Skip to main content

 width=

Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Trending on Twitter today for #ThursdayThoughts is a montage of birthday wishes and Hollywood memories in honor of the late actress Dorothy Dandridge.  Dandridge came through Hollywood during a time when roles for black actresses were limited to only supporting characters who were in servitude positions and often portrayed in full stereotypical fashion.  But Dandridge was different than her contemporaries because she refused to accept this was all that she could be in Hollywood.  Many consider her the “black Marilyn Monroe,” but she was so much more.

Born on November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, Dorothy Jean Dandridge began her career as part of a singing duo with her sister, The Dandridge Sisters, performing at the Cotton Club, the famous Apollo Theater in New York, and making several uncredited appearances in major motion pictures in the 1930’s. In 1952, Dandridge was discovered by an MGM Studios agent and cast in Bright Road, her first starring role opposite Harry Belafonte. In 1954, Dandridge starred opposite Harry Belafonte again in her most recognized role, Carmen Jones. The film made over $10 million at the box office and earned Dandridge a three-picture deal with 20th Century Fox at $75,000 per film as well as the cover of Life magazine; she was the first black woman to appear on their cover.

Dandridge began to make fewer on-screen appearances as the decade progressed, accepting smaller roles with larger gaps in between performances, though she did record several albums and singles (most went unreleased until 1999).

Dandridge has a tumultuous personal life including a marriage to Harold Nicholas of the famed dancing duo The Nicholas Brothers.  The couple was married in 1942; their daughter, Harolyn, was born a year later with brain damage. The couple later divorced in 1951.  Dandridge was married again in 1959 to Jack Denison; that marriage also resulted in divorce after three years.

 width=

Image courtesy of thefilmexperience.net.

Dandridge died on September 8, 1965 from a rare embolism as the result of a fractured she sustained five days earlier. Other reports attribute the cause of death to an overdose of barbiturates. At the time of her death it is said that Dandridge only had about two dollars in savings to her name.

Dorothy Dandridge and others like her paved the was for black actresses like Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington and Taraji P. Henson.

If you are interested in reading more about the legacy of Dorothy Dandridge, here’s a list of some worthwhile recommendations and descriptions from Amazon.com:

Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography, Donald Bogle

 width=

“Filled with photographs, and rich with research as well as personal anecdotes from Harry Belafonte, Etta James and others, Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography is not only a fascinating study of the woman and the performer, but also a riveting look at Black Hollywood as it existed within the larger culture.”

 

 

 

Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy, Dorothy Dandridge with Earl Conrad

 width=“Completed shortly before her tragic death in 19665, Everything and Nothing recounts her rags-to-riches-to-rags story form her personal point of view. Dandridge recalls her humble beginnings in Depression-era Cleveland, Ohio, her rise to fame and success as the first African American to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination (for her role in Carmen Jones), the disappointments and pain of her childhood and family life, and her downward spiral into alcoholism and financial troubles,Everything and Nothing is a mesmerizing and harrowing journey through the life and times of one of Hollywood’s most unforgettable stars.”

 

Dorothy Dandridge: Singer & Actress (Essential Lives Series), Deann Herringshaw

 width=“This title examines the remarkable life of Dorothy Dandridge. Readers will learn about Dandridge’s family background, childhood, education, and groundbreaking work as an actress who broke down racial barriers. Color photos and informative sidebars accompany easy-to-read, compelling text. Features include a table of contents, timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Essential Lives is a series in Essential Library, an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.”

 

Dorothy Dandridge, Kensington

 width=“A biography of the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Oscar, written by her former manager, discusses her struggle to succeed in an all-white profession and her turbulent personal life.” This book was the basis for the HBO film starring Halle Berry.

 

 

 

Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood, Donald Bogle

 width=“In Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams, Donald Bogle tells–for the first time–the story of a place both mythic and real: Black Hollywood. Spanning sixty years, this deliciously entertaining history uncovers the audacious manner in which many blacks made a place for themselves in an industry that originally had no place for them.

Through interviews and the personal recollections of Hollywood luminaries, Bogle pieces together a remarkable history that remains largely obscure to this day. We discover that Black Hollywood was a place distinct from the studio-system-dominated Tinseltown–a world unto itself, with unique rules and social hierarchy. It had its own talent scouts and media, its own watering holes, elegant hotels, and fashionable nightspots, and of course its own glamorous and brilliant personalities.”

 

Be a BookTrib Ambassador! 
Sign up NOW for our weekly newsletter.

Buy this Book!

Amazon
Genre: Nonfiction
Aisha K. Staggers

Aisha K. Staggers has been writing since middle school. She had her first major publication in her local newspaper's entertainment section while a sophomore in high school, a publication in another state paper followed. Aisha has been contributing to various paper, magazines and textbooks for over 15 years. In addition to her time as an instructor of social sciences in higher education, Aisha has served as a director of education and policy research centers, and on the staff of legislative commissions. Aisha previously served on the Executive Board of the CT Young Democrats Women's Caucus and has remained active in politics and public policy. She is an alumni of Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT and Fisk University in Nashville, TN where she earned Bachelor's and Master's Degrees, respectively, and completed the South Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program in 2008. Currently, Aisha is Senior Editor for BookTrib, a division of the literary public relations firm, Meryl Moss Media. In addition to her own work, Aisha will be writing the liner notes for an upcoming Prince tribute album and contributing a chapter to a 2018 scholarly work on Prince and the Minneapolis Sound.

One Comment

  • Diane says:

    I absolutely love the nostalgic content here and the inspiration to great reading. Dorothy Dandridge was my childhood idol. Never missed her movies if I could catch them. My interest in glamour and makeup started with Mrs. Dandridge. Inspired me to attend Barbizon School of Modeling. Shout out to Jenell Monae for Dorothy Dandridge Eyes. Love it?

Leave a Reply