Dorothy Dandridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorothy Dandridge
Dandridge in a studio publicity portrait
Born	(1922-11-09)November 9, 1922 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	September 8, 1965(1965-09-08) (aged 42) West Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Occupation	Actress singer dancer
Years active	1933–1965
Spouse(s)	Harold Nicholas ​ ​ (m. 1942; div. 1951)​ Jack Denison ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1962)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Ruby Dandridge (mother)
Relatives	Vivian Dandridge (sister) Nayo Wallace (great-niece)

Dorothy Jean Dandridge (born November 9, 1922 – died September 8, 1965) was a talented American actress, singer, and dancer. She made history as the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. This was for her amazing performance in the movie Carmen Jones (1954).

Dorothy Dandridge also sang in famous places like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. Early in her career, she performed with her sister in a group called The Wonder Children, which later became The Dandridge Sisters. She appeared in many films, often in small roles at first.

In 1959, Dandridge was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in Porgy and Bess. Her life story was made into a 1999 HBO movie called Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which honors famous people in entertainment.

Dandridge was married and divorced twice. Her first husband was dancer Harold Nicholas, with whom she had her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne. Her second husband was hotel owner Jack Denison. Dorothy Dandridge passed away in 1965 when she was 42 years old.

Early Life and Family

Dorothy Dandridge was born in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother, Ruby Dandridge, was an entertainer. Her father, Cyril Dandridge, was a cabinetmaker and a Baptist minister. Her parents separated before she was born.

Ruby Dandridge created a singing and dancing act for her two young daughters, Vivian and Dorothy. They called themselves The Wonder Children. Their act was managed by Geneva Williams. The sisters traveled a lot, performing in the Southern United States for about five years. They rarely went to school during this time. Meanwhile, their mother, Ruby, worked and performed in Cleveland.

During the Great Depression, it became very hard for performers like the Dandridges to find work. So, Ruby moved her family to Hollywood, California. There, she found steady work in radio and films, often playing small roles as a domestic helper. After moving, Dorothy went to McKinley Junior High School in 1930.

In 1934, The Wonder Children changed their name to The Dandridge Sisters. Dorothy and her sister performed with their dance school friend, Etta Jones.

Her Amazing Career

Starting Out

The Dandridge Sisters became very popular for several years. They performed in famous New York nightclubs, including the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. Dorothy first appeared on screen at age 13 in a short comedy film called "Teacher's Beau" in 1935. As part of The Dandridge Sisters, she also appeared in movies like The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1936) with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, A Day at the Races with the Marx Brothers, and It Can't Last Forever (both 1937). Even though these were small roles, Dorothy gained recognition from her nightclub performances across the country.

Dorothy's first movie role where she was given credit was in Four Shall Die (1940). This film, sometimes called a "race film" because it was made for African-American audiences, didn't do much for her film career. Dorothy often turned down roles that she felt were stereotypical for black actresses at the time. This limited her choices for movie parts. She had small roles in Lady from Louisiana with John Wayne and Sundown with Gene Tierney, both in 1941.

In 1941, Dandridge also appeared in a special musical number, "Chattanooga Choo Choo", in the hit musical Sun Valley Serenade. This was the first time she performed with the famous Nicholas Brothers. Besides her movies, Dorothy appeared in "soundies". These were short film clips shown on jukeboxes. Some of her soundies included "Paper Doll," "Cow, Cow Boogie," and "Jig in the Jungle." These films showed off Dorothy's singing, dancing, and acting skills.

She continued to appear in films and on stage throughout the 1940s. She also sang with famous bands in movies, like Count Basie in Hit Parade of 1943 and Louis Armstrong in Atlantic City (1944). In 1951, Dorothy played Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba, in Tarzan's Peril. That same year, she had a supporting role in The Harlem Globetrotters.

In May 1951, Dorothy had a very successful opening at the Mocambo nightclub in West Hollywood, California. This success marked a new turning point in her career. She performed in New York and at the Café de Paris in London with great success. A studio agent saw her at the Mocambo and suggested she appear in a film called Remains to Be Seen. This led to her being cast as Jane Richards in Bright Road. This was her first main role, and she showed herself to be a "wonderful, emotional actress." The film was about a teacher trying to help a troubled student. It was also the first time Dorothy appeared in a movie with Harry Belafonte. She continued to perform in nightclubs and on early television shows, including Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.

Carmen Jones and Hollywood Stardom

In 1953, a search was held across the country to find actors for an all-black musical film. It was an adaptation of the 1943 Broadway musical Carmen Jones. This musical updated Georges Bizet's opera Carmen to an African-American setting during World War II. The director, Otto Preminger, initially thought Dorothy was better suited for a smaller role. However, Dorothy worked with make-up artists to create the look of the strong character Carmen. This, along with her lively performances in her "soundies," helped her win the main role.

The rest of the cast included Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, Diahann Carroll, and Joe Adams.

Even though Dorothy was a great singer, the studio wanted an opera voice for the film. So, another singer named Marilyn Horne provided Dorothy's singing voice for the opera parts in Carmen Jones. The movie opened on October 28, 1954, to good reviews and earned a lot of money. Dorothy's performance as Carmen received many compliments. On November 1, 1954, Dorothy Dandridge became the first black woman to be featured on the cover of Life magazine.

Carmen Jones became a huge success worldwide, earning over $10 million. It was one of the highest-earning films that year. Dorothy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. This made her the first African American to be nominated for a leading role in an Oscar. At the 27th Academy Awards on March 30, 1955, Dorothy was nominated alongside Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, and Jane Wyman. Grace Kelly won the award, but Dorothy became incredibly famous overnight. At the Oscar ceremony, Dorothy presented the Academy Award for Film Editing.

On February 15, 1955, Dorothy signed a three-movie deal with 20th Century Fox, earning $75,000 per film. The studio head, Darryl F. Zanuck, wanted Dorothy to become the first African-American screen icon. He planned for her to star in an all-black remake of The Blue Angel. However, her former director and friend, Otto Preminger, advised her to only accept leading roles. As an international star, Dorothy turned down some smaller roles. These roles were later given to Rita Moreno.

On April 11, 1955, Dorothy became the first black performer to headline at the Empire Room of New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Her success there led the hotel to book other black performers, like the Count Basie Orchestra and Lena Horne.

Later Career and Challenges

In 1957, after three years away from film acting, Dorothy appeared in Island in the Sun. She starred with actors like James Mason and Harry Belafonte. Dorothy played a local West Indian shop clerk who had a relationship with a white man. This film was controversial for its time, and the script was changed many times to meet movie rules about relationships between different races. Despite the controversy, the film received good reviews and was very successful.

Dorothy next starred in the French/Italian film Tamango (1958) with German actor Curd Jürgens. Dorothy agreed to be in the film because it was about a nineteenth-century slave revolt on a ship traveling from Africa to Cuba. Tamango was released in the United States later, in 1959. It received mixed reviews.

Dandridge in the trailer for The Decks Ran Red (1958)

In MGM's The Decks Ran Red (1958), Dorothy co-starred with James Mason and Broderick Crawford. She played Mahia, a cook's wife on a freighter that experiences a mutiny. Even though critics didn't like the film, many people watched it. During filming, actor Stuart Whitman noticed Dorothy's strength, even though she was going through personal difficulties.

Dandridge with Alain Delon on the set of La Fabuleuse Aventure de Marco Polo, filmed in 1962 but released years later without them.

In late 1958, Dorothy accepted an offer from producer Samuel Goldwyn to star with Sidney Poitier in Porgy and Bess. This was her first big Hollywood movie in five years. Her decision to take the role made some in the black community upset. They felt the story showed black people in a negative way. The film had a very long and expensive production. All the sets and costumes were destroyed in a fire and had to be rebuilt, costing almost $2 million. The film faced many problems and went over budget. When it was released in June 1959, it received mixed reviews and didn't make much money.

In 1959, Dorothy starred in a low-budget British thriller called Malaga. She played a European woman in a story about a jewel robbery. This film was her last completed movie appearance.

In 1962, Dorothy filmed scenes for a French-Italian movie called La Fabuleuse Aventure de Marco Polo. However, the film ran into financial problems and was later released without her scenes. She also performed in a stage production of West Side Story, but she had to leave after only two shows due to illness.

By 1963, Dorothy's popularity had decreased. She performed in nightclubs to pay off debts from many lawsuits. She declared bankruptcy and spent some time away from the public eye before performing in Las Vegas in 1964. In 1965, she tried to restart her acting career. Dorothy signed a new contract in Mexico and was set to play the main female role in a film about the outlaw Johnny Ringo.

Personal Life

Dorothy Dandridge was a Democrat. She supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election.

Because of the racism she experienced in the entertainment industry, Dorothy became interested in activism. She got involved with groups like the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Marriages

While performing at the Cotton Club, Dorothy met Harold Nicholas, a dancer and entertainer. They got married in Hollywood on September 6, 1942. Guests at their wedding included famous people like Oscar-winner Hattie McDaniel. Their marriage was difficult. By 1948, Harold Nicholas had left his family. Dorothy filed for divorce in September 1950, and it was finalized in October 1951.

Dorothy had her only child, a daughter named Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas, on September 2, 1943.

Dorothy married Jack Denison on June 22, 1959. They divorced in 1962. Around this time, Dorothy faced serious financial problems. She discovered that people managing her money had caused her to lose a lot of savings. She had to sell her Hollywood home and move into a smaller apartment in West Hollywood, California.

Death

Tuesday, September 7, 1965; Dorothy Kilgallen's show business column states that nightclub Basin Street East would be opening "this Friday" with a Dorothy Dandridge premier engagement.

Dorothy Dandridge passed away on September 8, 1965. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office determined that she died from complications after breaking her right foot five days earlier.

On September 12, 1965, a private funeral service was held. Dorothy Dandridge was cremated, and her ashes were placed in the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Legacy and Influence

In the 1980s and beyond, many stars like Cicely Tyson, Halle Berry, Janet Jackson, and Angela Bassett began to recognize Dorothy Dandridge's important contributions. She helped change how African Americans were seen in American movies.

In the 1995 movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Wesley Snipes played a character named Noxeema Jackson. Noxeema dreamed of playing Dorothy Dandridge in a movie about her life.

In 1999, Halle Berry produced and starred in the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. For her role, Halle Berry won an Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. When Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Monster's Ball, she dedicated her award to Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, and Diahann Carroll. Interestingly, both Dorothy Dandridge and Halle Berry were from Cleveland, Ohio, and were born in the same hospital.

Dorothy Dandridge was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 1984. She is also a main figure in a mural on an outside wall of Hollywood High School. A statue of Dorothy Dandridge, designed by Catherine Hardwicke, celebrates multi-ethnic leading ladies of cinema.

Recording artist Janelle Monáe has a song called "Dorothy Dandridge Eyes" on her 2013 album The Electric Lady. In a 1969 movie, a character named Dorothy Starr said she named herself after Dandridge.

In a February 2016 episode of Black-ish, the singer Beyoncé was called the Dorothy Dandridge of her time. This was to show how much star power Dorothy Dandridge had during her career.

In 2020, Laura Harrier played Camille Washington in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood. Camille was an up-and-coming actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and her character was largely inspired by Dorothy Dandridge.

Music Recordings

Dorothy Dandridge first became famous as a solo singer from her nightclub performances. She was known for her versions of songs like "Blow Out the Candle" and "You Do Something to Me". However, she didn't record many songs on vinyl records.

With The Dandridge Sisters

As a Solo Artist

In 1958, she recorded an album for Verve Records with famous jazz musicians like Oscar Peterson. This album was not released until 1999 on CD. This CD also included four songs from 1961.

Filmography

As an Actress

As Herself (TV Appearances)

• Cavalcade of Stars (1952; 1 episode)
• Songs for Sale (1952; 1 episode)
• The Colgate Comedy Hour (1951–1953; 2 episodes)
• The George Jessel Show (1954; 1 episode)
• Light's Diamond Jubilee (1954) TV special
• The 27th Annual Academy Awards (1955; TV special; Nominee & Presenter)
• Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1956; 1 episode)
• Ford Star Jubilee (1956; 1 episode)
• The 29th Annual Academy Awards (1957; TV special; Performer & Presenter)
• The Ed Sullivan Show (1952–1961; 7 episodes)
• Juxe Box Jury (1964; 1 episode)

Stage Work

• Swingin' the Dream (1939)
• Meet the People (1941)
• Jump for Joy (1941)
• Sweet 'n' Hot (1944)
• Crazy Girls (1952)
• West Side Story (1962)
• Show Boat (1964)

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See also

In Spanish: Dorothy Dandridge para niños