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Doris Day is Mostly Okay
In today's N.Y. Times, director Douglas McGrath ( Infamous, Emma) makes a case for Doris Day, now 87, receiving a special career-honoring Oscar. McGrath writes persuasively and with feeling about Day's special qualities. She committed to her light-comedy roles, held her own with the likes of James Cagney, etc. But there's one negative he can't wave away.
I'm speaking of Day's ghastly performance in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. I love aspects of this 1956 thriller (the murder in the Marrakech marketplace, the assassination attempt in Albert Hall) but Day's grating emotionalism makes it a very hard film to watch. She cries, shrieks, trembles, weeps. And when she isn't losing it, she's acting pretentiously coy and smug in that patented manner of a 1950s Stepford housewife. Or she's singing "Que Sera Sera" over and over again.
I'll give her credit for almost everything else that McGrath brings up, but she's so awful in Hitchcock's film that this single performance almost tips over the entire apple cart of her career. (The shrieking and moaning kicks in around the two-thirds mark in the clip above.) The same thing goes for Linda Hamilton's shrill acting in Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991). I tried watching it the other day for fun, but I couldn't stand her spitting rage.
Aaah, whatever. If the Academy wants to give Day a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, fine. There's no reason to strenuously argue against it. I can bury my issue. She was great in Lover Come Back, Young Man With A Horn and Love Me or Leave Me. I remember something true and tolerable about her performance in Young At Heart, in which she played the love interest of a dark-hearted Frank Sinatra.
And yet it's hard to think of another living veteran of '50s and '60s cinema who is more of an icon for uptight middle-class values and zero sexuality. I know I suddenly liked Day a lot more when I heard that rumor about her having had a hot affair with Sly Stone -- but that turned out to be bogus. Day did apparently have a fling with L.A. Dodgers base-stealer Maury Wills.
Doris Day in The Glass-Bottomed Boat
Day's Wikipedia bio says that "both columnist Liz Smith and film critic Rex Reed have mounted vigorous campaigns to gather support for an honorary Academy Award for Day to herald her spectacular film career and her status as the top female box-office star of all time."
It also says "while Day turned down a tribute offer from the American Film Institute, she received and accepted the Golden Globe's Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in 1989. In 2004, Day was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom but declined to attend the ceremony because of a fear of flying. Day did not accept an invitation to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for undisclosed reasons. Day was honored in absentia with a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in Music in February 2008."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 10, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Essentials
comment #1
Don Murphy
says ...
bzzzt
You're wrong and Day is terrific in a great film. She has lost her son she fears for good. She is not an automaton Jeffrey.
Posted by Don Murphy
at January 10, 2010 1:45 PM
comment #2
Noah
says ...
I'm with Don. I loved Doris Day in The Man Who Knew Too Much and found her to be believable and a nice, more emotional counterpart to Jimmy Stewart (and they had great chemistry, I really felt they had been married for years). I also think Linda Hamilton is terrific in T2; I think being put in an insane asylum and drugged up, away from your kid who is being hunted down by a cyborg (all when you're not crazy) would make anyone full of rage.
Posted by Noah
at January 10, 2010 1:55 PM
comment #3
Ulysses
says ...
Is Douglas McGrath any relation to the guy from "Goin' Down the Road" ?
Posted by Ulysses
at January 10, 2010 2:02 PM
comment #4
Chase Kahn
says ...
I don't remember Day specifically in "The Man Who Knew Too Much," but I remember liking that film a lot. Certainly on par with the '34 Peter Lorre version, if not better.
The Albert Hall sequence is wonderful and the fact that I can't recall specifics of Day's performance suggests that I didn't find her ghastly, merely acceptable. Need to watch it again.
Posted by Chase Kahn
at January 10, 2010 2:09 PM
comment #5
TM
says ...
I used to know an Academy member who was on the committee that decided the honorary awards. This goes back about 10 years or more, so things may be different now, but he told me that the campaigning for these awards was Byzantine and could devolve into nastiness. Some names came up every year and feelers would be put out to see if the individual would be amenable to accepting the award. Day apparently said no and once you say no, you go back to the bottom of list -- or you get crossed off. I suspect that is the case with her. At this point, she's elderly and probably doesn't want to have a Mary Pickford moment. Anyone remember that honorary award. They brought the statue to Pickfair and Mary was propped in a chair seemingly barely aware of what was happening. It was a terrible sight to behold.
And her performance in Man Who Knew Too Much is okay -- I see what you are saying in that she does become a bit repetitive in her performance. But then she was so good in Love Me or Leave Me that I'd be willing to overlook the flaws in the Hitchcock.
Posted by TM
at January 10, 2010 2:37 PM
comment #6
Mike
says ...
I'd like to see her get one but remembering how they handled the Glenn Ford/Richard Widmark requests, I think she'll be out of luck. They were just ignored until they died of old age.
Posted by Mike
at January 10, 2010 2:40 PM
comment #7
kantcdick
says ...
pseudosophisticated bedroom farces...plus Carrie Fischer!
Posted by kantcdick
at January 10, 2010 2:50 PM
comment #8
bluefugue
says ...
>The same thing goes for Linda Hamilton's shrill acting in Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991).
Really? I've always thought that was a great performance. A total transformation from her naive waitress in T1, and believable given what she believes about the future and her role in it.
Posted by bluefugue
at January 10, 2010 3:21 PM
comment #9
Ulysses
says ...
bluefugue -- I concur with your statement.
Posted by Ulysses
at January 10, 2010 4:05 PM
comment #10
Eloi Manning
says ...
Yeah, I like Hamilton in T2. Love the stoic non-response to that creepy orderly licking her face, followed by her bloody revenge.
Posted by Eloi Manning
at January 10, 2010 5:04 PM
comment #11
bill weber
says ...
She is just fine in the Hitchcock film.
Posted by bill weber
at January 10, 2010 5:36 PM
comment #12
Travis Crabtree
says ...
A thousand times YES on an honorary Oscar. She's way over due and it would be a highlight of the show, (at least for people like myself who love homages to Hollywood's past and who couldn't give a rat's ass "who" J-Lo is wearing)
And even if her performance is sub-par in the Hitchcock film so what? It's one movie. Shouldn't Hitch get some of the blame for miscasting her? You seem awfully hung-up over ONE movie.
Also, despite her image as a wholesome, virginal good-girl her appeal wouldn't be nearly as great as it was if it wasn't for a distinct undercurrent of sexuality she had in spades.
By the way, she'd have won an Oscar if she'd said "yes" to Mike Nichols and taken the part of Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate".
Posted by Travis Crabtree
at January 10, 2010 6:06 PM
comment #13
Glenn Kenny
says ...
Yes to the Oscar and yes to her "Man" performance, which is better than fine. It's an interesting role, too; she's a former singer who's given up everything for her family's sake. Hitchcock himself was very happy with her work and greatly admired her professionalism.
Posted by Glenn Kenny
at January 10, 2010 6:21 PM
comment #14
Pinko Punko
says ...
She was better than good in that film, especially in the climactic performance scene. She feels that if she gives up the plot she'll lose her sun, but if she doesn't she'll watch someone be murdered and feel even more directly responsible. Also the scene where Jimmy Stewart's character drugs her before giving her the bad news. I assumed she'd be hammy in the movie, when in fact she was almost phenomenal. Jeff, I think you really hit a sour note on this one.
Posted by Pinko Punko
at January 10, 2010 6:31 PM
comment #15
lipranzer
says ...
I've never been a Doris Day fan - admittedly, I haven't seen LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME, but I've seen ones she did with Rock Hudson like PILLOW TALK, and they come off awfully cutesy today - but I think she's very good in Hitchcock's film. Not only that, but I think it's quite a good portrayal of a middle-aged married couple, something that was rare even then.
And though I have problems with T2, I think Hamilton is very good in that as well. The thing to remember is she's turned herself basically into a machine (which is of course the irony the film rests on), but she still shows you the parts of herself she's locked away.
Posted by lipranzer
at January 10, 2010 7:22 PM
comment #16
bobbyperu
says ...
Couldn't disagree more. Linda Hamilton knocks T2 out of the park, and all these years later I still remember her rage and bitterness--and strength--as much as I remember the shape-shifting T1000. In nearly all Cameron's films--Aliens, Terminator, True Lies, Avatar-- the women are more interesting than the men and really bring the film to the audience. He loves them, and gives them real grit and stuff to wrestle with.
Posted by bobbyperu
at January 10, 2010 8:19 PM
comment #17
heybub1
says ...
Didn't Albert Brooks tell a story about how when he asked her to be the lead in "Mother" she ended up showing him the graves in her back yard where all her previous pets were buried? I think she asked him if he could hear them speaking . . . . or something to that effect.
He knew she was big into animal rights but he got totally creeped out and almost literally sidestepped his way off her property.
I forget where I heard/saw him tell it (Stern, maybe) but listening to HIM say what happened was priceless.
Posted by heybub1
at January 10, 2010 8:54 PM
comment #18
Chicago48
says ...
Agree with Mike. They won't give it her even though she deserves it. I was po'd that Widmark didn't get one.
Posted by Chicago48
at January 10, 2010 10:16 PM
comment #19
Marty Melville
says ...
I think the real disconnect is that Day is the odd-woman-out for a HItchcock film... we're used to icy, tamped down performances from the Grace Kellys and Tippi Hedrens contrasted with the weirdly over-emotional performances from the James Stewarts. In The Man Who Knew Too Much the usual Hitchcock template for sex is flipped, with Day's emotions overwhelming the reserved Stewart and the rest of the proceedings.
Posted by Marty Melville
at January 10, 2010 11:03 PM
comment #20
Markus R. Ponto
says ...
DD ist brilliant in The Man Who Knew Too Much. I especially LOVE the scene in embassy with her singing (or should I say shouting) Que sera, sera.
The same goes for Linda Hamilton in T2.
Posted by Markus R. Ponto
at January 11, 2010 4:51 AM
comment #21
Jason
says ...
I think Jeffrey is often repulsed by women losing their shit in movies, even if the performance is OK. He once said he didn't ever want to see Diane Venora again after THE INSIDER because of the persuasive way she played Wigand's panicking wife.
Posted by Jason
at January 11, 2010 8:55 AM
comment #22
Snoop Marlo
says ...
Day has been turning down public appearances for decades. No way she'll accept an honorary oscar in person.
She was a very sexy lady in her prime.
Posted by Snoop Marlo
at January 11, 2010 9:18 AM
comment #23
Strangeways
says ...
wrong again, oh Kemo Sabe...She's great in this movie! Her hysterical scenes are very believable and her determination to get her son back is palpable...great dramatic work from a brilliant film comedienne and singer.
And, I think she's far better in this movie than Jimmy Stewart...it's one of his weaker performances.
Maybe Eastwood can talk her into accepting it...I think he was the one largely responsible for her getting AND accepting the tacky Golden Globe award.
Posted by Strangeways
at January 11, 2010 12:30 PM
comment #24
Benny Coleman
says ...
Sorry but i have to take issue with your view of Laura Hamilton's performance in T2. I didn't have a problem with her at all even on repeat viewers and you've got to admit it's a hell of a lot better than Ed Furlong's performance. You're meant to be the saviour of the world not a teenage arsehole.
Posted by Benny Coleman
at January 11, 2010 1:56 PM
comment #25
polarbear2
says ...
Saw 'Touch of Mink' last night. Cute, but Doris Day was way too old for the part. Her character seemed like it was supposed to be a Peggy Olsen-in-MAd Men ingenue, but she came off like a frigid spinster.
Posted by polarbear2
at January 11, 2010 4:10 PM
comment #26
taikwan
says ...
. "Also the scene where Jimmy Stewart's character drugs her before giving her the bad news".
Her strongest scene in the film, and yes she becomes hysterical but...that staggered crying felt very genuine and hugely appropriate for what is being wagered.
Posted by taikwan
at January 11, 2010 8:16 PM
comment #27
barbie222
says ...
The fact is that Doris Day is one of America's most prolific actresses but in my opinion her best movie is Tea for two.
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Posted by barbie222
at January 12, 2010 3:20 AM
comment #28
Luke
says ...
The year is 1972. I'm on a trip through Northeastern South America. In an attempt to explore some off-the-beaten-track locales, my companions and I ditched our South American handbook and looked at a mao for a promising place to head for. La Plata, Ecuador seemed about right- a coastal town thst was a regional capital of sorts, in an end-of-the-road location, Coming into town, we quickly assessed the down side of such pursuits. What greeeted us was a
town that looked like the American wild west. hitching posts, a dusty unpaved main street. elevated wooden 'sidewalks', and the sort of nefarious cast of characters you'd expect to find in Tombstone Wyoming, circa 1876. The only thing that catapulted the scene back to 20th cebtury reality was the local general store, or almacen, which boasted a freshly painted sign proclaiming its name " ALMACEN DORIS DAY" I've often wondered whether Ms Day was ever aware of this honor. I'm hoping somebody reading this can pass the word... How many people have ever
been so adored ....?
Posted by Luke
at February 14, 2010 10:42 AM
comment #29
Bill Markovic
says ...
I'd like to see her get one but remembering how they handled the Glenn Ford/Richard Widmark requests, I think she'll be out of luck. They were just ignored until they died of old age.
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Posted by Bill Markovic
at February 16, 2010 6:04 AM
comment #30
wenwen
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at February 26, 2010 6:18 PM
comment #31
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Posted by yangyang
at April 18, 2010 3:30 AM
comment #32
Island Hood
says ...
I really love Doris Day. I agree that her performance in The Man Who Knew Too Much was terrible, but she's been so strong in so many other roles. It's really hard to underestimate just how popular she was. She was one of the few actresses who could bring people to a film just because her name was on the poster. At the time, almost everyone else with that kind of star power was male.
Posted by Island Hood
at May 17, 2010 7:54 AM
comment #33
mao
says ...
The Albert Hall sequence is wonderful and the fact that I can't recall specifics of Day's performance suggests that I didn't find her ghastly, merely acceptable. Need to watch it again.
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at May 25, 2010 1:50 AM
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