TCM Celebrates Doris Day’s 90th Birthday with 24-Hour Marathon Thursday, April 3

April 03, 2014

24-hour marathon featuring a dozen of Day’s hit films

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is paying tribute to one of the most beloved stars of all time as Doris Day marks her 90th birthday. The centerpiece of the multi-tiered celebration is a 24-hour marathon featuring a dozen of Day’s hit films running all day today. Fans can also enjoy TCM host Robert Osborne’s brand new audio interview with the legendary performer, which is now available in the TCM.com Media Room. And the TCM Store has a treasure trove of favorite Doris Day movies, music and more available for purchase, including Midnight Lace (1960), which was recently released through the TCM Vault Collection. In addition, Doris Day will mark her 90th birthday with "A Sentimental Journey," a three-day fundraiser benefiting the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF). Taking place today through April 5, the gathering is being held at the Cypress Inn, Day’s boutique hotel located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.

Complete details on the celebrations surrounding Doris Day’s 90th birthday are included below.

 

TCM Celebrates Doris Day’s 90th Birthday on Thursday, April 3

TCM is celebrating Doris Day’s 90th birthday with a 24-hour marathonof 12 hit movies, ranging from her early years at Warner Bros. to her final film before moving to television. The lineup provides a full and lively illustration of Day’s incredible range as a quadruple-threat performer: world-class singer, accomplished dancer, sparkling comedienne and riveting dramatic actress.

The following is the complete schedule:

Thursday, April 3

6 a.m. -I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951) - Songwriter Gus Kahn fights to make his name, then has to fight again to survive the Depression. Starring Doris Day, Danny Thomas, Mary Wickes. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

8 a.m. - Lover Come Back (1961) - An ad exec in disguise courts his pretty female competitor. Starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall. Directed by Delbert Mann.

10 a.m. - Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962) - The daughter of a circus owner fights to save her father from a takeover spearheaded by the man she loves. Starring Doris Day, Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye. Directed by Charles Walters.

12:15 p.m. - Love Me or Leave Me (1955) - True story of torch singer Ruth Etting’s struggle to escape the gangster who made her a star. Starring Doris Day, James Cagney and Cameron Mitchell. Directed by Charles Vidor.

2:30 p.m. - April in Paris (1952) - A bureaucrat’s mistake sends a chorus girl to Paris representing American theatre in place of a star actress. Starring Doris Day, Ray Bolger and Claude Dauphin. Directed by David Butler.

4:15 p.m. - Calamity Jane (1953) - The Wild West heroine helps bring a star attraction to Deadwood and finds love. Starring Doris Day, Howard Keel and Allyn Ann McLerie. Directed by David Butler.

6 p.m. - The Tunnel of Love (1958) - A married couple endures endless red tape when they try to adopt a child. Starring Doris Day, Richard Widmark and Gig Young. Directed by Gene Kelly.

8 p.m. - The Thrill of It All (1963) - A doctor tries to cope with his wife’s newfound star­dom as an advertising pitch woman. Starring Doris Day, James Garner and Arlene Francis. Directed by Norman Jewison.

10 p.m. - Move Over, Darling (1963) - A husband who believes his wife has disappeared is in a for a big surprise. Starring Doris Day, James Garner and Polly Bergen. Directed by Michael Gordon.

Midnight - Send Me No Flowers (1964) - When he mistakenly thinks he’s dying, a hypochondriac tries to choose his wife’s next husband. Starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall. Directed by Norman Jewison.

2 a.m. - With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) - A widow and a widower have to contend with hostile children when they fall in love. Starring Doris Day, Brian Keith and Barbara Hershey. Directed by Howard Morris.

4 a.m. - Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960) - A drama critic and his fam­ily try to adjust to life in the country. Starring Doris Day, David Niven and Janice Paige. Directed by Charles Walters.

 

"A Sentimental Journey" Fundraiser for the Doris Day Animal Foundation - April 3-5, 2014

"As you may know, I’ve never been very keen on celebrating birthdays," Doris Day wrote in a note announcing "A Sentimental Journey," her three-day fundraiser for the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF). "I’ve always thought age is just a number and has little to do with how we feel. But, it’s true. I’ll be 90…I can hardly believe it! So I wanted to do something special for my fans and friends who have been so devoted all these years, something celebratory to bring them together and that would warm my heart, as well."

Not content to simply celebrate her own personal milestone, Day asked her team to expand her traditional birthday gathering at the Cypress Inn into a three-night extravaganza benefiting the DDAF, which she founded to help animals and the people who love them. Named for her first hit song, "A Sentimental Journey" will include a pet fashion show featuring Day’s beloved "four-leggers," live entertainment, surprise guests, a silent auction and a raffle. Space is limited, with room selection on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, fans can call the Cypress Inn at 800-443-7443, or visit www.dorisday.com/90to90.

 

Robert Osborne Interviews Doris Day on the TCM Media Room

TCM host Robert Osborne’s audio interview with Doris Day on the TCM Media Room is a lengthy, far-ranging and fascinating conversation that begins with the TCM host telling her that of all the people for whom TCM gets requests for movies and information, "No. 1 is Doris Day." An obviously pleased Doris responds in that bubbly voice, "You’ve made my day!"

Osborne’s interview with Day touches on all aspects of her life and career, beginning with her childhood as the daughter of a music teacher. Day shares her memories of her first recordings with bandleaders Bob Crosby and Les Brown; her more than 39 movies that ranked her among Hollywood’s top stars for 10 years, including four years in which she ranked #1; her friendship with such co-stars as Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra and her three Jameses: Cagney, Stewart and Garner; her 30 albums featuring songs that spent a total of 460 weeks in the Top 40; and her loving commitment as an advocate for animals.

 

Doris Day Treasures in the TCM Store

In addition to enjoying TCM’s 24-hour marathon celebrating Doris Day’s 90th birthday, fans can mark the occasion with an online trip to the TCM Store at shop.tcm.com, where they can find all sorts of Doris Day treasures. Among the offerings is the new DVD edition of the classic thriller Midnight Lace (1960), released for the first time in North America from TCM and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The movie, which co-stars Rex Harrison, Myrna Loy, John Gavin and Roddy McDowall.

Also at shop.tcm.com, fans can find TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Doris Day, a four-movie DVD set from Warner Home Video that includes the sparkling shipboard musical Romance on the High Seas (1948), the sharp-shooting western musical Calamity Jane (1953), the fascinating Ruth Etting biopic Love Me or Leave Me (1955) and the delightful domestic comedy Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960).

For those who can’t get enough of Day’s impeccable singing voice, the TCM Store offers Doris Day: With a Smile and a Song, a double-CD set from Sony Masterworks, with a collection of 31 songs curated by Day herself.

In addition, fans can celebrate Day’s lifelong love affair with animals with the brand new book Doris Day’s Best Friends (Arwin Books). The lovingly crafted book features dozens of heartwarming and often humorous images from Day’s film and television career, as well as candid and behind-the-scenes shots, many from her private archive and never-before-published. The book also features an introduction by Day and a foreword by fellow animal supporter Betty White.