What comes to mind when you hear the name, Dorothy Dandridge? Many think of her arguably best film, 1954's Carmen Jones, while others remember the sultry but unconventional femme fatale. Today, Dandridge is hailed as a pioneer for African-American women in film. In fact, Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress. However, her legacy remained unacknowledged by the mainstream entertainment industry until 1999, when Halle Berry played Dandridge in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Dorothy Dandridge's unique, but harrowing life experiences were expertly portrayed, earning Berry an Emmy and a Golden Globe, prestigious awards that Dandridge never received. Why?
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born on November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio; she was born fifty-seven years after the United States Civil War. Fifty-seven years may seem like a long time, but it …show more content…
After her divorce Dandridge became a successful singer, even becoming an international star. Dandridge had many small roles in films as a teenager, but in 1953 she obtained her first major film role playing, Jane Richards, in Bright Road. In 1954 she starred in Carmen Jones, one of her most well-known movies, and was even nominated for an Academy Award for this role! Sadly, she did not win the award and after Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge had a hard time finding leading roles that were not demeaning. She refused to play a slave and other roles that she felt stereotyped African American women. But, in 1959, she finally found another role that suited her interests. She played Bess, in Porgy and Bess, a movie about a woman who becomes an object of desire of a disabled man who gets around in a cart. This film won several awards, including obtaining a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, however, Dandridge never received a nomination for her role. In fact, she would never be nominated or win an award for the rest of her
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born on November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio; she was born fifty-seven years after the United States Civil War. Fifty-seven years may seem like a long time, but it …show more content…
After her divorce Dandridge became a successful singer, even becoming an international star. Dandridge had many small roles in films as a teenager, but in 1953 she obtained her first major film role playing, Jane Richards, in Bright Road. In 1954 she starred in Carmen Jones, one of her most well-known movies, and was even nominated for an Academy Award for this role! Sadly, she did not win the award and after Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge had a hard time finding leading roles that were not demeaning. She refused to play a slave and other roles that she felt stereotyped African American women. But, in 1959, she finally found another role that suited her interests. She played Bess, in Porgy and Bess, a movie about a woman who becomes an object of desire of a disabled man who gets around in a cart. This film won several awards, including obtaining a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, however, Dandridge never received a nomination for her role. In fact, she would never be nominated or win an award for the rest of her