Mitzi was perfect,, as Richard Rogers said, Doris Day would have been Doris Day, as in all her films, too syrupy and sweetness, not a bad singer though, doris does not get the recognition for her voice, but south pacific no.
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Well, she's not a character actor, but still a fine actress. Still, she probably wouldn't have been right for this part. It would have been this strange mish mash of a a Doris Day film and a Rogers and Hammerstein period war piece musical.
shareThe only reason she was "Doris Day" was because of her contract to Warner brothers. Other than that she was a fine actress who would have fit into the role perfectly
shareWell, she did Calamity Jane and a number of other unconventional roles. I guess the Doris Day persona was akin to Marilyn Monroe's act; a kind of profile to present to the public.
shareDoris would of been great in this part too. But prior to her comedy roles she was considered a dramatic actress, even though she was in Calamity Jane and she was very good. And she was a jazz big band singer that was very respected. I think putting her in light weight roles did her a disservice. I do not even think they even considered her for this role. She was doing movies like Love Me or Leave Me and Young Man with a Horn and that Hitchcock picture.
shareConsidered a Dramatic Actress By Whom??
sharealthough i never reckoned Doris as an actress, she had more talent in her little finger than Marilyn Monroe
shareLove me or Leave me was an MGM film and made 2 years before South Pacific, it had nothing to do with Warner Bros, Rodgers and Hammerstein did not want Doris Day, Doris was more suited to those little B musicals she did at Warner Bros. look how great she was in Calamity Jane.when she did have the opportunity of a block buster musical in 1960 it Bombed big time, she went onto big success in those outdated comedies, which are very forgettable now.
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Mitzi Gaynor was perfect, but I think Doris Day would have been perfect , too .
Rodgers was wrong. Sorry. Nellie is a sweet, syrupy cockeyed optimist who is suddenly faced with having to grow out of her immature prejudices in order to find happiness. Perfectly suited to Doris Day. Mitzi Gaynor was passable in the role, but just a tad too sophisticated.
shareyour opinion of course, Mitzi was far more talented and suited to South Pacific, Rodgers and Hammerstein were making a classic film, not a Doris Day Warner Bros B Musical, ie By the Light of the Silvery Moon?
shareActually, the two women were equally talented in my opinion. This isn't a question of talent. In my opinion, Mitzi Gaynor had an air of sophistication about her that was not quite right for the very unsophisticated Nellie Forbush. Doris Day had a more down to earth quality, which was better suited to the character. Think of it this way. Imagine Whatever Happened To Baby Jane with Davis playing Blanche and Crawford playing Jane. It wouldn't have been quite right even though both were very talented screen actresses.
shareI think Day would have been better. Sure, both ladies were good-looking, good singers, and decent actresses, but...
Day is the one I can imagine as an army nurse! She had a cure of steel and a streak of butchness that's the most obvious in "Calamity Jane", so Day comes across as the kind of gal who could pick maggots out of a wound while smiling reassuringly at her patient, and keeping cockeyed optimism in her heart. Gaynor seems a bit too fragile for that life.