The Girl Next Door
After reading Doris Day’s own memoir, Doris Day: Her Own Story (1975), Kaufman decided to research and write his own biography, seeking to tell the definitive tale of the box-office queen. Day enjoyed a brilliant career as queen of the all-American, wholesome, girl-next door types, but, as Kaufman reveals, her personal life was much more dramatic. The actress started life in Cincinnati, the product of an overly ambitious stage mother and a withdrawn, taciturn father who eventually left the family. Conducting extensive interviews with many of Day’s family members, friends, and peers in the acting world, Kaufman goes beyond the sanitized version in the star’s autobiography. The result is fascinating, as Kaufman weaves anecdotes about famous players involved in Day’s life, including Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Rock Hudson, and many others. Kaufman also explores Day’s relationships with her four husbands, including Martin Melcher, whose business dealings left her nearly bankrupt, and her tireless activism on behalf of animal welfare. Readers, especially fans of the star, will thoroughly enjoy this meaty, well-written, entertaining look at the surprisingly tumultuous life of an American icon. --Kathleen Hughes--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.