One of the most remarkable personalities on the entertainment front was Doris Day. With hair like gold and a clear voice, she changed the way we view films and listen to songs. A few of the songs she sang then are still an evergreen favorite to most of us, and people looked up to her, her songs, and movies for inspiration. She was the all-American girl, and embodied the "girl next door", and her career lasted for more than eight decades. At 97 years old, Doris has passed away, leaving a legacy of beautiful movies and songs that will forever be remembered. 

Her Last Birthday

Doris died at her home in Carmel, California. Day died just two months after celebrating her 97th birthday when she shared this happy photo of herself. In her later years, Day kept away from the public eye and spent much of her time in her Carmel home, overlooking the ocean.

She May Have Saved Her Son's Life

Doris may have saved her son Terry's life from the notorious American killer, Charles Manson. After Terry refused to work with Manson, the latter decided to get his revenge. Terry was renting a property at 10050 Cielo Drive where he lived with his girlfriend, Candice Bergen. After Terry had told her about Manson, Doris insisted that Terry moved to one of the houses that she owned. Manson then sent his followers to the Cielo drive home who brutally murdered the pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four other people in 1969.

Couldn't Save Her Son For the Second Time

Doris saved her son Terry's life once but this time, no one could help him. In 2004, Terry, Doris' only son who was adopted by her third husband Melcher, died. Terry was a musician and record producer. He produced The Byrds' first two albums as well as the recording of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Terry suffered from cancer for a long time and he was 62 when he passed away. He is survived by his wife Terese, their son Ryan, and his mother.

Refused To See A Doctor After A Lump Was Found In Her Body

In the '50s, Doris had a huge health scare after a lump in her body was discovered. Both Doris and her husband Melcher were practicing Christian Science (her former husband Weidler helped introduce her to the church) and so she refused to ask a doctor about it or have it checked for quite some time. When she finally sought help from a physician, she recovered with ease as the lump was found to be benign and non-threatening. We can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the lump was not as innocent...

Her Husband Died & Left Her In Huge Debt

But Day's glamorous life changed suddenly. When Martin Melcher, her husband, died in 1968, Day was dumbfounded to discover that together with his business associate Jerome Bernard Rosenthal, Melcher had squandered all her fortune. Not only did she face bankruptcy but she was also left in huge debt. Rosenthal was Day's attorney for a long time ever since her second divorce. She filed a lawsuit and won it but she did not receive any compensation until 1979. What an absolute nightmare to wake up to after grieving for a man who was actually trying to destroy you all along!

Reluctantly Starred In The Doris Day Show

As if going bankrupt wasn't enough, Doris also learned that her now-deceased husband committed her to a show without even asking her. The show which Doris involuntarily had to do was entitled The Doris Day Show and ran from 1968 until 1973. Melcher also signed her up for a bunch of TV specials - all without consulting her. This was a tough moment for Day who, after losing her husband, had to appear on TV as if nothing had happened in a show that she did not agree to work on in the first place. We can imagine she must have been actually furious on the inside!

Where Did Day's Money Go?

When Doris won the lawsuit against Rosenthal, he filed a lawsuit against the lawyers who allegedly cheated him into losing millions of dollars. Day's former lawyer Rosenthal claimed that all her money was in fact in real estate that was sold after her husband died. He also claimed that he made the investments with the intent of selling the properties for a huge profit later. Rosenthal was eventually disbarred and Day claimed she believed her husband to be innocent in all that. Who knows what the actual story behind all this was?

Animal Welfare Activist

Doris has always cared for animals which resulted from her dog's premature death while she was a teenager. Day co-founded Actors and Others for Animas in 1971 and publicly denounced wearing fur. Other great names such as Mary Tyler Moore and Jayne Meadows joined her. Seven years later, she founded a charity organization called the Doris Day Pet Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to help animals as well as those who care for them and it continues to operate to this day. What a lovely gesture from someone who can really make a difference!

The Animal Savior

Doris Day was very serious when it came to her animal welfare activism. She says that she has never met any kind of animal that she didn't like. It would've been nice if she could have said the same things about humans as well. The photo above was taken at a Playboy Mansion party that helped her foundation called Actors and Others for Animals find new homes for some adorable animals. We're sure the people there had huge bank accounts that allowed them to contribute to the cause.

How It All Began

Born to Alma Sophia and William Joseph Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati Ohio, Doris Day had the right settings for learning music. Her father was a choir-master and music teacher so she had the perfect atmosphere for her music lessons. She got christened Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff and it was even believed before that she had been born in 1924. However, it was soon confirmed that her year of birth was indeed 1922, on account of the birth certificate discovered by the Associated Press by accident.

A Singer Named After a Song

Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff took the name Doris Day after Barney Rapp heard her sing Day By Day. The band leader liked the way she sang the song. In no time, she became the shorter, "sunnier" Doris Day. Her affluence began to grow as her songs began to find their way into the top 10 songs on the Billboard as many as 21 times!

Discovering The Talent

Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and aspired to become a dancer first, and she set up a dance duo with Jerry Doherty. The dream lasted until a leg injury she suffered in a car accident in 1937. It was during this time while she was recovering from the injury that Doris discovered her talent for signing. She used to sing along with the radio and enjoyed the fascinating voice of Ella Fitzgerald, possibly sad about her not being able to dance like she would like but excited she found her calling in singing.

World of Songs Claim the Young Star

All she could do when she lay injured was to listen to the radio. Her favorite singer was Ella Fitzgerald whose intonations she tried to follow as she sang along with her. Her mother Alma engaged the services of a music teacher, Grace Raine, to teach her daughter. Raine was so impressed with Doris' voice that she gave her two extra free lessons for every paid one, though we don't know exactly how much money was saved with that offer.

The Girl With The Golden Voice

Doris' mother, Alma, paid for her singing lessons. Her teacher, Grace Raine, said that Doris had tremendous potential. She landed her first gig on the Carlin's Carnival radio program and soon caught the attention of the musician Barney Rapp and other band leaders after that. Her first recording Sentimental Journey was released in 1945, becoming an instant hit. By that time, Doris had already been divorced from Al Jarden and had a son, Terry Melcher. Doris was still far from multi-million earnings but she was off to a good start.

Highest-Paid Singer & Second Marriage

After her first success, it was clear that Doris was going to be a star. She continued to release top ten listings in the years to come such as My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time and Till The End of Time. She became so popular that she was one of the highest-paid singers in America during the '50s. She started building her substantial net worth and continued recording songs. By 1946, Doris got married again, this time, to saxophonist George William Weidler. No doubt she was attracted to music!

The Beginning Of Her Film Career & The End Of Her Marriage

Her incredibly successful singing career meant that Doris would eventually move on to acting too, and she did- for the sake of her many fans. After working with Les Brown and other bands and touring all across the United States, Doris landed a role in Romance on the High Seas in 1948 which was financially successful. She appeared in another movie the next year entitled, My Dream Is Yours. And even though her earnings were building up, the same year, unfortunately, her marriage came to an end as she and George got a divorce.

Academy Award & Calamity Jane

The musical biography I'll See You In My Dreams (1951) was her most commercially successful project. The film broke box-office records and made the American beauty with blonde hair an even bigger star with even bigger bank accounts. That same year on her 29th birthday, Doris married Martin Melcher who then adopted her son and gave him his last name. Two years later, Doris starred in the western-themed musical called Calamity Jane. The song from the movie was immensely popular and even won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

She Had The Midas Touch

Doris Day had already become quite a star by the early '50s but she made a breakthrough into more dramatic roles with Love Me or Leave Me in 1955. After that, she played in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, singing two songs in the film and again winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. She went on to earn big money and land leading roles in the years that followed. And how could she not? It seems that no matter what was in Doris Day’s mind, she could turn it into gold with her immense and multi-dimensional talent.  

The Height of Her Success & Retirement

The years between 1959 -1968 were Day's most successful years as an actress. She played in a series of romantic comedies such as Pillow Talk (remember the famous scene when Rock Hudson carries Doris down the street?), Lover Come Back, and Send Me No Flowers. Gradually, she started appearing in box-office hits less frequently and turned down many roles. It is understandable, given the fact that she was giving her all in everything she participated in for many years- and by then she should have amassed enough money to make a living! Her final film role was in With Six You Get Eggroll in 1968.  

 The TV Specials & Semi-Retirement

It was all too much for Doris who lost both her money and her husband and was fed up with everything, especially after having to go through all this adventure with her former lawyer and her lost fortune. She mostly retired after The Doris Day Show. She did several TV specials though, The Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff Special in 1971 and Doris Day to Day in 1975. Day also had a talk show, Doris Day's Best Friends, which ran for only 26 episodes. The show was canceled even though it gained publicity.

Her Fourth & Final Marriage

Years after her third husband died in 1968, Doris day found love again. In 1976, she married Barry Comden, a maitre d'hotel in a restaurant that she loved. He reportedly gave her a bag of food for her dogs since he knew she loved them. For a woman who really adored her pets, this must have been a notable gesture! However, this marriage didn't last as well and the couple got a divorce. They were married until 1982 and her now ex-husband later said that she cared more for her animals than for him. That was unfortunate.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

From the beginning of the 2000s, Doris, who managed to recover from bankruptcy over the years, made few appearances. She even turned down many offers because they required attendance in person. We bet many years of hosting a show that she was not willing to from the start must have tired her a lot. In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded her with a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her achievements in the entertainment industry as well as her activism. She also received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in Music in 2008 although she wasn't present for the ceremony.

89 & Scoring Top 10

This lady may have grown old but she can still sing beautifully and she has proven that. After almost two decades, Day has come up with another album. My Heart was released in 2011 and it is a compilation of the recordings produced by her late son Terry Melcher. The album reached the UK Top 10, making Doris the oldest artist to do so at age 89. This helped her raise funds for her Doris Day Animal League, another organization she founded aimed at animal protection. She is both sensitive and extremely talented even at her age!

A House By The Sea

After retiring from acting, Doris decided to settle in a house in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She first fell in love with the beauty of this area while filming Julie in 1956.  She and her fourth husband then purchased an estate in Carmel overlooking the Golf Course in the mid-'70s, and this is where she's been spending her days ever since. Doris has adopted many stray animals who live there with her. The 11-acre property also features several cottages apart from the main house possibly to accommodate her friends whenever they decide to pay her a visit.

Denver Pyle as Doris' Father

In the first few seasons of The Doris Day Show, Pyle plays the role of Doris' father. In real-life, Denver Pyle was only two years older than Doris, but his hair and beard made him look old. It must have been also his facial expressions and dressing style as we would not have known that unless we had some research done! Pyle's acting portfolio includes stints at The Andy Griffith Show as Briscoe Darling Jr. and The Dukes of Hazzard where he played Jesse Duke. Pyle reprised his role of Jesse Duke at The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!

Fear of Flying on Airplanes

In Julie, Doris Day plays the role of a flight attendant. What people did not know was that Doris had a fear of flying! As it happened, the thought of airplanes had made her even avoid many award ceremonies. Day has received nine Laurel Award nominations and won the award four times for Best Female Performance. Recognition and money might just be the best things that could ever happen to an artist yet the fear of traveling in an airplane made it impossible for Doris to actually enjoy her stardom.

Her Charity - The Doris Day Pet Foundation

Day founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF), a non-profit grant-giving public charity for animal protection. When it began in 1978, it had the name Doris Day Pet Foundation. Its aim is to help animals and people who love animals. In 1995, she began the annual Spay Day USA. She also began another complementary organization called Doris Day Animal League (DDAL). It merged in 2006 into the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Her Fourth Attempt at Marriage

Doris Day married husband number four in the person of the maître d'hôtel (Barry Comden) at her favorite restaurant. Their wedding was in 1976 and lasted until 1981. The reason why Barry Comden gave up on their marriage was that, in his mind, Doris had more interest in her animal friends than in him. We knew she was an animal lover but could that be true?

Rock & Roll Producer Son Terry

Doris Day has one son named Terry Melcher, famous for producing albums for many rock legends. He handled the accounts of Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Beach Boys, and Byrds and got paid handsomely for collaborating with them. He also played the boards for Kokomo and Mr. Tambourine Man. Sadly, in 2004, Melcher breathed his last, which must've been devasting for Doris.

Saying No To Provocative Roles

Doris Day had to protect her very chaste and sweet image during the time she was a popular star. This meant that she just couldn't say yes to all the movies offered to her. For the film The Graduate, the role of Mrs. Robinson was initially offered to her. She later decided to decline the part because she didn't really like the character or the story. Nonetheless, the movie was still a hit and made a ton of money at the box office.

Getting Sick Of Being The Good Girl

Doris Day made a ton of earnings throughout her career as an actress and singer, so she had to keep up with the expectations Hollywood had of her. This meant that she became extra careful that her "wholesome" image wouldn't get destroyed. This was a lot of pressure and Doris eventually got tired of being seen as the very conservative "girl next door." Well, in hindsight, Doris couldn't do anything about it since she didn't want to disappoint her fans and supporters.

The Low Salary

You would expect that most actors receive huge paychecks whenever they are cast in a movie and this is one of the things that make their job so rewarding. But then, everybody has to start somewhere so receiving a million-dollar paycheck does not really happen overnight. When Doris Day first signed with Warner Brothers in the 1940s, her salary was reportedly just $750 a week. This was rather sad because reportedly, 50% of it went to director Michael Curtis.

Frank Sinatra Vs. Her Husband

Back in 1951, Doris Day tied the knot with Martin Melcher who worked as a film producer. There were times when Melcher would visit Doris when she was working. When Doris was filming the movie Young At Heart, her co-star Frank Sinatra said that he would flee the set if he saw Melcher. This was because a lot of people actually did not like Melcher, saying that he was "creepy" or a "shallow and insecure hustler." Melcher passed away in 1968. He had some heart problems.

No To Foul Language

Whenever Doris Day was at the studio to record some songs, she had a"swear jar." She was not a fan of using foul language and she didn't even want her songs to be used in movies that had any expletives. In fact, anybody who was caught uttering any foul language in the studio had to put a quarter in the "swear jar!" We wonder how much money they able to collect there...

Caring For The Animals On Set

Doris Day has loved animals ever since she was a teenager. Ever since her pet dog named Tiny was killed by a car, she dedicated herself to animal welfare activism. While she was on the set of the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much, she hated how the goats, sheep, and camels were treated so she later told the crew that she would not work until they changed how they were treating the animals. A portion of her hard-earned earnings had been allotted to her work as an animal welfare activist through the years.

Surviving A Health Scare

Doris Day is blessed to be very much alive at her age of 96, but this does not mean that she didn't experience some obstacles in the past. Back in the mid-1950s during the time she was working on the movie Julie, she discovered something that really scared her. Her doctor told her that there was a grapefruit-sized tumor which was growing in her intestines. Fortunately, she was able to get the proper surgery and make a full recovery.

The Success Of That Touch of Mink

Doris Day has built such an impressive acting resumé through the years that we bet she can't anymore keep track of how much box office hits she had in the past. Back in the 1960s, she broke box office records, thanks to her movie entitled That Touch of Mink. It was the first ever film that was able to earn more than $1 million in just one theater. You can only imagine how big of a salary Day had received afterward.

Too American For The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music was another movie from the 1960s - a classic that earned a ton of money at the box office. The film starred Julie Andrews and this is still considered to be one of the most notable films in her career. What you might not have known is that Doris Day has been offered to star in the movie. She later decided to turn down the offer because she felt like she was "too American" to be playing an Austrian nun.

Who Is Clara Bixby?

Some of you might have thought that Doris Day was already using her real name but the truth is, her real name is Doris Mary Kappelhoff. Fans might have called her Doris but to her friends, she is just Clara Bixby. This was all thanks to Billy De Wolfe who gave her the nickname when they were working on the movie, Tea For Two. He just said that she looks like a Clara Bixby rather than a Doris Day. We wonder how her parents felt about the moniker...

Weak Gay-dar

Doris Day was well-recognized for the bedroom comedies she made with actor Rock Hudson. They worked on a lot of projects together and had developed a pretty good friendship. He was only 59 years old back in 1985 when he passed away due to some complications that were connected to his AIDS. After his death, Doris admitted that she never had any clue that Hudson was gay! But as compassionate as Doris is, we're sure that she would've supported him had she known about his 'preference.'

Celebrity Buddies

Being such a popular name in the industry, Doris Day had a lot of high-profile names as well. We guess having reached such fame and a crazy high net worth makes it very easier for celebrities to get along well with one another. One of the good friends Doris has in the industry is The Beatles member Paul McCartney. Paul used to call and wake her up in the middle of the night just to say hello. How sweet is that?!

The End Of Her Big Screen Career

At 96 years old, Doris Day hasn't appeared on the big screen for decades now. The last big-screen credit for her acting portfolio is the movie, With Six You Get Egg Roll. She was the actress who portrayed the role of Abby McClure in the film and she was able to star alongside actor Brian Keith. She has been residing at California's Carmel-by-the-Sea ever since retiring from the big screen.

Singing With Buddy Clark

Doris Day is such an inspirational woman because she was able to balance pursuing her dreams in the acting and singing scenes. Some of the big stars in the music industry she had worked with were Frank Sinatra, Don Cherry, Frankie Laine, and Johnny Ray. Her song entitled Confess, which was a duet with singer Buddy Clark, was a very notable duet from her career. Sadly, Clark was only 37 years old in 1949 when he died after a private plane he was riding had crashed.

The Honorary Bob-Cat

Doris Day has been truly blessed with such a nice voice and getting earnings from using that nice voice of hers was just a bonus. But Doris did not limit herself to just performing alone because she did collaborate with famous orchestras. One of the orchestras she had worked with was Bob Crosby's Bob-Cats. She also worked with Les Brown and His Band of Renown and Les Brown said that Doris was really a naturally talented singer.

Her Relationship With God

Some celebrities are blinded by the massive fortune they have in the bank that being down-to-earth might not be one of their traits. For Doris Day, she knew how to separate material things from the more important things in life and one of the things she cherished was her relationship with God. Whenever she has some health problems, she always turns to God by praying. It's definitely an oddity to see a successful star who has remained religious through the years.

What She Thinks Of Her Stage Surname

Musician Barney Rapp was one of the first few people that saw so much potential in Doris Day. Without him, we doubt she could have ever achieved a multi-million-dollar net worth. Rapp was actually the one who changed her name to Doris Day instead of Doris Kappelhoff. He just thought her real last name was too long so he later thought of a stage surname and he ended up coming up with "day" because of how well she sang Day By Day. Unfortunately, Doris completely hated it but adopted it anyway.

Her Star On The Walk of Fame

Being one of the biggest stars in the Hollywood scene during her era, it was only right that she can be found in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star was added to the Walk of Fame back in 2004. Even without all the money she had earned, she could still feel so accomplished when it comes to her career since she has achieved so much and won so many awards.

The "Dumb Kid's Song" That Became A Huge Hit

You can't deny the fact that the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much was one of the most notable projects in Day's acting portfolio back then. She is well-remembered for singing the song Que Sera, Sera which later bagged the Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. However, she almost didn't sing the award-winning song because she referred to it as a "dumb kid's song!" You can just imagine her shock when she realized how successful the song has become.

Doris Buys Dog-Friendly Cypress Inn

Doris Day drew money from her bank account to buy the Cypress Inn along with her partner Dennis LeVett. This hotel was near her Carmel house. It is an animal-friendly hotel that provides animal owners and animals to bond. Doris is likely enjoying the fact that she can now spend more time doing what she loves the most - and that is caring for animals while being close to home.

Her Signature Tune Que Sera Sera

The Man Who Knew Too Much, the thriller of 1956 by Alfred Hitchcock, has Que Sera Sera as its signature tune. Of course, Doris Day sang this musical marvel and gave it its appealing quality, though she was reluctant to sing a "children's song" at first. But, under pressure from the studio, she completed the recording.  

The Beginning of a Wonderful Film Career

As Doris Day matured, she showed an inclination for acting in dramatic roles. Young Man with a Horn (1950) in which she played the role of a singer had Kirk Douglas in the role of a troubled musician. She followed this up with Storm Warning as the wife of a Ku Klux Klan member. Soon, romantic comedy became her forte and she was considered the queen of the genre. By then, her net worth had started to increase dramatically.

Romantic Comedies Worthy of Mention

Her string of comedic films began soon after with Pajama Game (1957) with John Raitt and  Teacher's Pet (1958) opposite Clark Gable. The Touch of Mink was a huge money grosser and is the first movie in film history to gross $1 million. Doris received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, an award she really deserved for being amazing.

Great Performances Continue For Day

The 1960s proved as successful as the previous decade for Doris Day. Her hit films include Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) and Move Over, Darling (1963). They were all comedic films that were as entertaining as her smile for the adoring film audience. However, she made a decision to enter retirement (from the movies) in 1968 to shift her attention to television.

Airing Her Unique Television Show

In a bid to refinance herself while still in the entertainment industry, The Doris Day Show began airing in 1968. It continued for four seasons, bridging many changes and evolving in the process. You can see the celebrity news change from comedy to the realism of the urban life. The second season was in San Francisco. Here you see Doris Day as a secretary. Over the next two seasons, she transforms into a single-career woman until its final airing in March 1973.

Mention of Day by Top Pop Musicians

It seems that prominent musicians attribute acknowledge  Doris Day's legacy by mentioning her name in their songs. You can see it in the Billy Joel song, We Didn't Start the Fire. It has "Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray" while George Michael says the sun is shining brighter than Doris Day in Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. The Beatles, Elton John, and Doe Maar also mention her in their song. More than having a loaded savings account, Day can boast of being an icon herself as other artists pay homage to her persona.

The Beginning of Her Married Life

Doris Day married a trombonist Al Jorden who played for Barney Rapp. She was a fan of his music apparently. Their marriage didn't last long enough as it, unfortunately, ended after two years. Tragically, their time together ended when he shot himself dead. Allegedly, he used to physically abuse Day when they were together. It seems that Doris was not that lucky when it came to matters of the heart.

Her Next Journey Into Marriage

In 1946, she married a saxophonist named George William Weidler. But this union did not last long as well and ended in 1949. One good outcome of this wedding was that he introduced her to Christian Science. This was also when she met her third husband. Well, it was like striking gold actually - finding her belief and her love!

Her Longest Marriage

Doris Day seems happiest in her third marriage. This was to Martin Melcher, who produced many of Doris' movies. He also adopted her son Terry Melcher and this helped in her re-growth. The reason for this happy union might be that they were both Christian Scientists. But, the drawback was that they would not see a doctor whenever they fell ill even though they had the money (based on their faith) and this almost spelled doom. Luckily, one tumor that she had proved benign. Melcher, however, died in 1968.

Bankruptcy Strikes

When Martin Melcher died, it came to light that he had spent the savings account Doris had. This was in 1968. Doris Day then filed a lawsuit against her attorney Rosenthal for squandering all she had saved along with her husband. She won but had to wait until 1979 to get the settlement. This must have been really hard on Doris.

Expenses of Legal Battles

A large part of the $20-million settlement Doris Day received went on lawyer's fees and legal costs as it is expected. And now, she went ahead and hosted the television program that Melcher had arranged for her. Thus began The Doris Day Show (1968 -73) which eventually won a Golden Globe. Well, she might have been great at hosting her own show but that doesn’t mean she should have been forced to do it.

End of The Doris Day Show

Public tastes, costumes, and priorities had changed over the decades. By 1973, when the show came to the end of its run, people were no longer interested in a character with a breezy attitude wearing flamboyant dresses. Doris also wanted to quit acting and she did so, except for two or three special shows. These were Doris Day to Day (1975) and The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special (1971). Then, there was the last TV special with John Denver in 1974. But Doris has yet to officially enter retirement.

Last of the Television Shows

CBN hosted Doris Day's Best Friends. This was during the 1985-86 season. This was Doris' own television talk show and her sunny smile and petite dress received worldwide acclaim. But, after 26 episodes, the network canceled the show, and so earnings stopped coming in soon after. Doris had to come up with a new strategy regarding her career if she wanted to maintain her status.

Interest in Animal Welfare Activities

Doris day became interested in animal care and protection when she was a teenager. Perhaps her compassion for animals was also partly due to her childhood experience when her dog Tiny got run over by a car. Her association with Actors and Others for Animals has made people take more notice of the issues that animals and those dealing with animals are facing. Needless to say, she might've spent a portion of her money in furthering the cause.

Big Supporter of the Republican Party

She knew two Republican Presidents - George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. She acted in films with Ronald Reagan and liked him a lot because he was jovial and told plenty of jokes throughout the full movie shooting. Who does not love a man of good humor? In the 2000 and 2004 elections, she had her money on George W. Bush.

Presidential Medal

Being a big supporter of the Republican Party, Doris Day got a lot of attention from the top brass. Her efforts on animal rescue got her the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush, in 2004. It is the highest civilian award (along with the Congressional Gold Medal) in America, which no amount of earnings could ever top.

Two Late Song Releases

One of her albums got recorded in 1967 and released in 1994. This was The Love Album. Also, in 2011, she released My Heart in the United Kingdom. This was her first new album in two decades, an inheritance she passed on to her adoring audience. She was 89 at the time. But who said that talent ends in an early age?

 

Retirement Suited Doris Day

After she retired, Doris Day lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She continued her close association with stray animals and animal rights.  As expected, she had many pets. On her birthday in 2016, she gave a telephone interview to ABC to talk about her life in retirement and her causes.