Many biographical references to Doris Day (nee von Kappelhoff) list her birth date as April 3, 1924, but a look at the 1930 Federal Census shows she was actually born in 1922. The official enumeration date was April 1, 1930, meaning no matter when a household was counted, the information listed would reflect the family's status as of April 1. The Kappelhoff household in Cincinnati, Ohio was actually enumerated on April 10, a week after Doris' birthday but she was listed as age 7 (the age she was on April 1).
Regardless, she was born to William and Alma von Kappelhoff on April 3. One of the most popular singing and motion picture stars of the 20th century, Day made her film debut in Romance on the High Seas for Warner Brothers in 1948, replacing a pregnant Betty Hutton. Her winning personality, along with her wholesome good looks and beautiful singing made her an instant star.
Happy Birthday Doris!
Doris Day has always been one of my favourite actresses. She could do it all--sing, dance, act. I know you like her earlier stuff, but for me her Sixties sex comedies were the best.
ReplyDeleteEven though the Census states 7 as of last birthday. The poor readability of this document could mean that the 5 that was actually written, looks like a 7.
ReplyDeleteAnother discrepancy is the 1940 census which states an age of 18. If the April 1 rule is applied, this means she was born in 1921 !! Curious isn't it.
Most people who are interviewed who actually know her usually state a birth year of 1922.
This raises the question why did she lie about her age in the first place ? She seems to have subtracted 2 years . This makes little sense for a young performer trying to make a go of it in the big wide world. To appear as old as possible would be better, for example saying she is 18 rather than 16 would gain her more employment opportunities. But it seems that she did the reverse for some reason. This puzzle has not been solved satisfactorily by any website or journal.