Laraine Day

Laraine Day, born La Raine Johnson on October 13, 1920 in Roosevelt, Utah, emerged from a large Mormon family to become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading ladies of the 1940s. After moving to California, she joined the Long Beach Players where a talent scout discovered her, leading to a brief contract with Goldwyn and later a successful run with RKO and MGM. Her breakthrough came as Nurse Mary Lamont in the popular Dr. Kildare series, and she went on to star opposite legends such as Robert Mitchum, Cary Grant, John Wayne and Ronald Reagan in films like Foreign Correspondent, The Locket and The Bad Man. Day’s versatility extended beyond the silver screen; she was a frequent guest on Lux Radio Theatre, hosted her own television programs, and authored two books, including Day With the Giants documenting her life with baseball manager Leo Durocher. Her marriage to Durocher earned her the nickname "First Lady of Baseball," and she broke new ground as the first woman honored by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association in 1951. A devout member of the LDS Church, she lived a life free of alcohol, coffee, tea and tobacco, and remained politically active as a staunch Republican supporting figures like Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan. After a long career that spanned stage, radio, film and television, Day returned to Utah in 2007 and passed away later that year at the age of 87, leaving behind a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a legacy of faith‑filled perseverance. Laraine Day’s story is a testament to talent, faith, and the ability to adapt across multiple entertainment mediums while influencing American culture both on and off the screen.