i luv cinema

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • 100 “Must-See”
  • About Me
Home Appreciation Post An Appreciation Post: Dorothy Dandridge

November 9, 2013 By iluvcinema 4 Comments

An Appreciation Post: Dorothy Dandridge

Today, in honor of what would have been Dorothy Dandridge’s 91st birthday, I to take a moment to share some of my favorite resources that feature the groundbreaking actress and performer, who made history by becoming the first African American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress (Carmen Jones).

dorothy-dandridge-necklace-01-close-sepia

A true beauty, her life reads like a mournful tragedy. Taken from the world all too soon at the age of 42, the artifacts of her life’s work serve as a constant reminder of an extraordinary talent, as well as provides a glimpse of a dream deferred, of what could have or might have been in a different place and time.

For a more comprehensive survey of her life, I highly recommend the book Dorothy Dandridge, written by Dr. Donald Bogle. You may also want to check out the 1999 HBO production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry, in a Golden-Globe/Screen Actors’ Guild/Emmy awards-winning role. Fun Fact: Television impresario Shonda Rhimes, shared a teleplay writing credit with Scott Abbott, itself based on the book Dorothy Dandridge: An Intimate Portrait of Hollywood’s First Major Black Film Star, written by Earl Mills.

 

Dorothy Dandridge Biographies

Clip 1 (via bio.com)

 

Clip 2 (In Concert – full episode)

 

Clip 3 (A&E’s Biography – full episode)

 

 

Dorothy Dandridge Performances

Chattanooga Choo-Choo (with the Nicholas Brothers and the Glenn Miller Orchestra):

 

The Colgate Comedy Hour:

 

Cow Cow Boogie:

 

*Special shout out to YouTube Channel, dorothyjeandadridge for posting and making available many of the clips I have included in this post.

 

Selected Filmography

Carmen Jones (1954)

Island in the Sun (1957)

Porgy and Bess (1959)

Uncredited performances in A Day at the Races (1937, featuring the Marx Brothers), The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935), Irene (1940, featuring Ray Milland and Irene Dunne), Since You Went Away (1944, featuring Claudette Colbert and Jennifer Jones).

 

Filed Under: Appreciation Post Tagged With: dorothy dandridge

Comments

  1. le0pard13 says

    November 9, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    A true beauty and talent. Wonderful tribute, Iba
    le0pard13 recently posted..Best Album Covers: Led ZeppelinMy Profile

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      November 10, 2013 at 9:36 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Candice Frederick says

    November 10, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    what a talent she was

    Reply
  3. Ja says

    November 11, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    Well overdue and so warranted. Before Halle Berry (who did a good job portraying her in the HBO film) and Angela Bassett, she set the standard for “sisters” on screen, and had more “it” than many of the leading ladies we see on-screen today, of any race.
    Ja recently posted..Halfway Home: Ether (4-4)My Profile

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search

Recommended Read

Captain of Her Own Soul

UC Press

Added to My Video Library

Imitation of Life (1934)

Centers of Film Study

  • JBFC
  • MoMA Film Screenings
  • The Picture House
  • University of California Press (Cinema and Media Texts)

Fast Film Resources

  • Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
  • Alfred Hitchcock-Master of Suspense
  • Film | The Guardian
  • Kermode & Mayo's Film Reviews
  • Park Circus
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Internet Movie Database
  • Tribeca Film

Film Societies

  • BAMcinématek
  • Film Society of Lincoln Center

This is How We Blogroll

  • BBC Film: The Bulletin
  • Cinematic Corner
  • Comet Over Hollywood
  • Critical Women on Film
  • FlixChatter
  • Future of Flim (Tribeca Film Blog)
  • in so many words …
  • Kermode's Film Blog
  • Paula's Cinema Club
  • Roger Ebert
  • Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
  • Superhero Movie Talk
  • Sweet Freedom

Archives

Tweets by @iluvcinema
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact iluvcinema
totalfilm600movieblogs

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2025, iluvcinema ·Streamline Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in