Martin Melcher(1915-1968)

When his 17-year marriage to Doris Day ended with his death in 1968, Day discovered that because he had power of attorney, not only had he signed her to a CBS TV series (The Doris Day Show (1968)) without her knowledge, but also that the millions she had earned in her twenty-year film career had all been squandered on poor investments. Day honored the CBS commitment, then successfully sued Melcher's partner Jerome B. Rosenthal and, after years of litigation, was awarded a record $22.8 million settlement from him.