Comments for Handycat

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Sam

Sam — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:44:04 +0000

If one is concerned that there is little truth in the book then help me out with this one.

The Author says that Doris lives in a mansion overlooking Pebble Beach golf course with a view of the sea.

How come she really lives not in Carmel but in carmel Valley just off the 18th hole of Quail Lodge Golf Club. WHY THE DECIPTION ?

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Tony

Tony — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:12:12 +0000

I think that you have an agenda. I have read the book and if anything the author has painted a picture of Doris that lacks substance. It is also misleading in many ways and that in my view discredits the entire book.

Doris does not live near Pebble Beach Golf Club overlooking the sea as stated in the book. She lives in Carmel Valley miles from the sea. She has 8 acres of fenced in property overlooking the 18th hole of the Quail Golf Club.

We are not all star struck and do have some intelligence so don’t try and drive this kind of crap down our throats.

Just remember that I knew Doris before she was a virgin. Just think about that and maybe it will give you some insight to the real Doris Day.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Rita

Rita — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

So Patricia, don’t you think other books about Miss Day have revealed “personal things”? Wait till the Kaufman book comes out …. I’ll bet there will be some juicy stuff, and I’ll bet he’ll name names. Ms. Barothy is a class act who did not do that. This is a memoir, and as such, Ms. Barothy is entitled to her memories of working for and living with Miss Day. There isn’t anything in this book, written about incidents that happened 35 years ago, that Miss Day need to be embarrassed about. She should be thankful that the author spent so much time doing things for her that don’t qualify as “secretarial work.” I stand by the fact that this is a good book about a young girl’s dream come true, a story that will inspire other young people to reach for their dreams.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Patricia

Patricia — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I have read the book and my comment stands that this book was an invasion of Doris Day’s privacy. It has nothing to do with her being human like the rest of us. It has to do with intimate things being shared with all about her private life. It is appalling for someone who professes they are a fan of Miss Day, that they would then write such things that are truly personal.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Rita

Rita — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I do not know who L.B. is, I sign my posts with my own name. Are you trying to prove something that isn’t there? ONCE AGAIN, Ms. Barothy contacted Miss Day about the book and got no response. If Miss Day was so concerned about this book, she would have offered her opinion. Have you even read the book, or are you going along with these Daisies-with-thorns based on what you’ve read on the Internet? If so, your comments can’t be taken seriously since you’ve jumped on a bandwagon with people you say you don’t even know. There’s a lot of good stuff about Doris in this book, which also shows her human side. If you want to perceive her as one of her screen characters, go right ahead. But that isn’t reality — she’s human like the rest of us, which is honestly portrayed in DAY AT A TIME.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Patricia

Patricia — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

I have to agree with the people who disapprove of this book. It appears to me that this was indeed an invasion of privacy by the author. The book is definitely not a tribute to Doris Day.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Debbie Makin

Debbie Makin — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

I really think that you, Rita…or LB or whatever your real name is…should remember it is Ms Barothy who was the stalker, not these ladies who appear to have genuine concerns about the effect this book will have had on Miss Day.

I am a fan of Miss Day and although I do not know any of these ladies, nor am I a member of any forum and neither have I read the book except for a lengthy passage I found on the internet, I do read posts on three Doris Day forums which has prompted me to give these ladies my support. I have come to realise that all genuine Doris Day fans are appalled by this book and Ms Barothy’s sheer contempt and disregard for Miss Day.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Rita

Rita — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

This is a typical post from one of Ms. Barothy’s internet stalkers, a group who is trying to discredit the book. They never respond to specific comments, they say the same stuff over and over and ignore what people have to say who liked the book. Once again, the author did contact Doris Day about the book before it was written and received no response. That tells me that Ms. Day was not concerned about the book and its ramifications. It was HER choice. This is a memoir by the author who was careful in not revealing the names of some people, including celebrities and fans, who played into the 4 years that Ms. Barothy was Doris’s secretary. If she wanted to trash Doris and her cronies, she would have named names and revealed much more than what was written in DAY AT A TIME. Just a thought, Karen: Does your group trash all the other Doris books because they don’t portray her as Miss Squeaky Clean? Or any way that YOU perceive her? I’d say that someone who lived with her for 2 years and worked with her for 4 has a lot more insight than you do. Today is Christmas — you’ll fit right in with all the other holiday GREENery.

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Karen

Karen — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Ms. Barothy’s so called, badly written book, has to do with betrayal of the worst kind. Hired by Ms. Day, she consistently, and repeatedly violates her trust, even to the point of secretly taping Ms. Day’s private conversations without her knowledge. Now, 30 or more years later, she violates this trust again by writing a book that is in the same vain as tabloid trash, and expects you to pay money for it. I have not only read this book, I made the awful mistake of being involved with its writing 30 years ago. DO NOT BE DUPED INTO THROWING AWAY YOUR MONEY!!

Comment on Catching up with Mary Anne Barothy by Rita

Rita — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

I have read “Day at a Time” by Mary Anne Barothy and found it to be an enjoyable read. This is a dream-come-true story about a young Midwestern girl who moves to California and becomes secretary to her favorite movie star, Doris Day, including 2 years of living in her home. Eventually, she took on other household duties and became a friend to Doris. She wore a lot of hats and some of her duties were not exactly glamorous, but as a devoted fan and loyal employee, she did them out of love. The reader gets a glimpse of life in Hollywood that people don’t normally see, and during an era that offered celebrities that one could really look up to. Granted, there are instances in the book in which Doris did not react perfectly, but that just makes her more human in Ms. Barothy’s story. The author went out of her way to protect Doris on many occasions, acting as a concerned friend and not just an employee.

I find the negative comments about this book ridiculous: they just scream of jealousy and envy. Someone said she shouldn’t have written this book without Doris’s knowledge and support. Hate to break it to you, but a celebrity is a public entity and there are plenty of unauthorized biographies and other books that have been published about movie stars. From what I understand, Ms. Barothy DID try to contact Doris about the book, but Doris chose not to respond. If she had, perhaps she might have had some input, but by not contacting the author, she either wasn’t concerned about what would be written or trusted Ms. Barothy to do a book that would show her in a positive but human light. These other “fans” obviously are on these forums in an organized protest to discredit Ms. Barothy’s book. I think they are trying to preserve Doris’s squeaky clean image and can’t face the fact that Doris wasn’t always “on”, that she made some mistakes (who hasn’t?) and that Ms. Barothy’s is an honest portrait of the star. People who say this book is “trash” obviously haven’t read it – it’s a straightforward look at 4 years of Doris’s life presented by a woman who unabashedly was a great admirer and helpmate. I would recommend “Day at a Time” to anyone, so if you haven’t yet read it, please ignore the naysayers and their agenda.