Dandridge, Dorothy (1922-1965), was one of the first African American performers to become a motion-picture star. Dandridge was a talented actress, dancer, and singer. Her most important films were the musicals Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959).
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born in Cleveland on Nov. 9, 1922. She began performing at the age of 4. She made her film debut in 1937 with a small role in the Marx Brothers comedy A Day at the Races. Dandridge played minor roles in Hollywood films until she became a star in the 1950’s. She also was a popular nightclub performer, known for her beauty and sultry singing voice. Dandridge died from an overdose of a prescription drug she had been taking to fight depression. She collaborated on an autobiography that was published in 1970, after her death, as Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy.
