A Few Words About A few words about...™ Billy Rose's Jumbo -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Jim*Tod]

Actually PILLOW TALK preceded JUMBO by a few years. There is a story about the shooting of JUMBO where Day tried to have the cinematographer fired as he made her look too old. Not sure if this is true or not. But by the time JUMBO came out she had been one of the top box office stars for due to the success of the comedies starting with PILLOW TALK, so a musical for her at this point was something of a change of pace. I wish she had been cast in SOUTH PACIFIC instead of Mitzi Gaynor. She had acting chops (see LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME and MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH) which really were never utilized. And imagine what her career might have been like had she accepted the role of Mrs. Robinson in THE GRADUATE.

 

[JohnMor]

Jim, the main reason I've always doubted the cinematographer story, is that until she started producing her CBS sitcom, she was notorious for never going to see rushes.

I also would have loved to see her do South Pacific. And The Graduate. But, oh well.

 

[Jim*Tod]

Sadly her husband handled her career and his name can be seen as producer on many of her films. He made the decisions about what she should appear in (not always good ones) and after his death she found out that he had squandered her fortune. (Not that unusual a circumstance among hollywood actresses.). From what I have read the only reason she took on the tv series was she actually needed the money. But definitely a major talent. I think I like her best in PAJAMA GAME.

 

[Cineman]

... She had acting chops (see LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME and MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH) which really were never utilized. And imagine what her career might have been like had she accepted the role of Mrs. Robinson in THE GRADUATE.

I agree. And look at her work in CALAMITY JANE (1953) and YOUNG AT HEART (1954). Solid film acting there. Hitchcock said he had no worries about casting her in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) because he had been impressed by her acting chops in STORM WARNING (1951). And, of course, she was always very good in those Hudson/Garner/Grant/et al romantic comedies, not exactly trivial film acting challenges by any means despite that genre not "impressing" in the way a dramatic role does. Citing Ms. Day as one of the greatest singer-to-actor successes in film history would not be an over-statement, imo.

 

[classicmovieguy]

From what I understand, Doris' husband had signed her onto "The Doris Day Show" without her knowledge. It was only after his death, when the extent of how badly he'd mismanaged her interests had come to light, that she found out about the series, and although she initially wanted no part of it, realised that it would be her only income. The show rebuilt her fortune.

 

[Robin9]

Does anyone know if Doris ever received the settlement the court awarded her? She won her case against the man who was her husband's business partner, but winning a case and receiving payment are not always the same thing.

 

[Matt Hough]

I think I read somewhere that she didn't get a dime even though she won millions from the suit (was it $36 million?).


Anyway, this classy lady has kept these troubles and disappointments mainly to herself and gone about her life. My admiration for her is immeasurable.

 

[Joel Arndt]

I think I read somewhere that she didn't get a dime even though she won millions from the suit (was it $36 million?).


Anyway, this classy lady has kept these troubles and disappointments mainly to herself and gone about her life. My admiration for her is immeasurable.

You can read about it here (if Wikipedia's info. is accurate)-


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Day


If it is accurate, the settlement was closer to $23M and Ms. Day settled for $6M paid in annual installments. The legal maneuvering went on for years. Classy lady indeed.

 

[bujaki]

And Ms. Day loves CATS as well! 'Nuff said.

 

[LeoA]

And imagine what her career might have been like had she accepted the role of Mrs. Robinson in THE GRADUATE.

Thankfully, she made what most fans would certainly agree was the right decision.

 

[Garysb]

Thankfully, she made what most fans would certainly agree was the right decision.

I don't think 'The Ballad Of Josie", the film she made instead of "The Graduate" was the right decision but it wasn't my decision to make. She may not have wanted to make films anymore as she was unwilling to do what was then new and contemporary. Even if she had done "The Graduate" it may not have lead to many other parts. She was in her early 40's at the time and for a woman at that time and age, not many parts were offered. Ridiculous but still true. The only woman over 50 I can think of making movies as a leading actress at that time was Katharine Hepburn. I exclude the films Davis and Crawford were making at the time, which were ........


Still "The Graduate" would have been a great role to end her movie career. Robert Redford was right to turn down the Dustin Hoffman role because he didn't think he would be believable as a 22 year old virgin. Any nudity in the film was implied but not seen.

 

[JohnMor]

I always thought she would have made a hell of a great Mrs. Robinson. Sexy as hell, and it would have had an amazing underlying level that it didn't have with Bancroft: the "girl next door" grew up to be the woman next door, seducing your son. That comment on American life at that precise moment in the 60's would have been great. But, ah well. Can't pine away too much for what never was.

 

[LeoA]

I guess I misunderstood, since I thought I was echoing the opinions of others in this thread...


Since I'm apparently not, I'm personally glad she felt that the role wasn't for her and that she stuck with her standards. As a fan of Doris Day, I love her for the types of roles that she made famous.


What might've been, in a role that was very much unlike the type of stuff that she played that was behind our love for her in the cinema, holds zero appeal to me personally. Glad she was instead doing stuff like Caprice and With Six You Get Eggroll (Although I'm also not crazy about the Ballad of Josie, one of her weakest films), before transitioning to the small screen with a nice family sitcom.


I love it when someone appears in a role typically not associated with them, such as her own appearances in Julie, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Midnight Lace to name off the top of my head, three non-romantic comedies or musicals from her movie career. But it still has to be right for the actor.


But a movie about an older married woman seducing a young man? No thanks, that's not what Doris Day was ever about.