LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
It surprises me that no one ever approached her to do a movie or anything since she retired. Maybe more surprising is the suggestion that she might have considered it.
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
C'mon Academy, give Doris an Honorary Oscar !!
latimes.com
Doris Day back in the spotlight
One of the most popular stars of the 1950s and
'60s, Doris Day returns to the limelight with new
album 'My Heart' and the Los Angeles Film Critics' Lifetime Achievement Award.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times
January 5, 2012
Along with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn,
Doris Day was one of the iconic actresses of the 1950s and '60s.
But nearly 40 years ago, she left Hollywood
behind and moved to Carmel after her CBS sitcom
"The Doris Day Show" left the airwaves after five
seasons. She brought out a few albums, did a
series with animals from Carmel ("Doris Day's
Best Friends," from 1985-86), and appeared in a
PBS special on her life in 1991.
But just a few months shy of her 90th birthday,
she is back in the limelight. Day recently
released her first recording in 17 years, "My
Heart" and she's been doing phone interviews to
support the album, which features songs mostly
recorded for the animal series, because all the
proceeds go to her foundation. The 1956
Oscar-winning tune, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be
(Que Sera, Sera)," which she introduced in the
1956 Alfred Hitchcock classic "The Man Who Knew
Too Much," is being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in February.
But even more important, the Los Angeles Film
Critics Assn. has awarded her its Lifetime
Achievement Award. Day will not be coming to Los
Angeles for the Jan. 13 ceremony. But in an
interview last week from Carmel, she said that
she was thrilled with the award, especially since
her last feature film was the 1968 family comedy "With Six You Get Egg Roll."
"It's strange to me [to get the award] at this
point in my life," she said. "I can't get over it."
She said she has always felt comfortable in front
of the camera, from her debut, 1948's "Romance on
the High Seas," which was directed by
Oscar-winner Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca"), through "Egg Roll."
"I wanted to be in films," she said. "I wasn't
nervous. I just felt, 'I am here. I am supposed to be doing this.'"
"I was so lucky to have such terrific actors and
directors," she added. "Everything was different
and everything to me was just great."
But film historian and writer Cari Beauchamp, who
specializes in the history of women on film, and
Times film critic Kenneth Turan note that Day is
often underestimated as an actress.
"People don't take her seriously," said Turan.
"It was a lifetime battle for Marilyn Monroe to
be taken seriously; that was a battle she won.
Audrey Hepburn was always taken seriously. People
are reluctant to take Doris Day seriously. It's too bad."
Though she was one of the most popular stars and
recording artists of her day, a series of films
in the late '50s and early '60s in which she
played a thirtysomething virgin, often opposite
Rock Hudson, tagged her with an image that still lingers.
"My favorite Doris Day line is from Oscar Levant:
'I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin,'" said Beauchamp.
"It is a joke, but it sort of isn't," she said.
"I talk to people about her and they tend to say
she played the girl next door. And you look at
her movies, particularly at the time of those
films, and she wasn't the girl next door. She
always had a backbone. You look at films like
'Pillow Talk' and 'Lover Come Back' with Rock
Hudson and she's an interior decorator and an ad
executive. She had careers. In 'Teacher's Pet,' she's a journalism professor."
Turan loves her 1953 musical western "Calamity
Jane" because "her energy is kind of
irrepressible. The one that surprised me the
most, which was a very unusual film that doesn't
get seen a lot, was 'Love Me or Leave Me.'" The
1955 musical drama with James Cagney revolved
around famed torch singer Ruth Etting and her turbulent marriage to a gangster.
"It's a provocative film," said Turan. "It almost
defines a kind of thing that you would say: Doris
Day would never do something like that. But when
we say that, we are thinking of the cliche Doris
Day, not thinking of the actual actress who made
interesting choices and made interesting films."
Day also counts "Love Me or Leave Me" as a career highlight.
"I really loved working with Jim [Cagney]," she
said. "The wonderful thing is that when you have
someone like Jim to play opposite, it's very
exciting. You just feel so much from a man like that."
She said she didn't research Etting's life, but
went by the script "and just how I felt and what
I listened to. You react. It was so
well-written.... It just comes out of you. I don't know how to explain it."
Though Cagney earned an actor Oscar nomination,
Day was overlooked by the academy.
Day followed "Love Me or Leave Me" with another
dramatic role in "The Man Who Knew Too Much." She
said that Hitchcock didn't give her much
direction, but when he did "he was always right."
In discussing her film career, Day also cited
with enthusiasm the little-known "Storm Warning,"
from 1951, which marked her first non-singing
role. She starred opposite Ronald Reagan and
Ginger Rogers in a drama about the Ku Klux Klan. "I die in the end," she said.
She earned her only Oscar nomination for "Pillow
Talk," in which she played a New York interior
decorator who shares her phone line with a
womanizer (Hudson). The pairing was so
successful, the two teamed up for "Lover Come
Back" and 1964's "Send Me No Flowers," which
marked the first time they played husband and wife in a movie.
Though Hudson had been an established star for
nearly a decade and was an actor Oscar nominee
for 1956's "Giant," Day confessed she had never
heard of him when they were cast in "Pillow Talk."
"Isn't that amazing?" she said, laughing. "I
thought he was just starting out. I didn't know
about all the films he had made. I just loved
working with him. We laughed and laughed."
Though Day had a complex life with four failed
marriages her third husband, Martin Melcher,
squandered most of her fortune and signed her up
for the "Doris Day Show" without her knowing it
before his death in 1968 Day is all sweetness
and light in the short phone interview.
"My Heart," her first album since 1994, was
released in England in the early fall, where it
entered the charts at No. 9, and in the U.S. last
month, where it entered the top 100 on the Billboard charts.
Her son, Terry Melcher, who died eight years ago
from melanoma, produced most of the tracks on her
album, which were mainly recorded for "Doris
Day's Best Friends." When the original recordings
were recently found, Day thought her fans would
love to hear the tunes. Some of the songs,
including "My One and Only" had been issued before on previous albums.
The album also features Day giving a
heart-tugging tribute to her only child,
introducing the song "Happy Endings," which
Melcher and Bruce Johnson wrote and Melcher sings
on the disc. "He had a wonderful voice," she said
wistfully. "I used to talk to him and say,
'Terry, I love your singing.' He said say, 'Come
on, Mom.' I loved his singing. He was so shy
about it." Day dedicated the album to him.
After Day moved to Carmel and dedicated much of
her time to animal welfare, Hollywood stopped
calling. There was never an attempt to lure her
out of retirement, as was the case with Cary
Grant, her costar from "That Touch of Mink" who
retired a bit earlier that she did.
"No one really said that 'Oh come back,'" she
said matter-of-factly. "I was just here."
latimes.com
Doris Day back in the spotlight
One of the most popular stars of the 1950s and
'60s, Doris Day returns to the limelight with new
album 'My Heart' and the Los Angeles Film Critics' Lifetime Achievement Award.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times
January 5, 2012
Along with Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn,
Doris Day was one of the iconic actresses of the 1950s and '60s.
But nearly 40 years ago, she left Hollywood
behind and moved to Carmel after her CBS sitcom
"The Doris Day Show" left the airwaves after five
seasons. She brought out a few albums, did a
series with animals from Carmel ("Doris Day's
Best Friends," from 1985-86), and appeared in a
PBS special on her life in 1991.
But just a few months shy of her 90th birthday,
she is back in the limelight. Day recently
released her first recording in 17 years, "My
Heart" and she's been doing phone interviews to
support the album, which features songs mostly
recorded for the animal series, because all the
proceeds go to her foundation. The 1956
Oscar-winning tune, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be
(Que Sera, Sera)," which she introduced in the
1956 Alfred Hitchcock classic "The Man Who Knew
Too Much," is being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in February.
But even more important, the Los Angeles Film
Critics Assn. has awarded her its Lifetime
Achievement Award. Day will not be coming to Los
Angeles for the Jan. 13 ceremony. But in an
interview last week from Carmel, she said that
she was thrilled with the award, especially since
her last feature film was the 1968 family comedy "With Six You Get Egg Roll."
"It's strange to me [to get the award] at this
point in my life," she said. "I can't get over it."
She said she has always felt comfortable in front
of the camera, from her debut, 1948's "Romance on
the High Seas," which was directed by
Oscar-winner Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca"), through "Egg Roll."
"I wanted to be in films," she said. "I wasn't
nervous. I just felt, 'I am here. I am supposed to be doing this.'"
"I was so lucky to have such terrific actors and
directors," she added. "Everything was different
and everything to me was just great."
But film historian and writer Cari Beauchamp, who
specializes in the history of women on film, and
Times film critic Kenneth Turan note that Day is
often underestimated as an actress.
"People don't take her seriously," said Turan.
"It was a lifetime battle for Marilyn Monroe to
be taken seriously; that was a battle she won.
Audrey Hepburn was always taken seriously. People
are reluctant to take Doris Day seriously. It's too bad."
Though she was one of the most popular stars and
recording artists of her day, a series of films
in the late '50s and early '60s in which she
played a thirtysomething virgin, often opposite
Rock Hudson, tagged her with an image that still lingers.
"My favorite Doris Day line is from Oscar Levant:
'I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin,'" said Beauchamp.
"It is a joke, but it sort of isn't," she said.
"I talk to people about her and they tend to say
she played the girl next door. And you look at
her movies, particularly at the time of those
films, and she wasn't the girl next door. She
always had a backbone. You look at films like
'Pillow Talk' and 'Lover Come Back' with Rock
Hudson and she's an interior decorator and an ad
executive. She had careers. In 'Teacher's Pet,' she's a journalism professor."
Turan loves her 1953 musical western "Calamity
Jane" because "her energy is kind of
irrepressible. The one that surprised me the
most, which was a very unusual film that doesn't
get seen a lot, was 'Love Me or Leave Me.'" The
1955 musical drama with James Cagney revolved
around famed torch singer Ruth Etting and her turbulent marriage to a gangster.
"It's a provocative film," said Turan. "It almost
defines a kind of thing that you would say: Doris
Day would never do something like that. But when
we say that, we are thinking of the cliche Doris
Day, not thinking of the actual actress who made
interesting choices and made interesting films."
Day also counts "Love Me or Leave Me" as a career highlight.
"I really loved working with Jim [Cagney]," she
said. "The wonderful thing is that when you have
someone like Jim to play opposite, it's very
exciting. You just feel so much from a man like that."
She said she didn't research Etting's life, but
went by the script "and just how I felt and what
I listened to. You react. It was so
well-written.... It just comes out of you. I don't know how to explain it."
Though Cagney earned an actor Oscar nomination,
Day was overlooked by the academy.
Day followed "Love Me or Leave Me" with another
dramatic role in "The Man Who Knew Too Much." She
said that Hitchcock didn't give her much
direction, but when he did "he was always right."
In discussing her film career, Day also cited
with enthusiasm the little-known "Storm Warning,"
from 1951, which marked her first non-singing
role. She starred opposite Ronald Reagan and
Ginger Rogers in a drama about the Ku Klux Klan. "I die in the end," she said.
She earned her only Oscar nomination for "Pillow
Talk," in which she played a New York interior
decorator who shares her phone line with a
womanizer (Hudson). The pairing was so
successful, the two teamed up for "Lover Come
Back" and 1964's "Send Me No Flowers," which
marked the first time they played husband and wife in a movie.
Though Hudson had been an established star for
nearly a decade and was an actor Oscar nominee
for 1956's "Giant," Day confessed she had never
heard of him when they were cast in "Pillow Talk."
"Isn't that amazing?" she said, laughing. "I
thought he was just starting out. I didn't know
about all the films he had made. I just loved
working with him. We laughed and laughed."
Though Day had a complex life with four failed
marriages her third husband, Martin Melcher,
squandered most of her fortune and signed her up
for the "Doris Day Show" without her knowing it
before his death in 1968 Day is all sweetness
and light in the short phone interview.
"My Heart," her first album since 1994, was
released in England in the early fall, where it
entered the charts at No. 9, and in the U.S. last
month, where it entered the top 100 on the Billboard charts.
Her son, Terry Melcher, who died eight years ago
from melanoma, produced most of the tracks on her
album, which were mainly recorded for "Doris
Day's Best Friends." When the original recordings
were recently found, Day thought her fans would
love to hear the tunes. Some of the songs,
including "My One and Only" had been issued before on previous albums.
The album also features Day giving a
heart-tugging tribute to her only child,
introducing the song "Happy Endings," which
Melcher and Bruce Johnson wrote and Melcher sings
on the disc. "He had a wonderful voice," she said
wistfully. "I used to talk to him and say,
'Terry, I love your singing.' He said say, 'Come
on, Mom.' I loved his singing. He was so shy
about it." Day dedicated the album to him.
After Day moved to Carmel and dedicated much of
her time to animal welfare, Hollywood stopped
calling. There was never an attempt to lure her
out of retirement, as was the case with Cary
Grant, her costar from "That Touch of Mink" who
retired a bit earlier that she did.
"No one really said that 'Oh come back,'" she
said matter-of-factly. "I was just here."
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlaye ... =142795924
A recent interview with Doris Day.
A recent interview with Doris Day.
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Yes, I think you are right. That is a shame...maybe some people should write to them in support of Ms. Day to remind them her album is eligible. Can people do that? I'm not aware of any law that says it's wrong...I'm not a paid lobbyist or a business associate, just a fan!
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
-
OscarGuy
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- Posts: 13668
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Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Sorry, I meant 2011. Grammy eligibility periods run from October 1 through September 30 (if I remember correctly). They are oddballs.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
2010? But it's being released December 6, 2011.
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
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OscarGuy
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- Posts: 13668
- Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:22 am
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- Contact:
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
It's past the 2010 eligibility period, so it wouldn't be eligible until next year.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Nice to see her back, singing again. I wonder if this album would be eligible for the Grammy Awards? Imagine Doris Day and Tony Bennett both up for a Grammy at their ages!
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
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Big Magilla
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Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
It's not out yet. The relesase date is December 6th.
http://www.amazon.com/My-Heart-U-S-Dori ... 859&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/My-Heart-U-S-Dori ... 859&sr=1-3
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Is this commercially available? How come I have not heard about this new album?Day just this year released an album of jazz standards and cover tunes produced by her late son, Terry Melcher, her first new material in more than four decades.
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
Re: LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
Great! Now let's hope the Academy follows suit next year.
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
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Big Magilla
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LAFC honor Doris Day with Career Acheivement Award
LOS ANGELES, OCTOBER 29, 2010 – Doris Day was selected to receive the Career Achievement Award, it was announced today by Brent Simon, President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA).
“Decades on from the main body of her work, Doris Day is still arguably the template to which Hollywood turns when trying to quantify and capture ‘girl-next-door’ appeal,” said Brent Simon. “Equally at home in snappish romantic comedies and more dramatic fare, Day was the biggest female star of the 1960s, giving a series of delightfully perceptive performances. LAFCA is thrilled to be able to honor her.”
Still one of the top box office performers of all time, Doris Day starred onscreen alongside some of the biggest male stars of her day, including Clark Gable, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, David Niven and of course Rock Hudson. Her screen credits include Calamity Jane, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Tunnel of Love, Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink. Her career as a singer was just as impressive; indeed, Day received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2008. She released more than two dozen albums, experiencing Billboard chart success and in 1957 winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Que Sera Sera,” which would become her signature tune. A passionate animal rights activist for several decades, Day just this year released an album of jazz standards and cover tunes produced by her late son, Terry Melcher, her first new material in more than four decades.
Winners for the 37th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards will be selected at the LAFCA annual voting meeting on Sunday, December 11. The winners will be announced via Twitter (http://twitter.com/LAFilmCritics) in addition to issued press releases. The date for the annual LAFCA awards dinner is TBC.
This year, LAFCA inducted two new members into the Association: Annlee Ellingson and Betsy Sharkey.
Founded in 1975, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is comprised of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Each December, LAFCA members vote on the year’s Achievement Awards, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera. Plaques of recognition are then presented to winners during LAFCA’s annual awards ceremony, held in mid-January.
Aside from honoring each year’s outstanding cinematic achievements, LAFCA has also makes a point to look back and pay tribute to distinguished industry veterans with its annual Career Achievement Award, which is announced in October, as well as to look forward by spotlighting fresh, promising talent with its annual New Generation Award. In addition, over the past three decades, LAFCA has sponsored and hosted numerous film panels and events and donated funds to various Los Angeles film organizations, especially where film preservation was concerned. LAFCA members have also collectively been vocal about taking up causes they have felt passionate about, from drafting formal protests against censorship and colorization to lending their support to controversial films.
For more information, visit www.lafca.net and follow LAFCA via Twitter at @lafilmcritics (http://twitter.com/LAFilmCritics)
“Decades on from the main body of her work, Doris Day is still arguably the template to which Hollywood turns when trying to quantify and capture ‘girl-next-door’ appeal,” said Brent Simon. “Equally at home in snappish romantic comedies and more dramatic fare, Day was the biggest female star of the 1960s, giving a series of delightfully perceptive performances. LAFCA is thrilled to be able to honor her.”
Still one of the top box office performers of all time, Doris Day starred onscreen alongside some of the biggest male stars of her day, including Clark Gable, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, David Niven and of course Rock Hudson. Her screen credits include Calamity Jane, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Tunnel of Love, Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink. Her career as a singer was just as impressive; indeed, Day received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2008. She released more than two dozen albums, experiencing Billboard chart success and in 1957 winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Que Sera Sera,” which would become her signature tune. A passionate animal rights activist for several decades, Day just this year released an album of jazz standards and cover tunes produced by her late son, Terry Melcher, her first new material in more than four decades.
Winners for the 37th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards will be selected at the LAFCA annual voting meeting on Sunday, December 11. The winners will be announced via Twitter (http://twitter.com/LAFilmCritics) in addition to issued press releases. The date for the annual LAFCA awards dinner is TBC.
This year, LAFCA inducted two new members into the Association: Annlee Ellingson and Betsy Sharkey.
Founded in 1975, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is comprised of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Each December, LAFCA members vote on the year’s Achievement Awards, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera. Plaques of recognition are then presented to winners during LAFCA’s annual awards ceremony, held in mid-January.
Aside from honoring each year’s outstanding cinematic achievements, LAFCA has also makes a point to look back and pay tribute to distinguished industry veterans with its annual Career Achievement Award, which is announced in October, as well as to look forward by spotlighting fresh, promising talent with its annual New Generation Award. In addition, over the past three decades, LAFCA has sponsored and hosted numerous film panels and events and donated funds to various Los Angeles film organizations, especially where film preservation was concerned. LAFCA members have also collectively been vocal about taking up causes they have felt passionate about, from drafting formal protests against censorship and colorization to lending their support to controversial films.
For more information, visit www.lafca.net and follow LAFCA via Twitter at @lafilmcritics (http://twitter.com/LAFilmCritics)