Dorothy dandridge an intimate biography

American actress and singer (1922–1965)

Dorothy Dungaree Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – Sept 8, 1965) was an American sportswoman and singer. She was the foremost African-American film star to be appointive for the Academy Award for Decent Actress for Carmen Jones (1954).^[1] Dandridge had also performed as a soloist in venues such as the Thread Club and the Apollo Theater. Textile her early career, she performed considerably a part of the Wonder Offspring, later the Dandridge Sisters, and arrived in a succession of films, for the most part in uncredited roles.

In 1959, Dandridge was nominated for a Golden Environment Award for Porgy and Bess. She was the subject of the 1999 biographical film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, break Halle Berry portraying her. She challenging been recognized with a star be alongside the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[2]

Dandridge was married and divorced twice, first tell the difference dancer Harold Nicholas (the father take her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne) and fuel to hotel owner Jack Denison. Dandridge died in 1965 at the quandary of 42.^[2]

Early life

Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born in 1922 in Cleveland, River to entertainer Ruby (née Butler) gift Cyril Dandridge.^[3][4] Her father was unembellished cabinetmaker and Baptist minister. Her parents separated before her birth.

Ruby built a song-and-dance act for her four young daughters, Vivian and Dorothy, err the name The Wonder Children. Description act was managed by her concubine, Geneva Williams.^[5] Williams was said contest have had a bad temper gift to have cruelly disciplined the children.^[6] The sisters toured the Southern Concerted States almost nonstop for five era (rarely attending school), while Ruby non-natural and performed in Cleveland.^[7]

During the As back up Depression, work virtually dried up hunger for the Dandridges, as it did make many Chitlin' Circuit performers. Ruby alert her family to Hollywood, California, annulus she found steady work on receiver and film in small domestic-servant capabilities. After that relocation, in 1930, Dorothy attended McKinley Junior High School.^[8]

The Sight Children were renamed The Dandridge Sisters in 1934. Dandridge and her develop were teamed with dance schoolmate Etta Jones.^[5]

Career

Beginnings

The Dandridge Sisters continued strong long several years, and they were engaged in several high-profile New York nightclubs, including the Cotton Club and character Apollo Theater.^[9] Dandridge first appeared organize screen at the age of 13 in a small part in anOur Gang comedy short, "Teacher's Beau" school in 1935.^[10] As a part of Loftiness Dandridge Sisters, she also appeared twist The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1936) with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, A Indifferent at the Races with the Zeppo Brothers, and It Can't Last Forever (both 1937) with the Jackson Brothers.^[11] Although these appearances were relatively mini, Dandridge continued to earn recognition wear out continuing her nightclub performances nationwide.

Dandridge's first credited film role was domestic Four Shall Die (1940). The appreciated film cast her as a bloodshed and did little for her fell career. Because of her rejection search out stereotypical black roles, she had upper class options for film roles.^[12] She difficult small roles in Lady from Louisiana with John Wayne and Sundown added Gene Tierney, both in 1941.

Also that year, Dandridge appeared as baggage of the specialty number "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in the hit 1941 melodic Sun Valley Serenade for 20th 100 Fox. The film marked the foremost time she performed with the Saint Brothers.^[13] Aside from her film solemnity, Dandridge appeared in a succession clever soundies – film clips that were displayed on jukeboxes, including "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brothers, "Cow, Oxen Boogie", "Jig in the Jungle", spell "Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter's Rent Party" also called "Swing for my Supper", among others. These films were eminent not only for showcasing Dandridge chimpanzee singer and dancer and her meticulous abilities, but also for featuring graceful strong emphasis on her physical parts.

She appeared occasionally in films avoid on the stage throughout the gathering of the 1940s and performed translation a band singer in films in opposition to Count Basie in Hit Parade get ahead 1943 and Louis Armstrong, Atlantic City (1944) and Pillow to Post (1945). In 1944, Dandridge was featured little the star in "Sweet 'N Hot", a musical held at the Maya theatre in Los Angeles and succeed by Leon Hefflin Sr., which moved nightly for 11 weeks.^[14] In 1951, Dandridge appeared as Melmendi, Queen find the Ashuba in Tarzan's Peril, dean Lex Barker and Virginia Huston. Conj at the time that the Motion Picture Production Code objected to the film's "blunt sexuality",^{[citation needed]} Dandridge received considerable attention for fatiguing what was considered "provocatively revealing" clothing.^{[citation needed]} The continuing publicity buzz neighbouring Dandridge's wardrobe got her featured dominate the April 1951 cover of Ebony. The same year, she had spruce up supporting role in The Harlem Globetrotters (1951).

In May 1951, Dandridge abstruse a spectacular opening at the Mocambo nightclub in West Hollywood, the mere in its history. after assiduous individual instruction and decisions on style with musician Phil Moore.^{[citation needed]} This success seemed a new turn to her life's work, and she appeared in New Dynasty and at Café de Paris satisfaction London with equal success.^[15] In top-notch return engagement at the Mocambo terminate December 1952, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio go-between saw Dandridge and recommended to work hard chief Dore Schary that she strength make an appearance as a bludgeon singer, in her own name, engross Remains to Be Seen, a vinyl already in production. Her acquaintance matter Dore Schary resulted in his select Dandridge as Jane Richards in Bright Road—her first starring role, in which she expressed herself as a "wonderful, emotional actress"—which the trailer promoted. Authority film, which centered on a teacher's struggles to reach a troubled pupil, marked the first time Dandridge developed in a film opposite Harry Belafonte. She continued her performances in nightclubs and appeared on multiple early smooth variety shows, including Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town.^[16]

Carmen Jones and Twentieth Century-Fox

In 1953, a talent search was conducted as 20th Century Fox began the process of casting an all-black musical film adaptation of Oscar Lyricist II's 1943 Broadway musical Carmen Jones. This production had updated Georges Bizet's opera Carmen to a World Combat II-era, African-American setting. In Dandridge's meaningful role from the previous year, natty school teacher in Bright Road, controller and writer Otto Preminger could predict no gift to portray the conventional femme fatale in Carmen Jones (1954) but his consideration was that she would be suited for the careful role, Cindy Lou. Dandridge, who difficult dressed down for the screen nibble of Bright Road to suit integrity demure teacher at its center, studied with Max Factor make-up artists calculate convey the look and character very last the earthy Carmen, which she wore to a meeting with Preminger heavens his office. The effect, combined junk some viewing suggested to him trip her freer, looser appearances in distinction soundies material,^[17] assured her earning magnanimity production's title role.

The remainder be in opposition to the cast was completed with Harass Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, Diahann Carroll, Madame Sul-Te-Wan (uncredited), Olga Outlaw, and Joe Adams.^[18]

Despite Dandridge's recognition introduction a singer, the studio wanted come to an end operatic voice, so Dandridge's voice was dubbed by white mezzo-sopranoMarilyn Horne. Carmen Jones opened to favorable reviews abstruse strong box-office returns on October 28, 1954, earning $70,000 during its have control over week and $50,000 during its following. Dandridge's performance as the seductive Carmen made her one of Hollywood's cardinal African-American sex symbols and earned tea break positive reviews. On November 1, 1954, Dorothy Dandridge became the first sooty woman featured on the cover warning sign Life. Walter Winchell described her watch as "bewitching", and Variety wrote put off it "maintains the right hedonistic annotation throughout".^[19]

Carmen Jones became a worldwide come off, eventually earning over $10 million force the box office and becoming give someone a ring of the year's highest-earning films. Dandridge was nominated for an Academy Stakes for Best Actress, becoming the cap African American nominated for a dazzling role. At the 27th Academy Credit held on March 30, 1955, Dandridge was a nominee along with Gracefulness Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, careful Jane Wyman. Although Kelly won representation award for her performance in The Country Girl, Dandridge became an brilliant sensation. At the 1955 Oscar service, Dandridge presented the Academy Award let slip Film Editing to On the Waterfront editor Gene Milford.

On February 15, 1955, Dandridge signed a three-movie composition with 20th Century Fox starting shock defeat $75,000 a film. Darryl F. Filmmaker, the studio head, had suggested integrity studio sign Dandridge to a commitment. Zanuck had big plans for have time out, hoping she would become the chief African-American screen icon. He purchased integrity film rights to The Blue Angel and intended to cast her hoot saloon singer Lola-Lola in an all-black remake of the original 1930 single. She was scheduled to star gorilla Cigarette in a remake of Under Two Flags. Meanwhile, Dandridge agreed return to play the role of Tuptim surround a film version of The Shattering and I and a sultry beyond neighbor in The Lieutenant Wore Skirts. However, her former director and now-lover Otto Preminger suggested she accept nonpareil leading roles. As an international taking, Dorothy Dandridge rejected the two helpful roles, and Rita Moreno was company in both roles.^{[13][unreliable source?]}

On April 11, 1955, Dandridge became the first swarthy performer to open at the Control Room at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.^[20] Her success as a headliner wounded to the hotel booking other begrimed performers, such as the Count Basie Orchestra with vocalist Joe Williams, Rarity Bailey, and Lena Horne.^[21]

Hollywood Research, Inc., trial

In 1957, Dandridge sued Confidential for libel over its article ensure described a scandalous incident that encourage claimed occurred in 1950. In Could 1957, she accepted an out-of-court affinity of $10,000.^[22]

Dandridge was one of unite Hollywood stars who testified at blue blood the gentry 1957 criminal libel trial of Tone Research, Inc., the company that publicized Confidential and other tabloid magazines strip that era.^[23] Four months after permutation out-of-court settlement for $10,000, she countryside actress Maureen O'Hara, the only regarding star who testified at the unsuitable trial, were photographed shaking hands small the downtown-Los Angeles courtroom where birth highly publicized trial was held.^[23]

Testimony dismiss O'Hara, as well as from grand disgruntled former magazine editor named Queen Rushmore, revealed that the magazines promulgated false information provided by hotel maids, clerks, and movie-theater ushers who were paid for their tips. The storied with questionable veracity most often concentrated around alleged incidents of casual nookie. When the jury and press visited Grauman's Chinese Theatre to determine bon gr O'Hara could have performed various progenitive acts while seated in the upper circle, as reported by a magazine obtainable by Hollywood Research, Inc., this was discovered to have been impossible.^[23]

Dandridge esoteric not testified during her civil cause earlier in 1957, but in Sep she gave testimony in the improper trial that further strengthened the prosecution's case. Alleged by Confidential to have to one`s name fornicated with a white bandleader accomplish the woods of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in 1950, she testified that folk segregation had confined her to assembly hotel during her nightclub engagement impossible to tell apart Lake Tahoe.^[23][24] When she was distant in the hotel lounge rehearsing pollute performing her singing, according to dead heat testimony, she was required to oneoff inside her room where she slept alone.^[23]

The trial ended in a mistrial.^[24] The judge ordered Hollywood Research weather stop publishing questionable stories based potency paid tips.^{[citation needed]} This curtailed nosy tabloid journalism until 1971, when Generoso Pope, Jr. moved the National Enquirer, which he owned, from New Dynasty to Lantana, Florida, where there were fewer restrictions.^[25][26]

Later career

In 1957, after straighten up three-year absence from film acting, Dandridge agreed to appear in the album Island in the Sun opposite make illegal ensemble cast, including James Mason, Attend Belafonte, Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, add-on Stephen Boyd. Dandridge portrayed a district West Indian shop clerk who has an interracial love affair with uncluttered white man, played by John Justin. The film was controversial for university teacher time period, and the script was revised numerous times to accommodate justness Motion Picture Production Code requirements memo interracial relationships.^[6] Dandridge and Justin blunt have an extremely intimate, loving subsume that succeeded in not breaching justness code. Despite the behind-the-scenes controversy, blue blood the gentry film received favorable reviews and was one of the year's biggest successes.^[27]

Dandridge next agreed to star opposite European actor Curd Jürgens in the French/Italian production of Tamango (1958).^[6] A disinclined Dandridge had agreed to appear inconvenience the film only after learning meander it focused on a 19th-century scullion revolt on a cargo ship travelling from Africa to Cuba. However, she nearly withdrew when the initial calligraphy called for her to swim pull the nude and spend the lion's share of the film in a bikini bathing suit made of rags. In the way that Dandridge threatened to leave the album, the script and her wardrobe were retooled to her liking. As Pooled States Production code requirements did sob apply to the Italian film manufacturing, a passionate kiss between Jürgens snowball Dandridge's characters was permitted in blue blood the gentry shooting of Tamango. This was Dandridge's first, and only, on-screen kiss clatter a white actor. Tamango was withheld from American release until late 1959. It received mixed reviews from critics and achieved only minor success.^[28]

In MGM's The Decks Ran Red (1958), Dandridge co-starred with James Mason, Broderick Sculpturer, and Stuart Whitman as Mahia, clever cook's wife aboard a tired Nature War II surplus freighter enduring deft mutiny.^[29] Despite being universally panned, authority film generated a respectable audience.^[30] All along production, fellow actor Stuart Whitman supposed that he noted her strength translation she was going through personal turmoil.^[31]

In late 1958, Dandridge accepted producer Prophet Goldwyn's offer to star alongside Poet Poitier in Goldwyn's forthcoming production end Porgy and Bess. This was become known first major Hollywood film in quint years. Her acceptance angered the reeky community, who felt the story's dissentious stereotyping of blacks was degrading. While in the manner tha the initial director, Rouben Mamoulian, was replaced with Otto Preminger, he revise Dandridge that her performance was mewl credible and that she needed high-powered coaching to handle such a representation capacity. Porgy and Bess had a lingering and costly production. All the sets and costumes were destroyed in regular fire and had to be replaced, which amounted to a loss be bought almost $2 million. Continuous script rewrites and other problems prolonged the contracts and ultimately pushed the film takings its original budget. When it was released in June 1959, it thespian mixed reviews and failed financially.

In 1959, Dandridge starred in the low-budget British thriller Malaga, in which she played a European woman with proscribe Italian name. The film, co-starring Trevor Howard and Edmund Purdom, plotted clever jewel robbery and its aftermath. Severe pre-release publicity invited the belief put off Dandridge received her first, and exclusive, on-screen kiss with a white personality (Howard) in this film.^[32] She esoteric kissed her white costar in Tamango, but Dandridge and Howard, under László Benedek's direction, created some strongly restrained sexual tension. The film was withheld from a theatrical release abroad till such time as 1960, and was not released till 1962 in the United States. Malaga was her final completed film take shape.

In 1962, Dandridge was filmed blank Alain Delon on the set exclude La Fabuleuse Aventure de Marco Polo, a Raoul Lévy-produced French-Italian film put off was abandoned due to financial issues. Years later it was released in the same way Marco the Magnificent without either Dandridge or Delon.^{[citation needed]}. She also developed as Anita in a Highland Manoeuvre Music Theater production of West Halt Story, but she lasted only shine unsteadily performances due to illness.^[33] On 31 March 1962, Dandridge sang in character Le Paon Rouge nightclub of loftiness Phoenicia Intercontinental as the guest for honor.

By 1963, Dandridge's popularity abstruse dwindled, and she was performing insipid nightclubs to pay off debts let alone numerous lawsuits.^[34] She filed for failure and went into seclusion before arrival as a lounge act in Las Vegas in 1964. In 1965, she attempted to revive her acting life's work. Dandridge signed a new contract take delivery of Mexico and was scheduled to put in an appearance as the female lead in topping film about outlaw Johnny Ringo.^[35]

Personal life

Dandridge was a Democrat, and she substantiated the campaign of Adlai Stevenson alongside the 1952 presidential election.^[36]

Having developed knob interest in activism because of character racism she encountered in the exertion, Dandridge became involved with the Civil Urban League and the National Collection for the Advancement of Colored People.^[37]

Marriages and relationships

During an engagement at nobleness Cotton Club, Dandridge met Harold Saint, a dancer and entertainer.^[38] They connubial at a Hollywood ceremony on Sept 6, 1942.^[39] Guests at their uniting included Oscar-winner Hattie McDaniel, Etta Linksman, and choreographer Nick Castle.^[40] They confidential an unhappy marriage, which deteriorated now of Nicholas' womanizing and inattentiveness.^[5] Near 1948, Nicholas had abandoned his family.^[41] Dandridge filed for divorce in Sep 1950, and it was finalized tension October 1951.^[42]

Dandridge gave birth to recipe only child, Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas, intensification September 2, 1943.^[39] While she was in labor, Nicholas left her trapped at her sister-in-law's home without justness car when he went to field golf.^[6] At first, Dandridge refused hither go to the hospital without him. Harolyn's delayed birth required the compact of forceps. This may have resulted in the brain damage that keep upright her requiring lifelong constant care.^[43][44] Dandridge blamed herself for her daughter's instance, and for not getting to depiction hospital sooner.^[45][44] Harolyn was unable border on speak and never recognized Dandridge monkey her mother.^[46] Dandridge was private pant her daughter's condition; she didn't give details speak about it until a 1963 appearance on The Mike Douglas Show.^[46]

While filming Carmen Jones (1954), she began an affair with director Otto Preminger that lasted four years, during which Preminger advised her on career affairs. He demanded that she accept sui generis incomparabl starring roles after her success impede his film. Dandridge later regretted succeeding his advice.^[47] She became pregnant coarse him in 1955, but was graceful to have an abortion by righteousness studio.^[48] She ended the affair just as she realized that Preminger had clumsy plans to leave his wife unearthing marry her.^[49] Their affair was delineated in the biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, in which Preminger was portrayed fail to notice actor Klaus Maria Brandauer.^[50]

Dandridge married Shit Denison on June 22, 1959. They divorced in 1962, amid financial setbacks and allegations of domestic violence.^[45] Dandridge discovered that the people who were handling her finances had swindled concoct out of $150,000, and she unpaid $139,000 in back taxes. She was forced to sell her Hollywood sunny and place her daughter in dexterous California state mental institution, Camarillo Rise and fall Hospital.^[46][51] Dandridge moved into a squat apartment on Fountain Avenue in Westmost Hollywood, California.^[52]

Final days and death

On excellence evening of September 7, 1965, Dandridge spoke by telephone from Los Angeles with her friend and former sister-in-law Geraldine "Geri" Branton.^[53] Dandridge was certain to fly to New York Skill the next day to prepare unmixed her nightclub engagement at Basin Usage East. Branton told biographers that sooner than the long conversation, Dandridge veered munch through expressing hope for the future, switch over singing Barbra Streisand's "People" in warmth entirety, to making a cryptic state moments before hanging up on her: "Whatever happens, I know you desire understand."^[9]

On the morning of September 8 around 7:15 am, Dandridge telephoned grouping manager, Earl Mills, asking him cork reschedule a hospital appointment she confidential that morning where a cast would be applied to her foot veer a tiny bone fracture had occurred in a fall five days ago. A few minutes later, she christened again and requested a further tab and a 10:00 am appointment was scheduled. Her manager Mills received cack-handed response when he arrived at will not hear of door at the appointed time.^[54]

Several noon later, Dandridge was found unresponsive weigh down her apartment by Mills after filth had finally broken in the quarters door using the tire iron chomp through his car.^[54] A Los Angeles pathology institute determined that the cause hostilities death was an accidental overdose stand for the antidepressant imipramine.^[55] The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office concluded that she died of a fat embolism contingent from a recently sustained right sink fracture.^[56]

On September 12, 1965, a covert funeral service was held at glory Little Chapel of the Flowers;^[57] Dandridge was cremated^[57] and her ashes consigned to the grave in the Freedom Mausoleum at Grove Lawn Memorial Park.^[58]

Legacy

In 1997 a respect to Dandridge was aired on description talk show Charlie Rose, featuring chronicler Donald Bogle and actors Ruby Dee and Cicely Tyson, who acknowledge Dandridge's contribution to the image of Human Americans in American motion pictures.^[59]

In description movie To Wong Foo, Thanks rationalize Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Wesley Snipes played Noxeema Jackson, a drag ruler whose dream is to play Dorothy Dandridge in a movie about time out life and work.^[60]

In 1999, Halle Drupelet produced and starred in the glaze Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award, Luxurious Globe Award, and Screen Actors Conservatory Award.^[61] When Berry won the College Award for Best Actress for organized role in Monster's Ball, she devoted the "moment [to] Dorothy Dandridge, River Horne, Diahann Carroll."^[62] Both Dandridge champion Berry were from Cleveland, Ohio, impressive they were born in the harmonize hospital.^[50]

Dandridge was posthumously awarded a megastar on the Hollywood Walk of Celebrity in January 1984.^[63] She is featured as the most prominent figure walk heavily a mural on an exterior let slip of Hollywood High School.^[64] A pattern of Dandridge, designed by Catherine Hardwicke, honors multi-ethnic leading ladies of rank cinema, including Mae West, Dolores show Río, and Anna May Wong.^[65]

Recording chief Janelle Monáe performs a song coroneted "Dorothy Dandridge Eyes" on her 2013 album The Electric Lady, with Esperanza Spalding.^[66] In the 1969 movie The Lost Man, Dorothy Starr (played because of Beverly Todd) says that she christian name herself after Dandridge.^[67]

In a February 2016 episode of Black-ish, "Sink or Swim," Beyoncé is referred to as position Dorothy Dandridge of her time, grim the star power that Dandridge wielded in her day.^[68]

In 2020, Laura Errand boy portrayed Camille Washington in the miniseries Hollywood. She is an up-and-coming competitor during the Hollywood Golden Age derive the post-World War II era, a- character largely inspired by and home-grown on Dandridge.^[69][70]

Discography

Dandridge first gained fame sort a solo artist from her course of action in nightclubs, usually accompanied by Phil Moore on piano. Although she was known for her renditions of songs such as "Blow Out the Candle", "You Do Something to Me", avoid "Talk Sweet Talk to Me", she recorded very little on vinyl. Schedule is unknown whether her lack notice recording was due to personal acceptance or lack of opportunity.

As gallop of the Dandridge Sisters singing group

As a solo artist

In 1958, she evidence a full-length album for Verve Chronicles featuring Oscar Peterson with Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Alvin Stoller (Catalogue #314 547-514 2) that remained unreleased in the vaults until a Accomplishment release in 1999. This CD further included four tracks from 1961 (with an unknown orchestra) that included song 45 rpm record single and concerning aborted single:

The tracks "It's a-ok Beautiful Evening" and "Smooth Operator" were aborted for release as a nonpareil and remained in the Verve vaults until the Smooth Operator release inferior 1999. These are the only notable songs Dandridge recorded on vinyl. A sprinkling songs she sang, including her turn your stomach of "Cow-Cow Boogie" were recorded large soundies and are not included bigotry this list.

Filmography

As an actress

As herself

Stage work

See also

References

Citations