dorothy dandridge Archives

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).

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).

This week’s selection as part of TODD MASON’S weekly series OVERLOOKED FILMS is the 1957 feature directed by Robert Rossen, Island in the Sun. The film has an all-star cast that includes Stephen Boyd, Harry Belafonte, Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, Dorothy Dandridge and James Mason.

Controversial at the time of release, the film deals with the topic of miscegenation. Check out the trailer below:

Surely the film has some flaws, namely the lack of chemistry in the Fontaine/Belafonte dynamic. I for one never buy them as a plausible couple. And the Dandridge / John Justin coupling is only that much more believable. Much like Darryl F. Zanuck’s other attempt to tackle racial issues, Pinky (1947), Island in the Sun fires but ultimately does not strike a resonate chord.

At the time of the film’s release, critical reception was largely negative with several groups concerned with the ‘unsuitability’ of the film’s central plotline. In spite of this, the film was financially successful for the studio (20th Century Fox).

So you may ask, why am I highlighting it as an overlooked film? Despite its shortcomings, I think that it is a film that should be seen for the following reasons:

Given the era in which it was produced, it was an admirable effort to tackle racial politics. In that way, it is a ‘successful failure.’
Any opportunity to see Dorothy Dandridge on screen is well worth it. She was an immense talent who unfortunately did not fit the mold of Hollywood starlet and her career tragically suffered for it.
For viewers who only know Joan Collins (below) from her TV role in Dynasty, here is an opportunity to see her in an earlier role. Stay tuned for a plot twist involving her character.

Until next …

An Appreciation Post: Dorothy Dandridge

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Island in the Sun (1957)