From Deseret News archives:
Actress Laraine Day dies in Utah at 87
For 13 years she was popularly called "the first lady of baseball" for her marriage to Leo Durocher, the Hall of Fame manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants.
Her death, at the home of her daughter, Gigi Bell, was announced by her publicist. She had moved to Utah in March after the death of her third husband, the producer Michel M. Grilikhes, to whom she had been married for 47 years.
Never a major star, Day was relegated to what she called "B(plus) movies" at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She was almost the victim of an ax murderer in "Fingers at the Window" (1942), was married to a traitor in "Yank on the Burma Road" (1942) and served as the intrepid newspaper publisher Edward G. Robinson's girl Friday in "Unholy Partners" (1941).
Paramount had signed Day to a six-month contract at $150 a week after she graduated from high school in 1937. According to an oral history Day taped for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1997, her contract was dropped after she tested for a three-line part in the De Mille film "The Buccaneer." Not only did the director turn her down for the role, she said he also told Paramount that she had no talent and should be dropped.
By the time De Mille was planning a movie based on Dr. Corydon Wassell's rescue of a dozen wounded American sailors during the first days of World War II, Day had played Nurse Mary Lamont seven times. "After seeing me in so many Kildares, I was naturally the only one who could play a nurse and knew the proper instruments," Day said.
Starring Lew Ayres as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as the chief of surgery, Dr. Gillespie, the Kildare series was tremendously successful. "Kildare, Maisie and the Andy Hardy pictures were the bread-and-butter pictures for MGM," Day said in her oral history. "Through those three series, they could afford Garbo and Crawford and Shearer, and they could make the big pictures."
Recent comments
She was beautiful dressed in white, where we often saw her in the Los...
CB | Nov. 13, 2007 at 8:31 a.m.
- 4A: Timpview wins 4th in 4 years 4:30 a.m.
- 3A: Juan Diego 12, Hurricane 10 4:18 a.m.
- 3A: Juan Diego vs. Hurricane 4:17 a.m.
- TCU still has a chance 2:04 a.m.
- Unranked Orange move to 4-0 1:52 a.m.
- Cougars cruise to victory in Hawaii 1:38 a.m.
- 5A: Bingham vs Davis 1:32 a.m.
- 5A: Bingham 35, Davis 24 1:30 a.m.
- 5A: Darts impress in title loss 1:13 a.m.
- 5A: Miners' Cantwell makes name 1:11 a.m.
- Mailman's nomination delivered
- Jazz finally win in San Antonio
- U. professor dies after fall from bus
- 'New Moon' rising: Vamps vs. 'wolves
- 4A: Timpview wins 4th in 4 years
- Archuleta still calls Utah home
- Unga's status 'a game-time decision'
- Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
- Horrifying scenario described
- 'New Moon' doesn't rise to occasion
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
182 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
167 - BYU, Utah struck gold in coaches
123 - Lies shatter Utah family
122 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
105 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
96 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
95 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
95 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
92 - Huntsman pleased with Obama
84
I don't pretend to be an expert on global warming. I've met with...
so proud of you H town boys. we cant ask for better. as for not being back...
Great pictures! I was there and got some pretty good ones, but the your...
Part of the point of saying "gosh" is to avoid vain repetition of the name of...
A well deserved accomplishment for a terrific coach. And doing it in...
The hour is late and I'm not very bright, but I don't understand your post at...
I thought the Aggies were in the game until the end of the 2nd quarter. A...
Sorry to break the news to you, but Boise State really is not that good....
UH guard Hiram Thompson is LDS and an RM and the older brother of freshman...
as bland as wonder bread.
I agree totally with you. I've had some time in the strips and when i was at...


