with their pert, color-coordinated outfits. Having been born a brunette, I always coveted her slivery blond hair, juxtaposed against her tawny skin. That was the look in the Sixties.
After reading this book, one is reminded that the blond on the screen was very different than the woman at home. Under the hair, the tan, and the picture perfect ensembles, was/is a complex, yet multi-talented woman. This book also reveals and reminds the reader that Miss Day started out as a singer of considerable success... those days in the Forties and Fifties. She made serious films way before she was pitching soap or jumping into swimming pools fully-clothed. Kaufman reveals the personal difficulties she endured with men, including her father. Its no wonder she made some really poor choices.
This book does fill in many of the details that have been overlooked these last 60 years... It is a good read and an enlightened look at "Hollywood" as it existed in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. |
| Enjoyable Read | 2008-09-03 | 4 / 5 |
| Despite knowing that fans of Miss Day were mounting an effort to post negative reviews of this book in order to discourage people from reading it, I tried to approach the story with an unjaundiced eye. And it didn't take long before I forgot the hype and became totally absorbed in the story of Doris Day, legendary singer and movie star. Yes, there are no astounding new revelations (unless one has not read previous Day biographies), but her story is one that deserves to be told, including the years since her authorized biography was published many years ago. The book was hard to put down, and I loved looking at the pictures.
Contrary to the opinions of some, I don't believe this book casts aspersions on Miss Day. It simply portrays her as she is...determined, talented, intelligent, generous, and a powerful friend for creatures who have no voice to speak for themselves.
I truly respect Miss Day, and am certain that this latest biography will spark interest in her work from a whole new generation of admirers. And what's wrong with that? |
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