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Doris Day: Her Own Story
Biography of Doris Day with 36 pages of photographs and filmography. This unusual collaboration in the form of an autobiography brings together a highly skilled professional writer and the film superstar who never enjoyed being thought of as Miss Goody Two-shoes. For the first time, Doris Day tells the story behind the headlines of her private life- three marriages, real and rumored affairs, and professional triumphs countered by personal tragedies. At thirteen Doris was in a car hit by a train, and for a while she expected to be crippled for life. At sixteen she was earning her living on the road signing with bands. At seventeen she married a man who turned out to be a psychopathic sadist. She talks of many other things she never told anyone before, and her book is as compelling as it is honest. Mr. Hotchner, the author of Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir, has enriched her story with candid interviews with her son, Terry Melcher; her mother, her friends, and many of the people she has worked with including Bob Hope, James Garner, and Jack Lemmon. In this perceptive book, "the girl next door" turns out to be an inspiring woman of unique courage and strength.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
18 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
About the author
A.E. Hotchner
46 books127 followersAaron Edward Hotchner was an American editor, novelist, playwright, and biographer. He wrote many television screenplays as well as a biography of Ernest Hemingway. He co-founded with Paul Newman the charity food company Newman's Own.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
May 5, 2014
I've been a fan of Doris Day ever since I discovered "Pilllow Talk" whilst channel flicking. The blurb on the back of this book promises to shatter the image of Doris as the virginal sunshine girl we see on the screen.
To be honest, although I kew that to be Doris' image I could always see an element of mischief in her eyes, especially in her comic roles and it shows itself most plainly in the three films she did with her good friend Rock Hudson. I think the reality this book really shows is the drama behind the showbiz.
All Doris ever wanted was to settle down and be a good wife and mother. Although she seemingly effortlessly glided into music and films in Hollywood this one thing that she had always wanted seemed to elude her. She settled for the wrong man for a variety of reasons a multitude of times.
This book left me with even more admiration for Doris than I'd had before. Her strength, her unquestionable natural talent and most of all her unfailing optimism endeared her to me tenfold. I find I have a less than Secret Love for Miss Day. :D”
To be honest, although I kew that to be Doris' image I could always see an element of mischief in her eyes, especially in her comic roles and it shows itself most plainly in the three films she did with her good friend Rock Hudson. I think the reality this book really shows is the drama behind the showbiz.
All Doris ever wanted was to settle down and be a good wife and mother. Although she seemingly effortlessly glided into music and films in Hollywood this one thing that she had always wanted seemed to elude her. She settled for the wrong man for a variety of reasons a multitude of times.
This book left me with even more admiration for Doris than I'd had before. Her strength, her unquestionable natural talent and most of all her unfailing optimism endeared her to me tenfold. I find I have a less than Secret Love for Miss Day. :D”
September 21, 2016
I love Doris Day. Among my collection of autographs, the personalized photo she signed for me is one of my favorites. Her movies never fail to put a smile on my face and give me a role model to look up to.
At the time this book was published, Day wanted to shed the wholesome goody-two-shoes image from her films and give insight into the pitfalls in her life. It is a candid recounting of a life far from perfect. Her first husband abused her, her second abandoned her and her third squandered her money. She found joy in her work and the people who became her friends. Day talks extensively about her deep love for Christian Science, which may put some readers off, but I found these segments to be fascinating because they clarify her motivations. She also talks about her passion for animals, especially dogs; Day continues to work for her dog charity today.
This book also includes memories from people who knew her including Les Brown, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson, Terry Melcher, and Gordon MacRae among others.
I found myself relating to Day many times while reading and I love her more consequently than I did before. "From the time I was a little girl, my only true ambition in life was to get married and tend house and have a family. Singing was just something to do until that time came, and now it was here--home and marriage was the only career I wanted. And the only career I have ever really wanted."
At the time this book was published, Day wanted to shed the wholesome goody-two-shoes image from her films and give insight into the pitfalls in her life. It is a candid recounting of a life far from perfect. Her first husband abused her, her second abandoned her and her third squandered her money. She found joy in her work and the people who became her friends. Day talks extensively about her deep love for Christian Science, which may put some readers off, but I found these segments to be fascinating because they clarify her motivations. She also talks about her passion for animals, especially dogs; Day continues to work for her dog charity today.
This book also includes memories from people who knew her including Les Brown, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson, Terry Melcher, and Gordon MacRae among others.
I found myself relating to Day many times while reading and I love her more consequently than I did before. "From the time I was a little girl, my only true ambition in life was to get married and tend house and have a family. Singing was just something to do until that time came, and now it was here--home and marriage was the only career I wanted. And the only career I have ever really wanted."
June 27, 2019
Love Doris Day's movies and enjoyed learning more about her life; even though the book is from 1976 it covers the main years of her popularity. I'll give it the three stars because it was interesting, but by the end it was more like 2.5 after the seven(!) pages of the legal judgment against Rosenthal and the contradictory (to me) way her belief system and actions/thoughts were at times. And I skimmed her health/beauty tips at the end. Whatever, Doris. Still worth a read, though!
October 28, 2007
Pretty dishy account - how else would we know that once a week she covers herself in Vaseline and sleeps on rubber sheets?
September 2, 2013
"I was somewhat leery about this autobiography. It seemed too bland and Pollyannaish, but now that I’ve finished it I can understand why it was a best seller upon its publication in 1975. Doris Day writes about her life, films, marriages and affairs with a candidness that helped dispel her virgin-next-door image, but it’s her engaging optimism and good cheer in facing life’s problems that comes to the fore throughout these pages. She does dwell too much on her religious beliefs and the bankruptcy court case following the death of third husband Marty Melcher (who comes across as a complete user and a slimebag). I like her earthy attitude towards working and movie stardom, and her love of animals is something to admire. Even the housewifey tips on beauty and fashion she includes in the book’s coda are fun." - Scrubbles.net review, October 18, 2009.
October 13, 2008
One of my guilty pleasures is reading celebrity autobiographies. People are just so fascinating! I enjoyed this one, Doris Day was very frank and honest I felt. Somehow it is always sort of interesting to know that people who look so sunny and somewhat perfect have challenges too. I could have done with a bit less on her legal woes but I am sure when that has been a big part of your recent life you would tend to dwell on it.
September 14, 2007
Very interesting read. If you know enjoy Doris Day in the slighest bit you will enjoy this book. It is filled with nearly every aspect of her life, but is not boring like some biographies can be. it reads like a fun fiction book, keeping the pages turning. Her life entails so much more than i ever expected.
February 18, 2011
I read this book many, many years ago and would sincerely like to read a follow up (this one was released in 1975). It has always seemed to me that despite her disastrous off-screen life, Day found a healthy place for her to be--and I'm not just talking psychologically, making her one of the few mega stars to successfully withdraw from a lifestyle that has ground so many other into the dust.
September 26, 2011
Who doesn't love Doris Day? What a life she lead. And she arrived supreme, regardless of the many adversities thrown in her way. Well written, doesn't bog down in details, just a quick overview of ups and downs. She's an amazing individual, strong, smart and positive. Excellent role model. Quick and rewarding read.
November 28, 2016
Like most everyone who has reviewed this book, I too am a Doris Day fan and was intrigued to learn more about her life off the screen. It was a bit repetitive and preachy at times, but the mix of perspectives and approachable tone kept me turning the pages quickly. There are also some inspiring sections with useful tricks of the business included here and there. Worth the read!
July 29, 2008
She seems a little insane...or maybe it's me.
March 8, 2011
I loved this book. I learned so much about Doris that I never knew. She is honest and direct and doesn't sugar coat a thing.
This was a wonderful book.
This was a wonderful book.
July 12, 2014
Wonderful book with insight to Doris Day's life. It showed her talent as well as imperfections. I highly recommend this book to her fans.
May 24, 2019
With Doris Day's recent death, I was a little curious to read her sort-of autobiography (basically, it's an "as told to" thing). She'd been a household name my entire life, and while I've seen and liked many of her films over the years growing up (mostly on our local television station's The Big Show every afternoon before dinner), I wouldn't consider myself a "big fan." We had a copy of one of her biggest hits, "Que Sera Sera," (we might even have had an LP) which I know I played many times as a kid, but I recall the song itself had more impact on me at the time than the singer.
Doris Day: Her Own Story was published in 1976, when she was 55, yet by then she had probably lived enough to fill several lives, having had three marriages at the time of publication (a fourth later that year), dozens of motion pictures (she starred in her first-ever film!), and millions of records sold. Perhaps it's due to her non-flamboyant nature that I've never considered her to be the mega-star (she would hate that word) that she was, but taking all her career successes into consideration, how else would one describe her? Anything she wanted to accomplish, she seemed to accomplish. Except, of course, for a happy, fulfilling marriage, something she has claimed to have been more important to her than her wealth or fame.
Since I have never paid much attention to her beyond what I saw in films or heard on the radio, and because of the characters she played in her films, I never would have thought she'd had such a sad personal life, but sad it was. Perhaps sad isn't quite the word... challenging maybe? Heartbreaking? From her father's departure from the family, to her automobile accident which ruined her dreams to be a dancer, to her abusive first husband, to her brother's life-threatening baseball injury, to her financial ruin at the hands of her third husband and her business manager. Also... she was tangentially involved with the Charles Manson murders.
What I found lacking was her introspection regarding her brother and her son. Early in the book, she states how much she cared for her brother Paul, but there is little else mentioned about him through to his death other than that he worked for Doris's production company. With regard to her son, Terry Melcher, there is virtually no discussion about how she left him in Cincinnati with her mother for weeks at a time as a traveling singer, or when she began her film career. Perhaps it was too difficult for her to deal with the idea of not being present in his life for such long spells. Perhaps it meant admitting that she wasn't a very good mother? Surprisingly, more time/space is spent on her involvement with Christian Science, a religious path that her third husband also followed but—as suggested by friends—was probably more of a ploy in his drive to help engineer the gravy train on which he was riding. She later strayed from the institutional aspect of Christian Science but adhered to many of it basic tenets.
There is another Doris Day biography that was published more recently (2008) that might provide more insights into her relationship with her son, and no doubt covers her fourth and final marriage, and I might skim through it to find out more about her involvement with animal rights (although I believe she was not vegan), which is what she seemed to get a lot more attention for later in life. Also... I guess it would be interesting to know more about her response to Rock Hudson's death from AIDS, which came nine years after this book's publication.
Because I haven't seen a Doris Day film in ages, I watched a couple after finishing this book. As she claims several times, acting indeed came very natural to her. I'm not a connoisseur of old films, but those that I've seen, I've found acting to look rather forced, with dialogue that seems recited rather than spoken. I don't get that feeling with Day's acting. Also... in scenes in which she sang, I was very impressed with her spot-on lip-syncing... it's clear to me that she made an effort to appear as if she were actually singing in the scenes.
I think Day was a tremendous talent, and one that is probably overlooked in the annals of Hollywood. Perhaps because she wasn't apt to take roles such as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, which she was offered, she passed up opportunities which would have challenged her a bit more and/or gave her more gravitas in the eyes of critics. Nonetheless, that she remains the biggest female box office draw in the history of Hollywood is nothing to sneeze at.
Doris Day: Her Own Story was published in 1976, when she was 55, yet by then she had probably lived enough to fill several lives, having had three marriages at the time of publication (a fourth later that year), dozens of motion pictures (she starred in her first-ever film!), and millions of records sold. Perhaps it's due to her non-flamboyant nature that I've never considered her to be the mega-star (she would hate that word) that she was, but taking all her career successes into consideration, how else would one describe her? Anything she wanted to accomplish, she seemed to accomplish. Except, of course, for a happy, fulfilling marriage, something she has claimed to have been more important to her than her wealth or fame.
Since I have never paid much attention to her beyond what I saw in films or heard on the radio, and because of the characters she played in her films, I never would have thought she'd had such a sad personal life, but sad it was. Perhaps sad isn't quite the word... challenging maybe? Heartbreaking? From her father's departure from the family, to her automobile accident which ruined her dreams to be a dancer, to her abusive first husband, to her brother's life-threatening baseball injury, to her financial ruin at the hands of her third husband and her business manager. Also... she was tangentially involved with the Charles Manson murders.
What I found lacking was her introspection regarding her brother and her son. Early in the book, she states how much she cared for her brother Paul, but there is little else mentioned about him through to his death other than that he worked for Doris's production company. With regard to her son, Terry Melcher, there is virtually no discussion about how she left him in Cincinnati with her mother for weeks at a time as a traveling singer, or when she began her film career. Perhaps it was too difficult for her to deal with the idea of not being present in his life for such long spells. Perhaps it meant admitting that she wasn't a very good mother? Surprisingly, more time/space is spent on her involvement with Christian Science, a religious path that her third husband also followed but—as suggested by friends—was probably more of a ploy in his drive to help engineer the gravy train on which he was riding. She later strayed from the institutional aspect of Christian Science but adhered to many of it basic tenets.
There is another Doris Day biography that was published more recently (2008) that might provide more insights into her relationship with her son, and no doubt covers her fourth and final marriage, and I might skim through it to find out more about her involvement with animal rights (although I believe she was not vegan), which is what she seemed to get a lot more attention for later in life. Also... I guess it would be interesting to know more about her response to Rock Hudson's death from AIDS, which came nine years after this book's publication.
Because I haven't seen a Doris Day film in ages, I watched a couple after finishing this book. As she claims several times, acting indeed came very natural to her. I'm not a connoisseur of old films, but those that I've seen, I've found acting to look rather forced, with dialogue that seems recited rather than spoken. I don't get that feeling with Day's acting. Also... in scenes in which she sang, I was very impressed with her spot-on lip-syncing... it's clear to me that she made an effort to appear as if she were actually singing in the scenes.
I think Day was a tremendous talent, and one that is probably overlooked in the annals of Hollywood. Perhaps because she wasn't apt to take roles such as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, which she was offered, she passed up opportunities which would have challenged her a bit more and/or gave her more gravitas in the eyes of critics. Nonetheless, that she remains the biggest female box office draw in the history of Hollywood is nothing to sneeze at.
April 16, 2018
I am a Doris Day fan. With that said I really don't think I would like her as a person. Her choices throughout the book were so far fetched for me that it was hard for me to have sympathy for her. I can't imagine traveling with a band as a teenager let alone getting married at 17. What mother says that is okay?? I can't imagine having a child and not living with that child for years. Who does that?? She kept saying she didn't care about stardom and all she was doing was making money for her family but she could have done a million other jobs that would not have taken her from her son. I understand how she could have married someone that robbed her blind. I do believe that Marty knew exactly what he was doing. I don't think he did it to hurt her. I do believe that he thought he was doing good but then he got entangled in a web that he couldn't climb away from. Her son Terry made a name for himself which I was glad to read but he was messed up from no parenting. He also had multiple marriages. I do not agree with her stance on sleep with anyone at anytime. Having an affair with a married man is not okay. I don't care if he hasn't seen his wife for 20 years it is never okay. So many things frustrated me with this book even though it was fascinating. It was like a train wreck that I couldn't look away from. When she gave parenting advice I laughed out loud. The day I would take any advice on parenting from her... I do love many of the movies she made and I think she is an amazing actress but at what cost to her and her family.
March 13, 2011
This was the very first hardcover book I purchased. The bookstore in my small town had to put it on order for me, and so I had it very soon after it was released. I've read it many many times, and have extra copies in paperback that I lend out to friends.
I'm a huge fan of Doris Day, and this is the very best book written about her as it really has the inside scoop. It's the only book about DDay that had her full participation and endorsement. I will say that there are other books about her that add some detail that perhaps she didn't want known in the mid seventies. The black baseball player that she had an affair with - Maury Wills. THAT would have certainly been a scandal in those tumultuous times!
I'll try to write reviews on some of the other books I've read about her. The quality varies considerably. This is the best though - if you're interested in Doris Day start with this on.
I'm a huge fan of Doris Day, and this is the very best book written about her as it really has the inside scoop. It's the only book about DDay that had her full participation and endorsement. I will say that there are other books about her that add some detail that perhaps she didn't want known in the mid seventies. The black baseball player that she had an affair with - Maury Wills. THAT would have certainly been a scandal in those tumultuous times!
I'll try to write reviews on some of the other books I've read about her. The quality varies considerably. This is the best though - if you're interested in Doris Day start with this on.
July 28, 2010
I don't normally read bios, but I came across this in the library one day, and since I love Doris Day I couldn't help myself.
Her life seems so tragic. It's hard to believe that someone so cheerful naturally has had all this happen to her and yet she doesn't seem angry about it. She just accepts it and moves on. As a book it was interesting because I didn't know anything about Doris Day prior to reading it. However, I was looking forward to learning more about her relationship with Rock Hudson. I was shocked that there wasn't really much to learn about them.
This book has inspired me to read more bios.
Her life seems so tragic. It's hard to believe that someone so cheerful naturally has had all this happen to her and yet she doesn't seem angry about it. She just accepts it and moves on. As a book it was interesting because I didn't know anything about Doris Day prior to reading it. However, I was looking forward to learning more about her relationship with Rock Hudson. I was shocked that there wasn't really much to learn about them.
This book has inspired me to read more bios.
January 12, 2012
I got this from Amazon US for $0.01 + shipping. What arrived was a well read, very yellowed copy of the book from when it was first published. I usually hate books in this condition, much preferring a brand new copy. But being a massive fan of Doris Day I was willing to overlook that and I am glad I did.
I grew up watching Day on video and then DVD and loved her films all through my childhood. It was only when I got the Internet that I realised that her life wasn't exactly the same as her film characters and that she led one hell of a life and is now a recluse.
This book is a fantastic read for fans of Doris Day.
I grew up watching Day on video and then DVD and loved her films all through my childhood. It was only when I got the Internet that I realised that her life wasn't exactly the same as her film characters and that she led one hell of a life and is now a recluse.
This book is a fantastic read for fans of Doris Day.
August 17, 2016
As a fan of Doris, I enjoyed reading about her life. The person I felt the most compassion for was her son Terry. Marty Melcher was horrible to him and Doris should have protected her son. He was sent to military school in the same town. It's a miracle he survived his upbringing and became as successful as he did. The whole Christian Scientist thing I could not comprehend. But I love Doris from her singing, to her movies, and her love of animals. Still a fan.
April 19, 2008
Probably wasn't worth my time to read. About half way I skimmed through. Partly because she had such a terrible life. I mean really bad stuff happened to her and I guess her goal (as she states) and the way she gave it was she was trying to shock the audience and get rid of that goody goody reputation she had. Well, sadly it does that. Again I'm amazed at the stars' lives.
August 18, 2008
I love watching old Doris Day movies. She always has such a bubbly, fun personality, and this book was co-authored by her so it's a pretty accurate biography; although an old one. It was sad to read though what a terrible personal life she's had. Still a good read if you like Doris Day. I really enjoyed it.
December 31, 2009
I liked this book in that I learned about a real person with real problems. I like getting behind the movie screen to know the person. However, this book just made me sad because her life was so full of pain and disappointment. I ached for her as I read it. So, it was good, but a bit depressing.
January 3, 2011
I was amazed at how many movies she made - 17 in 20 years. I liked learning she dated Ronnie Reagan back when he was a liberal democrat. I was disappointed in her mothering style. And I was surprised to learn her son, Terry, dated Candice Bergen and was indirectly involved in the Manson murder trial.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2010
I really liked this autobiography. Although, it was written so long ago that it doesn't contain the last 15 to 20 years of her life. But I learned a lot about her that I didn't know. Things like her religion, abusive husbands, and movies she hated making. All in all, a very good read.
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December 30, 2016I was very much surprised when I read this book. For someone who made such sunny movies, her life off screen was difficult at best. But she is very much to be admired for her resilience. Good book.
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September 23, 2010I remember I enjoyed this book. She had to sacrifice a lot to become successful. Financially screwed by a husband (just like Debbie Reynolds).
December 30, 2013
She's a bit kooky. Her life has been nothing like I would have ever imagined. This girl next door has had a hard knock life.
July 9, 2019
Loved it. She was one of my favorite movie stars in the day. Had no idea of the pain and hardship she endured in her life, but she was a survivor all the way!!!
October 14, 2019
Rather dull.
August 11, 2022
Out of all the biographies and memoirs I have read of the classic Hollywood film stars this was probably my least favorite. Doris Day didn't write it herself but it reads as an autobiography...the author having written the book from interviews that Doris Day gave him. I did find many aspects of Doris Day's life interesting and often sad...such as her abusive first marriage and the fact that her son was thought to be the actual target of the Manson murders. Terry Melcher, her son, had lived in that house on Cielo Dr and had only moved out a few months prior. Supposedly he had met with Manson a couple of times and Manson expected that Terry, a record producer, was going to sign him to a contract...which he didn't. They don't know for certain if he was the intended target...but that certainly would be a difficult thing to process.
It was very sad to read how Doris Day fell victim to the schemes of her third husband and his lawyer who for twenty years "invested" her money but in the end, had really just bled her dry and left her with nothing. So many of the women film stars I read about were also victims of husbands who used them as cash cows and left them with nothing....Debbie Reynolds and Gloria Swanson are two prime examples. In fact, what so many of these women were put through, and what so many women continue to be put through, is sickening. So many of these women not only had to suffer the sexually predatory behavior of the studio heads but also often suffered physical abuse or were left in financial ruin by husbands whom they trusted.
What I didn't like about this book is that it often diverges from biography into lengthy ramblings of Doris Day's religious beliefs and personal opinions about things. An interesting aspect of old Hollywood is how many of those people were devotees of Christian Science....not Scientology. It was a fad I guess but a lot of what Doris Day discusses is simply bizarre and becomes rather dull because she repeats herself a lot. There's even a whole chapter devoted to her opinions on how to communicate with dogs.
So....wasn't a huge fan of this book. I wouldn't highly recommend if you are looking for a great biography on a classic film star.
It was very sad to read how Doris Day fell victim to the schemes of her third husband and his lawyer who for twenty years "invested" her money but in the end, had really just bled her dry and left her with nothing. So many of the women film stars I read about were also victims of husbands who used them as cash cows and left them with nothing....Debbie Reynolds and Gloria Swanson are two prime examples. In fact, what so many of these women were put through, and what so many women continue to be put through, is sickening. So many of these women not only had to suffer the sexually predatory behavior of the studio heads but also often suffered physical abuse or were left in financial ruin by husbands whom they trusted.
What I didn't like about this book is that it often diverges from biography into lengthy ramblings of Doris Day's religious beliefs and personal opinions about things. An interesting aspect of old Hollywood is how many of those people were devotees of Christian Science....not Scientology. It was a fad I guess but a lot of what Doris Day discusses is simply bizarre and becomes rather dull because she repeats herself a lot. There's even a whole chapter devoted to her opinions on how to communicate with dogs.
So....wasn't a huge fan of this book. I wouldn't highly recommend if you are looking for a great biography on a classic film star.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews