Legendary actress and singer Doris Day - star of films including Pillow Talk and Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much - has died at the age of 97.
Doris Day was born in 1922 and found fame as a singer when she became hugely popular during the Second World War with servicemen after the release of her song Sentimental Journey. She was to make her screen debut in 1948 as a night club singer in the comedy musical Romance on the High Seas.
By the 1950s, Doris Day was truly making her mark. In 1953 she starred in the classic musical Calamity Jane, for which she recorded the song "Secret Love," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. That was followed by a role alongside James Stewart in the 1956 Hitchcock thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much - which featured another Oscar-winning Day song, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).
Some of her most successful films were Pillow Talk - which she starred in with fellow screen icon Rock Hudson and for which she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress - and Move Over, Darling with James Garner. She made her final feature film With Six You Get Eggroll in 1968 before appearing in her own sitcom The Doris Day Show until 1973, after which she retired from acting.
Day was a passionate advocate for animal rights, setting up the Doris Day Animal Foundation. Throughout her career, she was involved in animal rescue and could often be seen out in the streets rescuing stray animals or trying to unite lost dogs with their owners.
It was through her group that World Spay Day was founded. Her rescue organisation has since merged with the Humane Society of the United States. Day used her fame to make public service videos that would spread the message about the over breeding of dogs.
She was a tireless activist every day of her life. May you rest in peace Doris Day.
