Doris Day was the Oscar-nominated actress who passed away in 2019 at the age of 97. She excelled in musicals and romantic comedies, bringing a sense of edge and humor to her squeaky-clean demeanor. Although she made only a handful of movies between 1948 and 1968, several of her titles remain classics. Let’s take a look back at 20 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1922, Day got her start as a band singer, making her film debut with the musical comedy “Romance on the High Seas” (1948). He vocal talents benefited her in such films as “Calamity Jane” (1953), “Love Me or Leave Me” (1955), and “The Pajama Game” (1957), and she often sang the title tunes to her films (most famously the Oscar-winning “Que Sera, Sera” in Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1956 caper “The Man Who Knew Too Much”).
She is perhaps best remembered for three frothy romantic comedies she made with sly, square-jawed leading man Rock Hudson and sardonic sidekick Tony Randall: “Pillow Talk” (1959), “Lover Come Back” (1961), and “Send Me No Flowers” (1964). She earned her sole Oscar nomination as Best Actress for “Pillow Talk,” losing to Simone Signoret (“Room at the Top”).
Awards-wise, Day had better luck at the Golden Globes, contending for “Tunnel of Love” (1958), “Pillow Talk,” “Midnight Lace” (1960), “Billy Rose’s Jumbo” (1962), “Move Over, Darling” (1963), and for her beloved television series “The Doris Day Show” in 1969. She received their Cecil B. DeMille award in 1989 and won the World Film Favorite – Female prize in 1958, 1960, and 1963.
Tour our photo gallery of Day movies, including a few for which she should’ve received Oscar nominations.
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20. STORM WARNING (1951)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Stuart Heisler. Screenplay by Richard Brooks and Daniel Fuchs. Starring Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Steven Cochran.
Day costarred alongside future U.S. President Ronald Reagan for this social justice melodrama. “Storm Warning” centers on a traveling dress model (Ginger Rogers) who stops in a sleepy southern town to visit her sister (Day). After witnessing the murder of a black man at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, she’s shocked to learn that her brother-in-law (Steve Cochran) is one of the perpetrators. She teams up with a local D.A. (Reagan) to break the Klan’s stronghold on the town. Though it trivializes the very serious subject matter, its heart is nevertheless in the right place.
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19. MIDNIGHT LACE (1960)
Image Credit: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by David Miller. Screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, based on the play ‘Matilda Shouted Fire’ by Janet Green. Starring Rex Harrison, John Gavin, Myrna Loy, Roddy McDowell.
Day earned a Golden Globe nomination for this rather silly yet thoroughly entertaining mystery thriller. She plays Kit Preston, an American living in London who’s being terrorized by a stalker threatening her with obscene phone calls. Her husband (Rex Harrison) thinks she’s crazy, as do the local police, leaving it up to her to stop the bad guy. Unabashedly melodramatic and absurd, “Midnight Lace” may be a pale Hitchcock imitation, but at least it’s a captivating one. The film earned an Oscar nomination for its glitzy costumes.
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18. THE WINNING TEAM (1952)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Lewis Seiler. Screenplay by Ted Sherdeman, Seeleg Lester, Merwin Gerard, story by Lester and Gerard. Starring Ronald Reagan, Frank Lovejoy, Eve Miller, James Millican, Russ Tamblyn.
In telling the story of baseball legend Grover Cleveland Alexander (played by future U.S. President Ronald Reagan), director Lewis Seiler focuses on the pitcher’s marriage to his devoted wife, Aimee (Day). Aside from that, there’s not much to separate this from other biographical dramas, which follows the usual outline of highlighting significant moments (both true and fanciful) from birth to death. Yet Reagan and Day make a winning couple, with the bubbly Day bringing out the best in her strong-jawed, at times stiff leading man.
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17. ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Michael Curtiz. Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and I.A.L. Diamond, from a story by S. Pondal Rios and Carlos A. Olivari. Starring Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don De Fore, Oscar Levant.
The title says it all in this bubbly musical comedy that introduced Day to movie audiences around the world. Directed by Michael Curtiz, “Romance on the High Seas” centers on a socialite (Janis Paige) who suspects her husband (Don DeFore) of cheating when he can’t join her on a cruise. She hires a friend (Day) to pose as her on the ship so she can stay and spy on her spouse, unaware that he’s hired a private detective (Jack Carson) to check on her while she’s at sea. Perhaps best remembered for Day’s rendition of the Oscar-nominated tune, “It’s Magic.”
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16. BILLY ROSE’S JUMBO (1962)
Image Credit: Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Charles Walters. Screenplay by Sidney Sheldon, based on the musical by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (book), Richard Rodgers (music), and Lorenz Hart (lyrics). Starring Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye.
Rogers and Hart’s 1935 Broadway smash comes to screens complete with some lavish Busby Berkley dance numbers. Jimmy Durante recreates his stage role as Pop Wonder, a circus leader whose main attraction is the elephant Jumbo. His gambling habits perpetually hurt his business, much to the dismay of his daughter, Kitty (Day). She hires a new promoter (Stephen Boyd), little suspecting that he’s the son of a rival circus mogul (Dean Jagger) who’s planning on buying Pop’s business. Though the film earned just one Oscar nomination for its score adaptation, it reaped five Golden Globe bids, including Best Comedy/Musical Film and acting citations for Day, Durante, Boyd, and Martha Raye as Pop’s fiancee, Lulu.
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15. YOUNG AT HEART (1955)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock Directed by Gordon Douglas. Screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee and Julius J. Epstein, story by Fannie Hurst. Starring Frank Sinatra, Gig Young, Ethel Barrymore, Dorothy Malone, Elisabeth Fraser, Robert Keith, Alan Hale Jr.
This musical remake of “Four Daughters” casts Gig Young as a songwriter who disrupts the lives of the three Tuttle sisters — Day, Dorothy Malone, and Elisabeth Fraser — each of whom falls in love with him. His personality is a perfect match for Day, yet complications arise when Young’s morose buddy (Frank Sinatra) arrives to work on some musical arrangements. Luckily, everything works out for the best in this frothy, cheerful entertainment that’s not terribly memorable, but diverting enough in the moment.
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14. YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Michael Curtiz. Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Edmund H. North, based on the novel by Dorothy Baker. Starring Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Hoagy Carmichael, Juano Hernandez.
Viewed today, “Young Man with a Horn” is more notable for its buried lesbian subtext than for its generic plot. Kirk Douglas stars as the titular musician, who experiences the highs and lows of fame and fortune. Lauren Bacall plays his wife, Amy, an aspiring psychiatrist haunted both by her mother’s suicide and her hidden bisexuality (snuck in with hints and codewords to bypass the strict Motion Picture Production Code). Day plays the beautiful, wholesome singer who catches Douglas’s eye. As was the custom at the time, Amy is ultimately punished for her “sick” behavior when the young man takes his horn and leaves her.
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13. THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (1966)
Image Credit: Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Frank Tashlin. Written by Everett Freeman. Starring Rod Taylor, Arthur Godfrey, Dom DeLuise.
“The Glass Bottom Boat” is one of the more successful live action cartoons from former animator Frank Tashlin (and vastly superior to his next collaboration with Day, the dreadfully unfunny “Caprice” [1967]). It centers on Jennifer Nelson (Day), a widow who’s hired by a scientist (Rod Taylor) to write his biography so that he can romance her. Yet a series of misunderstandings leads him to believe she’s actually a Russian spy! Superiorly silly entertainment, with Day aptly handling the many comedic mixups.
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12. THE TUNNEL OF LOVE (1958)
Image Credit: Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Gene Kelly. Written by Joseph Fields. Starring Richard Widmark, Gig Young, Gia Scala, Elisabeth Fraser, Elizabeth Wilson.
It’s a testament to Day’s abilities as a comedienne that’s she’s able to make a movie about infidelity, childlessness, and deception a frothy laugh riot. Directed by Gene Kelly, “The Tunnel of Love” casts her and Richard Widmark as a couple desperate to adopt a child. A wild and crazy evening leads Widmark to believe he’s impregnated their adoption agent (Gia Scala), and hilarious misunderstandings ensue. Day earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
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11. TEACHER’S PET (1958)
Image Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Directed by George Seaton. Written by Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin. Starring Clark Gable, Gig Young, Mamie Van Doren, Nick Adams.
Day teamed up with Clark Gable for this charming romantic comedy about the love that can blossom from deception. “Teacher’s Pet” centers on a veteran newspaper reporter (Gable) who poses as a night school student so he can humiliate a journalism teacher (Day) who mocked him. Yet he soon finds himself falling in love with his instructor. Gig Young earned a Supporting Actor nomination for playing a worldly psychologist who might be the newsman’s main competition for love. Gable also earned a Golden Globe bid, but Day was ignored by both groups.
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10. THAT TOUCH OF MINK (1962)
Image Credit: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Delbert Mann. Written by Stanley Shapiro and Nate Monaster. Starring Cary Grant, Gig Young, Audrey Meadows, John Astin.
Cary Grant became the latest leading man to relentlessly pursue Day in this sparkling romantic comedy about the virtues of virginity. “That Touch of Mink” centers on a rich playboy (Grant) who’s got his sights set on a young woman (Day) who plans to save it for marriage. Rather than indulge in sleazy sex jokes, director Delbert Mann keeps things classy, relying on the chemistry between his two stars to create onscreen electricity. The film earned Oscar nominations for its screenplay, art direction, and sound, and won the Golden Globe as Best Comedy/Musical Film. Grant contended at the Globes, though Day was ignored.
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9. PLEASE DON’T EAT THE DAISIES (1960)
Image Credit: Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Charles Walters. Screenplay by Isobel Lennart, based on the book by Jean Kerr. Starring David Niven, Janis Paige, Richard Haydn, Spring Byington.
Jean Kerr’s essay collection about the hilarity of suburban life becomes a bubbly CinemaScope comedy from froth-maestro Charles Walters. Day plays Kerr’s surrogate, Kate Robinson Mackay, whose life is upended when her university professor husband (David Niven) quits his job to become a theater critic. He uproots his wife, their four children, and the family dog from their cramped Manhattan apartment into a country home, which proves to be a fixer-upper. Day sings the title song.
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8. SEND ME NO FLOWERS (1964)
Image Credit: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Norman Jewison. Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, based on the play by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore. Starring Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Hal March, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, Patricia Barry, Clint Walker.
“Send Me No Flowers” was the last film Day made with square-jawed leading man Rock Hudson and sardonic sidekick Tony Randall. Directed by Norman Jewison, it centers on a hypochondriac (Hudson) convinced he only has months to live. With the help of his best friend (Randall), he sets out to find a suitable new husband for his wife (Day) after he kicks the bucket. Yet she soon catches wind of his plan and assumes he’s covering for an affair he’s having. Though its plot could easily be cleared up by a quick conversation, the film is still candy-colored fun for fans of its three leads.
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7. CALAMITY JANE (1953)
Image Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Directed by David Butler. Written by James O’Hanlon. Starring Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Philip Carey, Dick Wesson.
The success of “Annie Get Your Gun” (1950) created a market for lightweight musical comedies about gun-toting ladies, leading to the thoroughly entertaining “Calamity Jane.” Day is a hoot as the rootin’, tootin’ saloon owner, who falls in love with gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel). Fans of HBO’s “Deadwood” will scratch their heads at this all singing, all dancing version of Jane and Hickok’s life, but movie musical lovers will delight. An Oscar winner for its original song, “Secret Love,” which would become a standard of Day’s.
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6. THE THRILL OF IT ALL (1963)
Image Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Norman Jewison. Screenplay by Carl Reiner, story by Larry Gelbert. Starring James Garner, Arlene Francis, Edward Andrews, Reginald Owens, ZaSu Pitts.
“The Thrill of It All” is one of Day’s smartest comedies, thanks to a crackling script by Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbert and nimble direction by Norman Jewison. She plays Beverly Boyer, a suburban housewife who rises to fame as a soap spokesperson, causing her to neglect her husband (James Garner) and kids. As a satire of media, the film is a delight, gentling spoofing the glossy veneer of commercials and advertising. Day and Garner have an easy chemistry as well, with her sunny cheerfulness playing beautifully off of his sardonic wit.
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5. LOVER COME BACK (1961)
Image Credit: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Delbert Mann. Written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning. Starring Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Edie Adams, Jack Oakie, Jack Kruschen.
Following the success of “Pillow Talk,” Day reunited with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall for another frothy screwball comedy. Directed by Delbert Mann, “Lover Come Back” casts the pair as rival advertising agents fighting to land a lucrative account for a product that doesn’t actually exist. Their Madison Avenue rivalry soon turns to romance. Randall gives hilarious support as Hudson’s perpetually confused boss. Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning earned an Oscar nomination for their screenplay, which takes an outlandish premise and boosts it with sparkle and wit.
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4. THE PAJAMA GAME (1957)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen. Screenplay by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, based on the musical by Abbott and Bissell. Starring John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., Barbara Nichols.
The fight for labor rights has never been so entertainingly presented as it was in “The Pajama Game,” a smart and energetic adaptation of the hit Broadway play. Day plays Katherine “Babe” Williams, a worker in a pajama factory fighting to get a seven-and-a-half cent raise on behalf of her fellow employees. Romantic complications ensue when the company sends in a handsome representative (John Raitt) to swat down her uprising. Director George Abbott and choreographer Bob Fosse both worked on the original stage show, and their talents translate beautifully here thanks to their collaboration with Hollywood master Stanley Donen.
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3. LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (1955)
Image Credit: Mgm/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Charles Vidor. Written by Daniel Fuchs and Isobel Lennart. Starring James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Keith, Tom Tully.
Day gives one of her best performances in this musical biopic of singer Ruth Etting, who rose from dance halls to movie stardom thanks to Chicago racketeer Martin “The Gimp” Snyder (James Cagney). Daniel Fuchs won an Oscar for his original story, which gives its two stars a fascinating dynamic to play off of. Director Charles Vidor does an effective job of recreating Prohibition era Chicago, aided by some glitzy costumes and art direction. Day’s rendition of “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” is a show stopper. Surprisingly, she went unrecognized at the Oscars, despite her costar contending in Best Actor. (The film earned six total bids.)
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2. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1955)
Image Credit: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Screenplay by John Michael Higgins, story by Charles Bennett and D. B. Wyndham-Lewis. Starring James Stewart, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Christopher Olsen, Daniel Gelin, Reggie Nalder.
Alfred Hitchcock loosely remained his 1934 black-and-white thriller “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in glorious Technicolor, with a few other changes as well. James Stewart and Day play an American couple vacationing in Morocco who must take matters into their own hands when their young son is kidnapped by assassins planning to executive a foreign prime minister. The film won an Academy Award for its original song “Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),” performed by Day in a pivotal scene. A top-notch entertainment that allowed its leading lady a rare opportunity to show off her dramatic chops.
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1. PILLOW TALK (1959)
Image Credit: Snap/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Michael Gordon. Screenplay by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin, story by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene. Starring Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Thelma Ritter, Nick Adams.
“Pillow Talk” was the first of three movies Day made with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall, and it remains the highlight of their collaborations. She earned a Best Actress nomination for playing an interior decorator who shares a telephone party line with a womanizing bachelor (Hudson). Though she can’t stand him, he decides to woo her by impersonating a Texas rancher, and deception soon leads to romance. Randall costars as Hudson’s friend and Day’s client, who becomes the third tier of the love triangle. Director Michael Gordon makes good use of split screens to liven up the phone calls. Thelma Ritter earned a Supporting Actress bid playing a sassy, drunken maid, and the film won the Oscar for its crackling screenplay.
