Welcome to OTRCAT.com: Old Time Radio Catalog
Loading. Please wait...

Laraine Day Collection

A life-long member of the LDS Church, Laraine Day was an MGM beauty who later did baseball commentary with her then husband Leo "the Lip" Durocher.

Laraine Day

23 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 14 hours, 2464 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
15 Audio CDs


Choose your CD format
or order disks individually: Add to Cart
Add to wishlist
Play a sample episode from December 03, 1944:

"Lux Radio Unguarded Hour"



... or click here to save the Mp3 file to your computer
Print

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Laraine Day
(1920 – 2007)

Laraine Day

Can you imagine having so many pretty girls to choose from that you couldn't possibly use them all? That was the situation faced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios during the greater portion of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it was a happy situation for MGM is hard to say, it was certainly a profitable one.

Laraine DayAs the biggest and most profitable studio in town, MGM seemed like the place to be in a town which was already overflowing with pretty girls. Unfortunately, being a pretty girl in MGM's "stable" was a guarantee of a paycheck, but not necessarily of Stardom. Rather than a sense of having "made it" when they landed a contract with MGM, a number of Starlets would have probably been better off steering clear of MGM and signing somewhere else. Pretty Laraine Day is a case in point.

A Utah native born Laraine Johnson in 1920, she was the seventh of eight children, including her twin brother Lamar, in an affluent Mormon family. They came from pioneering Mormon stock, her great grandfather, along with three of his six wives and a few dozen of his 52 children, left Utah to become an early pioneer family in the San Bernardino, California, region. Her own father had been a "Mormon Paul Revere" at the age of 15, riding into the night to warn polygamists to hide their wives when Federal Marshals were in the area.

When Laraine was nine, her father followed the clan to San Bernardino before moving on to Long Beach, California, where she attended Washington Junior High School and Polytechnic High School. She got her first taste of acting as part of the Players Guild of Long Beach and had her first exposure to movie work as an extra in Barbara Stanwyck's Stella Dallas (1937). She went on to work in B-Westerns at RKO before signing with MGM in 1939.

The same year, yet unpublished science fiction writer Ray Bradbury joined her Wilshire Players Guild, a Latter Day Saint theater troupe, as a playwright and part-time actor. (Laraine and Bradbury had several "creative differences.")

The first thing MGM did was give her a new name (they already had a Rita Johnson under contract). She was placed as Nurse Mary Lamont, Lew Ayres' love interest in Calling Dr. Kildare (1939), the second of the Dr. Kildare series. Laraine appeared in seven of the films before her character was killed off in Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941). Miss Day was given more challenging and stimulating work when she was loaned to other studios, including the Irish melodrama My Son, My Son (1940), and opposite Joel McCrea in Hitchcock's thriller Foreign Correspondent (1940), both for United Artists, and receiving top billing in the psychological thriller The Locket (1946) for RKO.

Laraine Day

Laraine married singer-turned-airport-executive James Hendricks in 1942. The couple adopted two children, but Laraine sued for divorce on the grounds of "mental cruelty" in 1946. Hendricks fought the divorce, accusing Brooklyn Dodger's manager Leo "The Lip" Durocher of "dishonorable and ungentlemanly conduct with his wife" while posing as a family friend. Day was granted an interlocutory divorce on January 20, 1946, which required her to wait one year before remarrying.

She didn't. On January 21, she traveled to Juarez, Mexico, where she got a second divorce decree and the same day married Durocher in El Paso, Texas. "Lippy" Durocher was 15 years senior to his new 26-year-old bride (the third of his four wives). Married to one of the most colorful characters in the game, Laraine built a reputation as "the first lady of baseball", and appeared in a number of forums with Leo, talking about the Giants and baseball in general. Through Durocher's stories, she came to appreciate baseball not as a game of statistics, but one of "blood and tears". However, after divorcing Durocher in 1960, she claimed to have never really liked baseball. "Once the relationship was over," she intimated, "so was my relationship with baseball." Despite the divorce, Day and Durocher remained on friendly terms for the rest of his life.

In 1961, Laraine married TV producer Michel Grilikhes, and the couple had two daughters. Laraine cut back her work schedule to raise her children, occasionally appearing on television in matronly roles and rarely appearing on the big screen. Laraine Day remained a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints throughout her life and was known around Hollywood for never drinking alcohol, coffee, or tea, smoking, or swearing. With Grilikhes, she helped to establish the Polynesian Cultural Center, which has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Oahu, Hawaii, owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Laraine and Michel remained married until his death in March 2007. She moved back to Utah to be with her daughter after his passing, and she passed away on November 10, 2007, at the age of 87. A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6676 Hollywood Blvd is dedicated to honor Laraine Day's contributions to Motion Pictures. The Star is in front of The Blue Stone clothing store.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

  • Show Rating

    2
    2     0


    COMMENTS

    Be the first to comment on "Laraine Day"


    Leave a comment

    You have reached the maximum number of votes for a unregistered user.

    Please login or create a new account to continue...

    You have reached the maximum number to down votes in this page.

  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    23 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 14 hours, 2464 min
    23 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 14 hours, 2464 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 23 shows – total playtime 14 hours, 41 minutes
    2. Big Show 510204 Guests Fred Allen And Robert Cummings.mp3
    3. Bill Stern Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day.mp3
    4. Biography In Sound 550417 14 Leo Lip Leo Durocher.mp3
    5. Breakfast With Dorothy And Dick 470509 Leo Durocher.mp3
    6. Cavalcade Of America 460121 Camels Are Coming.mp3
    7. Cavalcade Of America 480920 Proud Way.mp3
    8. Cavalcade Of America 510410 Once More Thunderer.mp3
    9. Cavalcade Of America 510911 No One Is Alone.mp3
    10. Christmas For Eve Laraine Day World Program Service 425.mp3
    11. Gi Journal 440602 046 Fine And Dandy.mp3
    12. Lux 430118 My Gal Sal (Mary Martin Dick Powell Norman Field).mp3
    13. Lux 441204 Unguarded Hour (Robert Montgomery, Larraine Day).mp3
    14. Lux 450101 Bride by Mistake (L.Day, Marsha Hunt John Hodiak).mp3
    15. Lux 450528 Kentucky (L.Day, Walter Brennan, Tom Drake).mp3
    16. Lux 470106 553 Till End Of Time.mp3
    17. Lux 501218 725 Holiday Affair.mp3
    18. Martin And Lewis Show 530428 102 Laraine Day.mp3
    19. Proudly We Hail 500212 071 Honeymoon For Sale Pt 2 Only.mp3
    20. Screen Guild Theater 420201 102 Bachelor Mother.mp3
    21. Screen Guild Theater 430607 147 Devil And Miss Jones.mp3
    22. Screen Guild Theater 441002 214 Shopworn Angel.mp3
    23. Screen Guild Theater 450723 255 Smilin Through.mp3
    24. Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    23 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 14 hours, 2464 min
    23 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    403 MB – total playtime 14 hours, 41 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 23 shows – 403 MB – total playtime 14 hours, 41 minutes
    2. Big Show 510204 Guests Fred Allen And Robert Cummings.mp3
    3. Bill Stern Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day.mp3
    4. Biography In Sound 550417 14 Leo Lip Leo Durocher.mp3
    5. Breakfast With Dorothy And Dick 470509 Leo Durocher.mp3
    6. Cavalcade Of America 460121 Camels Are Coming.mp3
    7. Cavalcade Of America 480920 Proud Way.mp3
    8. Cavalcade Of America 510410 Once More Thunderer.mp3
    9. Cavalcade Of America 510911 No One Is Alone.mp3
    10. Christmas For Eve Laraine Day World Program Service 425.mp3
    11. Gi Journal 440602 046 Fine And Dandy.mp3
    12. Lux 430118 My Gal Sal (Mary Martin Dick Powell Norman Field).mp3
    13. Lux 441204 Unguarded Hour (Robert Montgomery, Larraine Day).mp3
    14. Lux 450101 Bride by Mistake (L.Day, Marsha Hunt John Hodiak).mp3
    15. Lux 450528 Kentucky (L.Day, Walter Brennan, Tom Drake).mp3
    16. Lux 470106 553 Till End Of Time.mp3
    17. Lux 501218 725 Holiday Affair.mp3
    18. Martin And Lewis Show 530428 102 Laraine Day.mp3
    19. Proudly We Hail 500212 071 Honeymoon For Sale Pt 2 Only.mp3
    20. Screen Guild Theater 420201 102 Bachelor Mother.mp3
    21. Screen Guild Theater 430607 147 Devil And Miss Jones.mp3
    22. Screen Guild Theater 441002 214 Shopworn Angel.mp3
    23. Screen Guild Theater 450723 255 Smilin Through.mp3
    24. Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    23 recordings on 15 Audio CDs. Total playtime 13 hours, 15 min
    23 recordings on 15 Audio CDs
    total playtime 13 hours, 15 min

    Laraine Day Disc A001

    1. Christmas For Eve Laraine Day World Program Service 425
    2. Screen Guild Theater 420201 102 Bachelor Mother

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A002

    1. Lux 430118 My Gal Sal (Mary Martin Dick Powell Norman Field)

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A003

    1. Screen Guild Theater 430607 147 Devil And Miss Jones
    2. Gi Journal 440602 046 Fine And Dandy

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A004

    1. Screen Guild Theater 441002 214 Shopworn Angel

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A005

    1. Lux 441204 Unguarded Hour (Robert Montgomery, Larraine Day)

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A006

    1. Lux 450101 Bride by Mistake (L.Day, Marsha Hunt John Hodiak)

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A007

    1. Lux 450528 Kentucky (L.Day, Walter Brennan, Tom Drake)

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A008

    1. Screen Guild Theater 450723 255 Smilin Through
    2. Cavalcade Of America 460121 Camels Are Coming

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A009

    1. Lux 470106 553 Till End Of Time

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A010

    1. Breakfast With Dorothy And Dick 470509 Leo Durocher
    2. Cavalcade Of America 480920 Proud Way

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A011

    1. Proudly We Hail 500212 071 Honeymoon For Sale Pt 2 Only
    2. Bill Stern Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day
    3. Sports Newsreel 500512 549 Laraine Day

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A012

    1. Lux 501218 725 Holiday Affair

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A013

    1. Cavalcade Of America 510410 Once More Thunderer
    2. Cavalcade Of America 510911 No One Is Alone

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A014

    1. Martin And Lewis Show 530428 102 Laraine Day

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Laraine Day Disc A015

    1. Biography In Sound 550417 14 Leo Lip Leo Durocher

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

LISTENERS WHO ENJOYED THESE RECORDINGS ALSO COLLECTED