Doris Day talks! And how does she sound? Terrific
Doris Day in 1989. Photo credit: Kevin Winter
Doris Day is my choice for the most underrated performer in show-business history. She just never gets her due as a remarkable singer and actress. And then there’s box office: She set the standard for actresses.
So I’m thrilled to pass along the tip that WNYC musical host Jonathan Schwartz recently interviewed the Hollywood legend, who is 88. Schwartz talks to Day with the respect and admiration that millions of fans hold for her. And she responds with down-to-earth charm and wit.
How did she become an actress? “I have no idea,” she says. “No one taught me anything.”
Her approach to acting: She listened. She sounds remarkably chipper, although she acknowledges she recently had a serious case of bronchitis.
In the interview, Day impersonates director Michael Curtiz, who gave her her start in the 1948 film “Romance on the High Seas.” She explains that she likes to record quickly so the performance is fresh. She loves “It’s Magic” and “Secret Love” of her recordings. She expresses her affection for Frank Sinatra.
She has a real solid outlook: “Everything fell into place in my life.”
But the best news of all: She sounds terrific. Could the Oscar and Kennedy Center folk please take note? This too-often-unsung star deserves the big honors.