Break a Leg… Literally!
Sadly, Day’s dreams of a dance career were cut short. On October 13th, 1937, Day was involved in a car accident that severely injured her right leg; she was only 15 at the time. The teenager’s hopes of becoming a professional dancer may not have been possible, but that wasn’t going to bring her down.
Doris Day and Gene Nelson on the set of the film Tea for Two 1950. Photo by Glasshouse Images / Shutterstock
Even though she watched her dance dreams go up in flames, Day spent her recovery time singing along to the radio. She was particularly inspired by Ella Fitzgerald. “There was a quality to her voice that fascinated me, and I’d sing along with her, trying to catch the subtle ways she shaded her voice, the casual yet clean way she sang the words,” Day expressed.