Doris Day: Images of a Hollywood Icon

You will love this book of mostly photographs!

A long awaited photo tribute to lovely Doris Day. Expensive but wort it.

This book was in very good condition. It was shipped out very quickly. Highly recommended!!!

[Full disclosure: I know one of the people who compiled this book. That said, I purchased the book myself and I would write the following regardless of who compiled it.]The word "icon" is hopelessly overused, now applied even to celebrities who started out a few months ago. Doris Day was a genuine icon of 20th century Hollywood, the biggest box-office attraction among actresses of her era, widely admired for her authenticity (in musicals, dramas and comedies alike) and cherished as a singer in the golden age of American popular song. Beyond her prodigious performing talents, she also represented mid-century American womanhood in an iconic way -- for better and for worse, since the "eternal virgin" cliche that grew out of her roles in late-1950s, early-1960s bedroom comedies (most of them still great fun, by the way) trivialized the great versatility of her work overall. Finally, she was a pioneer among celebrity advocates for the humane treatment of animals, making her an icon for yet another reason to those who seek more compassion for our more vulnerable four-legged friends.Day published an autobiography in 1976 (a fascinating read, co-written with A.E. Hotchner), and in recent decades there have been a few well-intentioned biographies of her. "Images of a Hollywood Icon" is the first book of its kind, designed for a fan's coffee table. Its hundreds of photos, many from Day's private collection and most previously unpublished, span the year of her birth, 1922, to the year of her final birthday celebration, 2019. In addition to some adorable photos of little Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff on the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, there are wonderful color glimpses of Day's Beverly Hills home life in the 1950s, as well as many private photos from her final decades in Carmel, California, embracing her favorite people (including her son Terry Melcher) and snuggling with her beloved dogs. Her acting and singing careers are thoroughly represented, with complete listings of her film/television work and record releases, beautiful color film posters and album covers, and photos with all of her co-stars, who form a who's who of 20th century American leading men, among them James Cagney, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra and James Stewart. Also included is an amazingly long list of awards, nominations and other honors that she received throughout her life.While this is primarily a photo collection, it also includes a brief foreword by Paul McCartney and several brief but thoughtful essays by singer-pianist-historian Michael Feinstein (about Day's singing career); by associates at the still-active charity she founded in 1978, the Doris Day Animal Foundation (visit ddaf.org); and a particularly insightful piece by film historian Eddie Muller about learning to disregard the unfair belittling of Day's work that emerged in the 1960s. He notes that Molly Haskell was among the first critics to restore appreciation for her work in the 1970s, and he adds that John Updike was among Day's admirers. He quotes Day's two-time co-star James Garner as saying that Day "exuded sex but made you smile about it." I wish he had also quoted the great Cagney, who once wrote about his "Love Me or Leave Me" co-star that "Doris is the epitome of guilelessness. As an actress, she perfectly illustrates my definition of good acting: Just plant yourself, look the other actor in the eye, and tell him the truth." This praise, by one genuine Hollywood icon for another, encapsulates to me what made Day so great.

If you are a fan of the wonderful Miss Doris Day..this book is a must-have!It is literally chuck full of Amazing LARGE Color and B&W photos!Gorgeous quality and a very Large Book..Coffee Table SizeI was amazed at how many photos I have never seen before and loved going through each section.There are sections for all the parts of Doris's Incredible career.Early DayHollywood DayTelevision DayMusic Dayand so much more!This is by far the Best Celebrity Coffee Table Photo Book I have purchased in Decades!Every Doris fan needs to get this Outstanding book!I wouldn't delay either,I have a feeling it will sell out Fast!