Doris Day remembered: Hollywood stars pay tribute to ‘World’s Sweetheart’ after she dies, aged 97

The late actress was described as a "fabulous woman" who will be "missed dearly"
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Emma Powell13 May 2019
The Weekender

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Hollywood stars, old and young, led the tributes to Doris Day, who was hailed the “world’s sweetheart” following her death, aged 97.

The screen icon, famous for roles in Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk, died at her home in Carmel Valley California on Monday after contracting a “serious case of pneumonia”.

In a statement the Doris Day Animal Foundation said: “Day had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death. She was surrounded by a few close friends as she passed.”

Star Trek legend George Takei was among the first to pay tribute online, tweeting: “For those of us in my generation, Doris Day was synonymous with Hollywood icon. She would no doubt remind us, upon this day of her passing, ‘Que sera sera,’ but we will miss her dearly anyway. Rest now in our hearts forever, Ms. Day.”

Luke Evans described her as one of a kind, posting: “Goodbye Doris Day, there was only one of you! I have always loved your voice and the beautiful songs you made eternal. RIP. Hollywood actress and singer, dies aged 97.”

Antonio Banderas thanked her for her “talent” while William Shatner branded her the “World’s Sweetheart”.

Day, born Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff, on April 3, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was among the biggest female stars of all time becoming a box office smash thanks to her romantic comedies with Rock Hudson.

She was nominated for an Oscar for Pillow Talk in 1960, in which she played New Yorker Jan Morrow who is seduced by Brad Allen (Hudson) after he annoys her via a shared telephone party line.

They later starred together in Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers.

She also enjoyed musical success, releasing her first hit, Sentimental Journey, in 1945 when she was barely in her 20s. Among the other songs she made famous were Everybody Loves a Lover, It's Magic, a song from Romance on the High Seas, her first film, and Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).

The song reached Number 1 on it's release in the UK in 1956. It was featured in Alfred Hitchcock's film The Man Who Knew Too Much in which Day starred alongside James Stewart.

She dedicated her time to looking after animals following her retirement from show business in the 1980s after launching the Doris Day Animal Foundation in 1978.

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