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Spartan Echo News
Dorothy Dandridge
American actress, Dorthy Dandridge, was the first black woman to be nominated for the academy award for best actress. Her glamor and exquisite beauty made her a stand out performer.
Dandridge was born in Cleveland Ohio on November 9
The two sisters later formed a group called the Wonder Children. In 1934, they joined forces with a school friend and became the Dandridge sisters.
As the Dandridge sisters they performed at high-profile nightclubs such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.
Her first credited film role was in “Four Shall Die (1940)” where she was cast as a murderer which did little for her film career. She also had a small role in “Lady from Louisiana” with John Wayne. In addition she also performed in “Sundown” with Gene Tierney in 1941.
In 1942, she married Harold Nicholas who was a part of the famous tap dancing duo “The Nicholas Brothers”.
She gave birth to her only child who was born with severe brain damage.
After starring in failed movie productions, she won her first starring role in “Bright Road” with Harry Belafonte playing the role of a school teacher.
However, her major breakthrough came in 1954 as she starred in “Carmen Jones” also with Harry Belafonte. This role made her a major star in which she was the first black woman to be nominated for best actress. Unfortunately, she lost to Grace Kelly.
She continued to star in high profile films “Porgy and Bess” where she acted alongside Sidney Poiter. She starred in other movie productions that were not as successful. Her popularity had gone down by 1963 and she filed for bankruptcy and went into seclusion.
Dandridge died on September 8, 1965 from a drug overdose; however, her legacy still lives on.
To this day stars such as Halle Berry emulate her work, seen in the movie “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” for which Berry won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe.
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge: The Life of a Timeless Beauty
By Kalisa Rodgers