My story starts in 1954, after I had been to see Calamity Jane
at a local cinema. I was a teenager and really loved the lady on the
screen in her buck skins with her guns and I wanted to have her on my
side. It didn't matter very much to me then that she could sing, only
that it would be good to have her as a friend. That's how DORIS DAY
first came into my life. After that, I would search the cinemas in
Bolton, there were 22 in all, each showing a film every
Monday-Wednesday, then a different film on Thursday-Saturday and again
something different on Sunday.
In those days the cinema was always the main attraction and whenever I saw
the name DORIS DAY, that's the place I would make a bee line to. Usually
when her films were released they would be shown at Manchester first so
that's the place where some friends and I would go to. Then we'd watch
them again three or four weeks later when they came to Bolton.
Memories of some of the films are vivid, such as going to see The
Tunnel Of Love and just before the film starting the record playing
over the loud speakers...it wasn't out in the shops so it was a real
treat hearing it there.
We went to see The Pajama Game at Manchester, it stayed for
three weeks, so we went to see it again before it finished its run.
Lover Come Back came to the cinema in Oxford and about ten of us
went, I remember that because if you passed a bag of sweets down the
line, it would be emptied and never come back to you. I remember going
to the Palace cinema in Rochdale to see ...Daisies and to the
cinema in Bury to see Pillow Talk, but Bolton was the one place I
saw most of Doris' films.
A group of us went to the ABC cinema in Bolton to see Jumbo and
Doris' picture was on the cover of the ABC film review which they sold
there for six old pence, how I wish now that I had bought some copies.
We went to see Julie at one cinema and had to ask the manager to
turn the sound up.
Another time when coming out after watching Teachers Pet, the
manager spotted me and said, I don't know about teachers pet, I think
you should be her pet.
I recall after we had seen Midnight Lace at the Odeon in Bolton,
we went in the foyer and did a survey, asking people what they thought
about Doris being in a dramatic film like that, and would they prefer to
see her in a musical. One lady, when we asked had she seen any other
Doris Day films said "Was she in Oklahoma?", no, we told her.
Well she said, "I think I liked her best in that one." The
results of our survey were later published in the Doris Day club
magazine.
We went to see Pillow Talk
on it's return visit to Bolton and a friend of mine worked in the
projection box there, I had just bought the record of
Rickety Rackety Rondezvous
and I asked would he play it in the interval, which he did, rather
loudly, but it was great hearing it like that.
I went to see Love Me Or Leave Me in Bolton and about fifteen
minutes before the film ended, a fight broke out in the stalls, then
just at the moment Doris started to sing the title song, every one went
quiet. After watching that film I went to every record shop known to man
to try and buy a single of
Shaking The Blues Away
,
but of course, it was never released as a single, mores the pity.
I
have two memories of seeing Doris' films in London. We were on holiday
there when Jumbo first came out. It opened at the newly
refurbished Empire on Leicester Square so we were there, only trouble
was, I was so tired after all the sight seeing that I fell fast asleep
and missed most of the film. I was especially sad to have missed seeing
Doris singing Little Girl Blue because after it's showing in
London, that song was cut out of the film and it wasn't till years later
that I saw it. Then, I was lucky enough to go to the premiere
performance of That Touch of Mink at the Odeon cinema on
Leicester Square on Thursday May 31st. 1962. It was a thrilling
experience, I felt very privileged walking into the cinema with photos
of Doris all over the place and crowds lining the square. All the time,
I was hoping that Doris would pop up.
The royal film performance in London in 1964 was Move Over, Darling,
but even though I didn't attend, I felt so pleased that Doris' film was
chosen for the royal family to watch. Those are some of my cinema
memories.
I joined Julia Coleman's Doris Day club and always looked forward to
the journals and wrote to Doris quite a lot. When I got a reply it was
fantastic. She sent a beautiful signed photograph to my wife and I when
we got married in 1965, which went all round the room at the wedding
reception.
We used to hold little get togethers at each others houses where Doris
was the talking point. When the club finished, I joined the new Doris
Day club which was run by Sydney Wood who later went on to work for
Doris in California. I collected records, videos and anything I could
lay my hands on about Doris and amassed a huge collection, and even
going on the TV programmes Find a Fortune with my Doris Day
stills and on John Stapleton's show The Time The Place talking
about the great lady.
I joined the new Doris Day society which was run by Alan Milnes, and
later by Martyn Daye. I used to love reading the magazines, and always
enjoyed the members page so much that I decided that I would contribute
to the magazine, so I started to do a competition every issue, giving
prizes for the winners. That was great fun and I also raised quite a lot
which got sent to Doris for her pet foundation.
Over the years, I corresponded with and made friends with lots and lots
of other Day people, some of whom I have remained friends with up to
this day.
The
climax of my DAY years came one evening in 1973 when I went home from
work, had my tea then sat down to read the paper. There was four lines
inside the Bolton Evening News, which when I read, I nearly fell off my
chair. It said that Doris Day had arrived in London on a private visit.
I went to work the following day and all I could think about was that
Doris was in London. I knew that on her previous visit there she stayed
at the Savoy hotel, so I threw caution to the wind and rang there to ask
if she was staying there, no she wasn't, so the only other posh hotel I
could think about was the Dorchester on Park Lane. I rang there and
asked if she was staying, yes she is said a lady. Have you seen her I
asked, yes I have, then I thanked her and hung up.
I couldn't think about anything else, so in the afternoon, I plucked up
the courage to ring again and asked to be put through to Doris Day's
suite. I waited, not knowing what I would say, then someone answered
saying, the press office, I told them I didn't want them, I wanted Doris
Day's suite. Sorry they replied, she is not taking any calls.
After that I must have rang six or seven times and each time I got the
press office. I was just about giving it up but thought that I would try
one more time.
Can you put me through to Doris Day's suite I asked. "Is that Norman
Bamford?" Yes I said,
"Oh, I have a suprise for you, Miss Day is giving a little tea party in
her suite at 6.30pm on Wednesday and you are invited." Can you
imagine how I felt?
On the Tuesday morning, I got my wife to ring up work and tell them I
was ill and in bed. Tuesday night I got ready and caught the midnight
coach down to London. The driver asked me where I was going and what
for. I thought if I tell him I am going to have tea with Doris Day, he
would think I am crackers, so I told him I was going for a job
interview. Blow me, when I was coming home it was the same driver who
asked if I got the job, and I told him they were letting me know.
Anyway, when I got to London, I left my things at a friends house and
went to Park Lane, I stood facing the Dorchester wondering whereabouts
Doris would be, then I went back, got ready and left.
I remember looking at the other people on the tube and thinking what
they would say if they knew where and for what I was going.
I
got to the hotel and sat in the lounge, a waiter came up and asked if I
would like anything. After a while a porter came in and said "Would
Miss Day's party please follow me."
He led us to her suite and I walked in. Doris was sat on the couch and
looked stunning, dressed in red, someone said this is Norman, and Doris
stood up, held out her hand and said "Norman Bamford?" I was so
taken back that she knew my surname, all I could do was to take her hand
and say, I'll be alright in a minute, someone handed me a glass of
champagne and I was okay and in my element. Doris was sat on the couch
with a man sat at either side of her, so I thought, I am going to sit
there too and handed one of the men my camera for him to take a
photograph. Guess what...it would not work, so I had to rely on some
others there to send me photos of what they had taken.
I
sat there for two hours listening to Doris talking and there were
chocolates which she had brought over with her for us to eat along with
drinks and snacks. She kindly signed lots of photographs and LP covers
and showed us pictures of her four-leggers. Believe me, two hours passed
like two minutes.
When it was time to go, I handed her a small gift and she said, "You
have bought this for me?" then tears ran down her cheeks as she
kissed my cheek, I haven't washed since, (only kidding) but believe me,
it was a night that I will never forget, Doris was the perfect hostess
and as soon as you entered the room, you just knew that there was some
one special there. I sent Doris a photograph of the two of us and she
replied saying thank you and that she though the two of us looked very
nice together.
Twenty odd years later, my wife and I went for the first time to America
where we visited the Cypress Inn in Carmel. There are signed cinema
posters on the walls, and Carmel is a lovely place, so clean and all the
more special because Doris lives there.
Now fifty years after seeing Calamity Jane at the cinema, I still
love all things Doris and am now collecting her films on DVD disc, even
though I have all of them on video. So you see my friends, Doris has
been a very big part of my life, there will never be anyone else like
her. I hope most sincerely that you have enjoyed reading this and that
you like the photos.
norman's
date
