This biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies, including becoming the first black actress to win a Best...
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Title: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (TV Movie 1999)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Halle Berry | ... | Dorothy Dandridge | |
| Brent Spiner | ... | Earl Mills | |
| Klaus Maria Brandauer | ... | Otto Preminger | |
| Obba Babatundé | ... | Harold Nicholas (as Obba Babatunde) | |
| Loretta Devine | ... | Ruby Dandridge | |
| Cynda Williams | ... | Vivian Dandridge | |
| LaTanya Richardson Jackson | ... | Auntie (as LaTanya Richardson) | |
| Tamara Taylor | ... | Geri Nicholas | |
| William Atherton | ... | Darryl Zanuck | |
| D.B. Sweeney | ... | Jack Denison | |
 |
Don Gettinger | ... | Hotel Clerk |
| Nicholas Hormann | ... | Oscar Emcee | |
| Sharon Brown | ... | Etta Jones | |
|
|
Darrian C. Ford | ... | Fayard Nicholas |
|
|
M.J. Sawyer | ... | B&W Movie Actress |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (178) »
Storyline
This biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies, including becoming the first black actress to win a Best Actress Nomination in 1954 for "Carmen Jones", to her final demise to prescription drugs, which was debated whether it was suicide or accidental. Brent Spiner plays her faithful manager who stood beside her through all of the roller coaster of her career. The film also examines her love affair with director Otto Preminger, which is shown to have probably initially helped her career, but later probably led her to some wrong decisions. The film also examines 50's racism as the black star is not permitted to use white bathrooms or the Vegas pool. In the first situation, she was given a bathroom cup to pee in. In the second situation, the hotel drained the pool and scrubbed it after she dared put her foot in the water. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
Plot Keywords:
racial prejudice | movie star | film star | black american | racial discrimination |Taglines:
She was everything America wanted a movie star to be... except white. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 August 1999 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dorothy Dandridge See more »Filming Locations:
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel - 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$9,200,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award (Carmen Jones (1954)). Halle Berry is the first African-American to win a Best Actress Academy Award (Monster's Ball (2001)). See more »Goofs
Minutes before she is to take the stage in Miami, Dorothy Dandridge discovers that the club is still under construction. Her act involved a good deal of choreography and perhaps even rehearsal, so she should have been aware. At the very least, she would have checked out the stage to get the physical layout of the performance space before she made her entrance. See more »Quotes
Mocambo Emcee: Ladies and gentlemen, the delicious... the divine... the delightful... Dorothy Danridge!See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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Long before Barack Obama wasn't considered "Black" enough, Dorothy Dandridge suffered the same criticism. Black or not, she was beautiful and could sing like a meadowlark.
Looking at old pictures of Dandridge, you could see why Halle Berry was chosen. She is Dandridge brought back to life. She may not have the pipes of Dandridge, but she sure can act, and has the Emmy and Golden Globe to prove it! Playing the First African American actress to get an Best Actress nomination (for Carmen Jones) was the First African American actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress (for Monster's Ball).
Klaus Maria Brandauer (Out of Africa) was magnificent as Otto Preminger, one of the men who used Dandridge.
This film is extremely important, not only for the fact that is chronicles the life of one of America's best, but also for the reminder that most of us never had to pee in a cup or watch a pool drained because we put our toe in it.