After ending her film career in 1968, only briefly removed from the height of her popularity, she starred in her own television sitcom The Doris Day Show (1968–1973).

[9][10] Her paternal grandfather Franz Joseph Wilhelm Kappelhoff immigrated to the United States in 1875 and settled within the large German community in Cincinnati.

[14] On October 13, 1937, while Day was riding with friends, their car collided with a freight train, and she broke her right leg, curtailing her prospects as a professional dancer.

She later said: "During this long, boring period, I used to while away a lot of time listening to the radio, sometimes singing along with the likes of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, and Glenn Miller.

[19] During the eight months when she was receiving singing lessons, Day secured her first professional jobs as a vocalist on the WLW radio program Carlin's Carnival and in a local restaurant, Charlie Yee's Shanghai Inn.

[20] During her radio performances, she first caught the attention of Barney Rapp, who was seeking a female vocalist and asked her to audition for the job.

"[3] While singing with the Les Brown band and for nearly two years on Bob Hope's weekly radio program,[16] Day toured extensively across the United States.

Her performance of the song "Embraceable You" impressed songwriter Jule Styne and his partner Sammy Cahn, and they recommended her for a role in Romance on the High Seas (1948).

After filming Lucky Me (1954) with Bob Cummings and Young at Heart (1955) with Frank Sinatra, Day elected to not renew her contract with Warner Brothers.

[52] After three successive dramatic films, Day returned to her musical/comedic roots in The Pajama Game (1957) with John Raitt, based on the Broadway play of the same name.

[54] She costarred with Richard Widmark and Gig Young in the romantic comedy film The Tunnel of Love (1958)[55] and with Jack Lemmon in It Happened to Jane (1959).

[56] In 1959, Day entered her most successful phase as a film actress with a series of romantic comedies[57][58] beginning with Pillow Talk (1959), costarring Rock Hudson, who became a lifelong friend, and Tony Randall.

[61] Along with David Niven and Janis Paige, Day starred in Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) and with Cary Grant in the comedy That Touch of Mink (1962).

From 1959 through 1969, she received six Golden Globe nominations for best female performance in three comedies, one drama (Midnight Lace), one musical (Jumbo) and her television series.

Day filed suit against Rosenthal in February 1969 and won a successful decision in 1974, but she did not receive compensation until a settlement was reached in 1979.

I had also been signed up for a bunch of TV specials, all without anyone ever asking me.Day hated the idea of performing on television but felt obligated to forge ahead with the series.

Day persevered with the show, needing to work to repay her debts, but only after CBS ceded creative control to her and her son.

One episode featured Rock Hudson, who was showing the first public symptoms of AIDS, including severe weight loss and fatigue.

Rosenthal claimed that much of the money that Day had lost was the result of the unwise advice of other attorneys who had suggested that she sell three hotels at a loss, as well as some oil leases in Kentucky and Ohio.

[95] Day was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1981 and received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement in 1989.

She declined tribute offers from the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center Honors because they both require that recipients attend in person.

In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush for her achievements in the entertainment industry and for her work on behalf of animals.

[99]Columnist Liz Smith and film critic Rex Reed mounted vigorous campaigns to gather support for an Academy Honorary Award for Day.

[100] According to The Hollywood Reporter, the academy had offered her the honorary Oscar multiple times, but she declined as she saw the film industry as a part of her past life.

Tracks include the 1970s Joe Cocker hit "You Are So Beautiful", the Beach Boys' "Disney Girls" and jazz standards such as "My Buddy", which Day originally sang in the film I'll See You in My Dreams (1951).

In 1971, she cofounded Actors and Others for Animals and appeared in a series of newspaper advertisements denouncing the wearing of fur along with Mary Tyler Moore, Angie Dickinson and Jayne Meadows.

She co-organized several fundraising events for HIV/AIDS-related charities and provided financial contributions to research and support programs for individuals affected by the disease.

[133] Following Melcher's death, Day separated from the Church of Christ, Scientist and grew close to charismatic Protestants such as Kathryn Kuhlman, although she never lost interest in Christian Science teaching and practice.

He knew of her great love of dogs and endeared himself to her by giving her a bag of meat scraps and bones as she left the restaurant.

Asked to name the favorite of her films, she answered with Calamity Jane: "I was such a tomboy growing up, and she was such a fun character to play.