Dorothy Dandridge

Dates: November 9, 1922 - September 8, 1965

Occupation: actress, singer

Dorothy Dandridge’s Childhood

Dorothy Dandridge was born in Cleveland, Ohio on November 9, 1922. Dorothy Dandridge began a show business career at a young age. Dandridge’s mother, Ruby Dandridge, was an actress. Early on she urged her two daughters, Dorothy and Vivian, to pursue careers in entertainment.

In the 1930s, Dandridge and her sister began performing in a song and dance act under the name “The Wonder Children.” After dropping out of high school in the late 1930s, Dandridge, Vivian, and Etta James formed a group called the Dandridge Sisters. They performed in such places as the Cotton Club.

Breaking into Show Business

In the late 1930s and in the early 1940s, Dandridge appeared in a few films, including A Day at the Races (1937) and Drums of the Congo (1942). Dandridge’s career as an entertainer ended temporarily in 1942 when she married Harold Nicholas, a dancer with the Nicholas Brothers. In 1943, their daughter Harolyn was born with severe brain damage. Dandridge and Nicolas’ marriage ended in divorce in 1949.

After the divorce, Dandridge resumed her nightclub career as a solo singer. She sang at clubs in Hollywood, London, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, and New York. With her international exposure, she was able to land a starring role opposite Harry Belafonte in Bright Road (1953), a film about a devoted schoolteacher.

Dandridge Becomes a Movie Star

In 1954, she finally reached stardom. Dandridge and Harry Belafonte co-starred in the film Carmen Jones. Dandridge’s performance won her an Academy Award nomination for best actress. It was rumored that Dandridge would win, but she lost to Grace Kelly who won for her performance in The Country Girl.

Although Dandridge had achieved success with her performance in Carmen Jones, film roles for black actresses were not in abundance. She appeared in a few films including Island in the Sun (1957) and The Decks Ran Red (1959). She also received the opportunity to play a starring role as a slave in The King and I, but she turned down the role. In 1959, she co-starred in Porgy and Bess with Sidney Poitier. The film was not as successful as Carmen Jones , but it received good reviews.

Dandridge Experiences Troubled Times

In 1959, Dandridge married her second husband, Jack Denison, a restaurant owner. She put her savings into his restaurant, which eventually failed in 1962. They divorced shortly thereafter.

As her second marriage ended, Dandridge’s film career started slowing down and she began having financial trouble. She resumed her nightclub career, but she did not encounter the same kind of success as she had earlier. In response, Dandridge began drinking heavily and taking anti-depressants. On September 8, 1965, she was found dead from a drug overdose in her West Hollywood home. Her death was later determined to be a suicide.