A selection of some of the best of one of Hollywood’s early leading ladies, The Doris Day Collection, Volume 2 houses six nostalgia-filled musicals, all released as stunning DVD transfers. Covering six years of Day’s career, the films have a recurring concepts between them in terms of style and plotlines, though that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable.
Romance on the High Seas marks Day’s film debut, involving a mixed up love story in which neither party trusts the other. It was nominated for two Oscars, and while it failed to win, that doesn’t take away from this classic musical.
Doris Day followed it with My Dream is Yours, a film where she becomes a radio personality, only to be crossed up in another love triangle. It’s one of the weakest films in this set, the story feels slapped together. It’s more notable for an impressive dream sequence featuring Bugs Bunny perfectly choreographed in a dance sequence with the two leads.
On Moonlight Bay and its follow up one year later By the Light of the Silvery Moon concern Day’s romance with a free spirit against her fathers wishes. Her tom-boy ways are in need of change, leading to some entertaining moments as she tries to fit into the standards of being “lady-like.” Silvery Moon swaps roles, with her co-star, Gordon MacRae, now in the father-like role, firmly believing in marriage and financial security. It’s a lesser sequel, without the charm or energy of its predecessor. Still, it’s a worthy and solid effort.
I’ll See You in my Dreams teams the rising star with Danny Thomas, in one of his earliest roles. This is a biopic of songwriter Gus Kahn, and Day plays the role of an involved wife who sticks by her man at all times even during the depressing moments. Michael Curtiz, who would direct numerous classics (including several in this box set) handles the story with care, pacing the musical numbers flawlessly.
Lucky Me, from 1954, is the final piece of this collection, and it’s a fine way to round it out. Day plays a struggling singer who is, luckily, picked up by a Broadway casting director. She falls for him while he’s supposedly in a relationship with someone else. While derivative, the songs are energetic and fun to watch. This holds the distinction of being the first musical ever shot in CinemaScope. 
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