The Doris Day Collection, Vol. 2 (Romance on the High Seas / My Dream Is Yours / On Moonlight Bay / I'll See You in My Dreams / By the Light of the Silvery Moon / Lucky Me)

These are not the best-known of Day's spangle of films. But look at Amazon's irresistible price- less than 5 bones each, and you know you love Doris Day. So like me, why not take a chance? Here are six feature films from 1948-1955, individually packaged in a box set. If there's one thing I learned from this set, it's that I think Michael Curtiz is a great director (he directed three of the films). It's difficult to believe that Doris made her screen debut in "Romance on the High Seas", as in this 1948 film she already seems such an old hand, and everything one loves in her later films is already evident. Leonard Maltin gives it three stars and calls it "Engaging Fun". The five stars I gave this set could stand for this film alone.Next up is "My Dream is Yours" from 1949, which Maltin notes is a remake of "Twenty Million Sweethearts" from 1935. I say it's more of the good stuff. S.Z. Sakall, for one, is excellent. The much touted animation sequence with Bugs Bunny must have cost lots of time and money to make, but it seems out of place. Not that Bugs is out of place, but it comes so late that it seems the film ought to already have ended. By that time it's all over but the shouting--or kissing.Third is "On Moonlight Bay" (1951) which Maltin calls a "folksy musical", and which was inspired by Booth Tarkington's "Penrod" stories. The stories may be lively, for all I know, but this film seems to me entirely sleepy, and neither Day nor Gordon McRae seem very convincing. Day is usually very good at being murcurial, or switching moods or styles at the drop of a hat. here it seems simply contradictory. McRae starts by grousing about songs with "moon and June" in them. What is the title song? He's very unconvincing as a collegiate with "modern" views against marriage. This, and the follow-up, also named for a Warner-held song, just seem like an excuse to build a film around the title. Look how much more spark Day would bring to "Tammy and the Bachelor" in which she also plays a naive teen, in 1957.The director of the third film was Roy Del Ruth, who gave us "Thanks a Million" in 1935 (which Maltin really likes). This fourth film, still from the Penrod tales, is directed by David Butler. Whereas the third film takes place on the eve of WWI, and ends with McRae shipping off, promising to marry Day, the fourth film, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", begins with his return from the war, somehow being against marriage again. Maltin gives both these films two and a half stars, but in this one notes that (Leon) Ames is wonderful as the father" (as he was in the previous film), and that (Mary) Wickes is delightful as the family maid" (here reprising her role, and the only one with any witty or even sardonic lines). Everyone else seems miscast.But my biggest gripe about both these films is their portrayl of the times, which later eras dismissed as straight-laced and naive. Nevertheless, especially for well-to-do families, life was extremely light-hearted and lively. It's the era of barbershop singing (of which there is none in either picture). Disney's "The Happiest Millionaire" takes place in the same time period and far better captures the happy-go-lucky tenor of the times, before WWI and the angst of the moderns, who for some reason feel a duty to worry. In Britain, P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and other stories take place also in this time period, and they are some of the funniest comedies of manners ever written.The fifth, and only black and white film is "Ill See You in My Dreams" (1952), in which Danny Thomas plays songwriter Gus Kahn. Maltin pans it as "musical biography at its hokiest; a trite telling of Gus Kahn's life and times". It was a hit with moviegoers, however, and it's easy to see why: it's jammed with Warner Bros-owned songs that were then on the radio, and most of which are still known now. I don't know if Thomas' portrayl of Kahn is very accurate, but it's interesting anyway as a tale of the agony and ecstasy of a songwriter, with Day as a music publisher, boosting Thomas (Kahn) against all odds and believing in him no matter what. If it's a fairy tale, it's a good one.The sixth and last film, "Lucky Me" (1955) Maltin doesn't like either, calling it a "bright-faced but doggedly mediocre musical". Perhaps so, but it's got everything I like in a film. Doris with a quirky personality--here she's superstitious--lots of opportunities for broad slapstick, thanks to Sgt. Bilko-- Phil Silvers; a great leading man in Robert Cummings, who is more "Bob-like" here than in his TV show, "Love That Bob". Great directing by Jack Donohue. Not overdone like some of the later big brash comedies like "The Glass Bottom Boat". This is also the only widescreen, letterbox format film in the set.Then the extras. Movie matinees used to consist of a newsreel, cartoon, and the feature, and they're all here. The newsreels are theatrical shorts about the movies, mostly from the mid-'50s. They include: "The Screen Director", "Let's Sing a Song About the Moonlight", "Let's Sing a Sing from the Movies", "When the Talkies Were Young", "The Grass is Always Greener", and the best: three Joe McDoakes comedy shorts: "So You Want to Be an Actor"; "So You Want to Learn to Dance"; and "So You Want a Television Set". This last involves domestic unrest, and works some dramatic moments in a comic way--the same ground "The Honeymooners" would mine. The six restored Looney Tunes never looked better, and include: "Sandy Claws", "A Hound for Trouble", "Lovelorn Leghorn", "A Ham in a Role", "I Taw a Putty Tat", and the Oscar-nominated "From A to Z-Z-Z-Z". (Note: some of my dates for the films are a year different than that given by Maltin, as I went by the copyright date). To sum up what I think about getting this box set, I could do no better than to quote Doris Day: Lucky me.

Two years ago Warners released "The Doris Day Collection" which quickly became a best seller. It contained some choice Day films from the 50's and 60's and reacquainted a lot of people with the wide-ranging talents that Doris Day possesses. There was a reason she reigned as the top box-office female star in history, a title she holds to this day. Volume 2 contains 6 more reasons why Doris Day still has that unique ability to make audiences feel warm, content, happy, and very satisfied.Included in this collection is Day's screen debut, 1948's "Romance on the High Seas". It's a gorgeous technicolor treat - a throwback to an era when movies were designed to entertain and it succeeds gloriously. Miss Day introduces the classic song, "It's Magic" and while not first-billed, steals the show from Jack Carson (the first of three successive teamings), Janis Paige, S.Z. Sakall and a great cast. It's a case of mistaken identity, but what is most memorable is the ease with which Miss Day seems to acquit herself on film. She's a natural - funny, real, and gorgeous. There's a bit of the late Betty Hutton in her performance but ultimately she proves herself to be one of a kind.The rest of the titles each have their high points. "My Dream is Yours" has lots of grit in this variation of "A Star is Born" with Day's star rising and for good reason. My favorite song is her heartfelt rendition of "I'll String Along With You" - flawless. Other highlights include a sequence in which she and Carson team with Bugs Bunny."I'll See You in My Dreams" is the wonderful bio of lyricist Gus Kahn and contains a trunkload of classic tunes sung perfectly by Day, co-star Danny Thomas and Patrice Wymore in a knockout performance. It has much more grit than the typical biography and Miss Day is exceptionally good as Kahn's wife Grace. Michael Curtiz has directed the film in black and white which seems to make it more serious than many films of this mileau."On Moonlight Bay" (1951) and it's sequel 1953's "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" are like a couple of Currier and Ives pictures brought to life. Warm-hearted and filled with a score of great tunes, they lovingly capture an era that might have been or at least was in memory. Miss Day, co-star Gordon MacRae and "family" - Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Billy Gray and Mary Wickes, seem like a family. Loosely based on Tarkington's "Penrod" tales, it had critics carping that it wasn't "Meet Me In St. Louis" and it isn't. On its own terms it is just as delightful filled with charm and genuine warmth, never forced and never trite.The weakest link in the collection is probably "Lucky Me", the first technicolor musical and subject to critical pans at the time of its release.Miss Day and a fine supporting cast including Bob Cummings, Nancy Walker, Phil Silvers, Eddie Foy Jr and Martha Hyer, give it their all. The songs may not be memorable but they are energetically rendered and there are enough chuckles sprinkled throughout to keep the film going.One will come away from this 12 hour marathon of Doris Day films feeling extremely good, exhilirated in fact, and possibly wishing that Hollywood still made the kind of feel-good movie that Doris specialized in during her 7 years at Warners. Feeling that way in this day and age is something not to be scoffed at. If someone could bottle that indefinable quality that Doris Day possesses and share it with the world, we'd all benefit.

This collection of movies is fabulous!!! Each shows off how professional and talented Doris Day is and always was."Romance on the High Seas" is such a light-hearted, feel good movie. And, Doris Day and Jack Carson are so great together. It's a must see from the start where she shows her comedic side and, of course, every song she sings is magic, just like the song, "It's Magic" that she sings in the movie."On Moonlight Bay" and the sequel, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" stars Ms. Day and Gordon MacRae...guess I'd like to say they are a match made in heaven. Great cast in both movies and Doris Day is such a treasure to watch. I never would have guessed "On Moonlight Bay" was her first movie. Ms. Day is such a natural actress. I can't imagine anyone not liking either one of these movies. It's a great story and the singing is superb!"Lucky Me" is a hoot besides Ms. Day, there is Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, Eddie Foy, Jr. and Nancy Walker. At the beginning, Doris Day sings a song about superstition that had me in stitches plus I had never heard the song before nor even knew about this movie. Great performances! Great Movie!In "My Dream Is Yours," Doris Day is a singer trying to make the big time, and Jack Carson is there to give her the help. They work so well together and I loved the part where Bugs Bunny gets into the act and Day & Carson are in costume."I'll See You In My Dreams," well, I remembered this movie as a small child and just loved it. Ms. Day and Danny Thomas are terrific. The movie is based on the life of Gus Kahn and his wife.In my opinion, you can't go wrong with this fabulous collection of Doris Day movies!