Honorary Oscar? DD couldn't care less!

[howard]

In a 2001 interview, Warren Cowan, a publicist, and a long-time friend to Doris, made the following statement:

"I called her a few years ago, and said 'Doris, the Academy wants to honor you with something.' She said, 'Warren, that was my former life and I'm not interested.'"

You can watch this video interview on the emmytvlegends.org web site.

[Lauren Benjamin]

I completely agree with Howard. I see pleas of people trying to get Doris an Oscar. It's no use and a waste of time. However, the effort is appreciated. Doris has made it crystal clear that - for what ever reason - she is not interested. The story that I heard is that they told her that they could not give her the award unless she *appeared* at the Oscars in L.A. She wrote back and told them - in so many words - that they could keep their Oscar, in that case.

I think we all have given her an Oscar in our minds anyway.

Lauren

[howard]

I've also heard that they made a second offer to her. In that offer, they were willing to go up to Carmel and make the presentation in her home, but once again the offer was rejected.

[mikeydv]

Probably more than 2 refusals in the years passed. If it isn't about DDAF, it no longer interests our DD.

[howard]

What really puzzles me is that recipients of Honorary Oscars are no longer required to appear (if they ever were required). The ceremony is not a part of the televised ceremony any longer (big mistake!). Doris was offered the award with no appearance required. Why on earth, would she refuse it? As Yul Brynner once said: "It's a puzzlement."

[ray]

A reliable source told me Doris was to be a presenter for the music award at the 1989 Oscars. When she found out Terry's song he co-wrote Kokomo was not listed she backed out. She sang at Oscars 1949 and appeared in 1958.1959 and 1960. Something soured her then since she never dealt with then again. She is already Oscar worthy to us as Lauren stated. It was lousy that they made you think she was overlooked when she SNUBED them.

[ray]

Doris is in her nineties and hasn't been near Hollywood in decades. She was overlooked for Love Me Or Leave Me and with Pillow Talk. Comedies never won for best actress back then. But she was bigger than that with her number one box office record. I can see why she could care less.

[Musiclover]

These postings about the subject of Oscars remind me that, while Doris was not a nominee for 2 or 3 outstanding drama performances and didn't win her one comedy nomination, she was in rather elite company for the latter. Up to the time of "Pillow Talk," Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, and Rosalind Russell had all been nominated for comedy performances. (The only winner was Colbert.)

[Ania]

Honorary Oscar is not as important as it once was. The ceremony is not televised. Many actors got an Oscar, but did not accept the prize. Peter O'Toole received an honorary Oscar, but did not accept the prize. Doris now would not have to leave your home to receive an honorary Oscar. Someone else could on its behalf to pick up an Oscar. It happened many times already so.
The first who despised the Oscar was screenwriter Dudley Nichols. He rewarded in 1936 for his screenplay for the film "reprobate" George C. Scott ignored the prestigious award twice. In 1962, he ignored the nomination for best supporting actor in the film "Hustler", and nine years later did not accept the Oscar for the title role in "Patton". Among the guests of the Oscar ceremony in 1977 it was vain to look for Woody Allen. He awarded for directing the film "Annie Hall"
Marlon Brando did not accept an Oscar in 1973. Katharine Hepburn won four Oscars and never once appeared at the ceremony.
James Stewart in 1961 received an Honorary Academy Award on behalf of his friend, bedridden already sick Gary Cooper.
If you understand what I wrote...


Ania

[Ania]

Maybe it's Doris did not care, but I'd be very pleased if the academy finally Doris appreciated.


Ania

[Ania]

AFI Achievement Award Doris also not received, or am I wrong?

Ania

[paul]

Ania - Most of the individuals that you reference are those who won their Oscar in the competitive race and while those nominated are encouraged to attend, they are not required to. Another instance would be Anne Bancroft's win for "The Miracle Worker". She was unable to attend to accept and Joan Crawford accepted on her behalf. Peter O' Toole did in fact accept his Honorary Oscar in person when it was presented to him in the 2003 ceremony by Meryl Streep. I just watched his acceptance on You Tube. There are scores of instances in which nominated performers were not present to accept their award - Glenda Jackson's second win for 1973's "Touch of Class" is an example. Peter Finch could not accept his for "Network" as he had recently passed away. However, the Academy has asked throughout the years, that anyone receiving an Honorary Oscar show-up in person if at all possible. Gary Cooper was near death and could not attend. The Academy has made exceptions from time to time - Mary Pickford was severely infirm and the award was presented to her at Pickfair. In a similar vein, Myrna Loy's award was given to her in her NYC apartment. Deborah Kerr, however, despite suffering the debilitating effects of her Parkinson's battle, did show-up to claim her Honorary Oscar. This past November, Debbie Reynolds was unable to pick her award up because of complications from surgery which prevented her from making any appearances. Doris Day has been offered an Honorary Oscar three times and has declined in each instance. The first two times were when the award was given as part of the broadcast event and she didn't want to be put through all of the pressure and demands that such an event would necessitate. They have since offered it a third time without the necessity of coming to Los Angeles and she has said she does not want the award. In fairness to the Academy, this is the highest honor they can give to a member and to force an award upon someone who has declined to accept it (the third instance), would send a message to their membership including younger and newer members, that there is not a great deal of value in such an honor. While we would all love to see this happen, if the recipient does not want the award, we need to respect their wishes. Doris NEVER liked the competitive nature of this type of honor although she was a longtime respected member of the Academy and took enormous pride in her years in the industry. For her, the real reward was the satisfaction of doing something well and knowing that audiences and fans responded to the work. She also turned down George Stevens Jr. when he asked her to be a Kennedy Center Honoree as well as declining an offer from the AFI (American Film Institute) to receive their highest honor. In the case of Doris Day, this is a genuine and very real sense of modesty and wish to not be set apart. The reason she agreed to accept the DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press was because her son Terry was nominated for a Golden Globe for co-writing the song, "Kokomo". She was very proud of that fact and wanted to be there to support him otherwise I seriously doubt whether she would have gone to the event.

[Ania]

Paul:
Ok I know all and I understand, but it is unfortunately not convince me. Already let Doris will not be so modest.
She is the brightest of the stars of Hollywood♥

I remember as I watched Deborah Kerr live on television, I cried, and now I also cry...


Ania

[Jas1]

Thanks all for this interesting thread- and in particular to Paul for [once again] a wealth of information.

[Ania]

Paul I know all these stories about granting the Oscars, but worse for me to describe it in English.
Ania

[paul]

Ania - You do beautifully and with so much sincerity, heart and love!!!

[jmichael]

I can't embellish on what Paul has so eloquently explained except to mention the complete lack of vanity in the way Doris has declined these coveted lifetime achievement honors. She has never pulled a Brando stunt like sending someone to impersonate a Native American and publicly decline an award, nor has she pulled a Woody Allen by being seen in a public place the very night the awards are being handed out. Even Katharine Hepburn came off as a bit self-important in her expressions of disdain for awards ceremonies and her penchant for privacy. Doris is remarkable in that none of this comes across as disingenuous or contrived.

Michael

[paul]

Michael - You are spot-on with your remarks about Doris Day's sincerity in not wanting these awards. It was really the same way with any award she was given and she received scores of honors and awards during the 50's and 60's. They ranged from Exhibitor and Box-Office Magazine honors to the Gold Records and included fan magazine honors bestowed on her. Marty had many of them displayed in HIS office but none were on display anywhere else throughout their home. After Marty's passing, Doris had them stored away out of sight. She had respect for the Academy - performing on the Oscars once and presenting three other times. However, nothing to do with the industry was paramount in her life. She didn't follow the grosses or the reviews or the local gossip. She didn't read the "trades" (Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter) nor jockey to be seen at the local "in spots" or at the latest movie premiere. She did her job - never holding up productions - she gave her all to everything she did and then moved on to the next project without looking back or wishing something had been different. Speaking of Katharine Hepburn - I was fortunate to know her after meeting her in 1980 when she came to my state - New Hampshire - to film "On Golden Pond". During the following nearly two decades until her health began to fail, we saw one another frequently and Miss Hepburn (it was NEVER Katharine or Kate, except to a select few), talked about many things including her four Oscar wins as Best Actress. Her opinion was that it was a Dog and Pony Show and the only way in which it could even remotely be considered fair would be if each of the nominees had played the same role. In that Bryn Mar accent she noted, "They could then vote on who gave the best interpretation of that character....." Otherwise she felt that you could not compare five actresses playing five different parts. She also noted that hardly anyone ever gets an Oscar for a comedy role and that playing comedy was far harder than any dramatic part could be. She noted several roles including "Adam's Rib", "Pat and Mike" and "The Philadelphia Story" as being much harder to play than the roles for which she won her awards. The ONLY reason she showed up at the 1974 Oscar ceremony was because she was asked to present an honorary award to a man who had been her friend for nearly 40 years, had produced some of her movies and was seriously ill. She presented Lawrence Weingarten with the Thalberg Award that evening. She did mention Doris a couple of times noting that she'd have given her "right eye teeth to play that role in "Teacher's Pet" She added, however, that after seeing the finished film, she really believed that Doris Day was a journalism teacher. She also mentioned Doris as being one of those individuals who never won an Oscar because they were always so good - it was expected - and she was never one to "chew the scenery, something I've been accused of doing on occasion. What can I say, a girl's gotta eat......" (A typical Hepburn quote)

[Jas1]

Thanks again Paul for more wonderful snippets- love hearing what KH had to say about DD and Teacher's Pet- I think [if pushed to name one] I'd say that Doris' performance in Teacher's Pet is the best she ever gave on screen. I adore KH so it is really lovely and hear warming to know she had nice things to say about Doris.

[paul]

I completely agree about "Teacher's Pet" - it is an amazing performance and a really great, sharp script that holds up very, very well. The writing and director (George Seaton) and Miss Day playing such a really layered role so believably, and being so sexy too, make it a must-see for anyone who doesn't get Doris Day. I cannot think of another actress who could have played it as well and she and Gable have real chemistry despite the 20 plus year difference in their ages.

[howard]

Thanks for the new information, Paul. Great of you to share all these tidbits with us ... you know, I eat it up like candy!

As for "Teacher's Pet," I agree wholeheartedly. It certainly is one of her finest performances. She just cracks me up every time I see her with that invisible cigar dangling from her mouth.

[paul]

Howard - In 1958 she received her first Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress for "Tunnel of Love". While she is very good in that film, it doesn't hold a candle to her acting in "Teacher's Pet" and I've always wondered why she wasn't nominated for that over "Tunnel of Love".

[Jas1]

I agree Paul- and I know I've said this before, but that scene in the lift/elevator - "have you finished now..." - is just perfection as Doris plays genuinely hurt.

The scenes in the class room in particular are a master class of under-stated comedic and dramatic genius.

[Musiclover]

Teacher's Pet is a special favorite film of mine, too -- and I think Doris hit a home run with her delivery of Joe Lubin's title song as well.

[jmichael]

I can't support this statement with facts, but I have to believe that her performance in TP led to Pillow Talk. Ross Hunter must have seen it and realized that Doris had the sophistication, comic timing and tender / tough mixture to bring Jan Morrow to life. Agree with Jas and others who cite the elevator scene as one of her best moments on screen. Doris always brought depth to the characters she played. Any number of capable actresses could hit their marks, say the lines, and give credible performances. But Doris inhabited the characters she played and it's a magical when connects with smart writing, a worthy leading man, and a talented director.

Michael