Dorothy Dandridge

Happy Heavenly Birthday to Dorothy Dandridge!

November 9, 2022 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge: Carmen Jones Lobby Card

The beautiful and talented Dorothy Dandridge was born on this date in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. I try never to think about things that can’t be changed (it does nothing but drive a person mad!) but it is such a shame that Dorothy Dandridge wasn’t given all of the films and roles she deserved. As beautiful and as talented as any, she wasn’t given the chance to shine she should have been given. While I will forever be thankful that she had the opportunity to shine in the films she had (particularly in Carmen Jones, Bright Road, and Porgy and Bess), I’ll always wish she had been awarded more films worthy of her great talent and screen presence.

I’d love to have seen her in… let’s say… a great romantic comedy, a musical (in which she could do her own singing), and a film-noir or two.

Maybe three!

She was simply phenomenal and worked under conditions that had to have been less than ideal. Trailblazers such as Dorothy leave me speechless – the courage, determination, and backbone it took to show up every day and have to fight at least twice as hard as everyone else.

Suffice to say, this lady has all of my respect and then some and I want to simply celebrate her memory today and everyday, for that matter!

Dorothy Dandridge was taken from us far too soon – dying on September 8, 1965 at the ridiculously young age of 42.

Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Robert Mitchum, and Otto Preminger On the Set of Carmen Jones

November 4, 2022 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Robert Mitchum, and director Otto Preminger

There are certain movies that EVEN I know I talk an incessant amount about and Carmen Jones is one of them. I think there are actually five distinct reasons for this…

I love, love, love Dorothy Dandridge. She was one of the most beautiful and talented stars of all time and it physically hurts me when someone doesn’t know who she was. She was phenomenal and should be a household name.
I feel the same way about Harry Belafonte. Granted, he is a household name, and practically everyone has heard of this National treasure BUT they probably don’t realize just what a wonderful actor he is. Extremely talented, versatile, and charismatic… if the world were fair, he’d have as many films to his credit as James Stewart. Yes. He is that good.
The movie is outstanding. I simply love everything about this incredibly entertaining and spellbinding musical. It’s deliciously unique, fast-paced, entertaining, and completely unforgettable. Again, it hurts my psyche when people say they haven’t seen it.
Olga James and her character, Cindy Lou, have my heart! I’d run through a brick wall for Olga OR Cindy and they wouldn’t even have to ask. I have NO idea how Hollywood kept from seeing the bright and beautiful star they had right in front of them, but they somehow dropped the ball. Olga James should have been given as many movies to make as she chose to. She had an extra something special and it radiated in each scene.
Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, and Diahann Carrol round out a phenomenal cast. I adore these three stars and seeing them in the same film with Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Olga James is almost more than my heart can take. Seriously, this cast is out of this world.

If you’ve never seen Carmen Jones, please just set aside some time and watch it. I promise to stop hounding you if you do!

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones

November 17, 2021 By Joi

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge

There are certain movies that, quite frankly, I never shut up about… The Quiet Man, Anatomy of a Murder, Rio Bravo, Carmen Jones, Spencer’s Mountain, Jezebel, Casablanca, Key Largo.. there are others but this group includes the ones I probably give the most traction.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that the one most people I talk to haven’t seen is Carmen Jones. Frustrating because it’s one of the best!

The performances by Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, and Olga James (I love this lady so much!) are particularly memorable and will take your breath completely away. Please see this wonderful film as soon as possible if you haven’t yet.

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge: BOTD in 1922… and Hollywood is all the Better for It!

November 9, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge

The stunningly beautiful and incredibly talented Dorothy Dandridge was BOTD in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. Due to the time in which she lived, she never received all the opportunities and awards she should have received, and while it would be easy to focus on that… as one of her biggest fans, I choose to concentrate and focus on the positive. I think of it as surrounding her memory with happiness as opposed to sadness and with light as opposed to darkness.

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge

I am forever grateful that she had the opportunity to make one of the most amazing and unique movies ever made, Carmen Jones. She and Harry Belafonte were so wonderful in this film it defies description. One of my greatest joys in life (outside of my family and cats, of course!) is introducing new fans to the wonderful stars and movies from old Hollywood. I have (through Twitter) gotten many people to see Carmen Jones for the first time and have (in turn) allowed new Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte fans to spring up. I’m not going to lie, while I love introducing all of these stars and films to others, when it’s THIS film and it’s THESE two stars, it makes me even happier.

All three are magic as far as I’m concerned.

Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Academy Award for her excellent performance as Carmen Jones. While (in my opinion) she should have won, again, I want to focus on the positive which is the fact that it is outstanding that she was nominated for such a prestigious award. What a joy the nomination had to have been for her!

Dorothy Dandridge

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Carmen Jones

September 12, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

One of my favorite movies (with THREE) of my favorite performances is Carmen Jones (1954, directed by Otto Preminger). The excellent performances are by Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Olga James (in a small but VERY compelling role). The entire movie is an absolute work of art.

A friend on Twitter once asked me what I thought of this movie and I told them it was as flawless and wonderful as Dorothy Dandridge, herself. The friend said they were going straight home from work and watching it if that was the case!

I have smart friends.

Dandridge and Belafonte (two ridiculously talented and beautiful stars!) give such compelling performances in this film, as does Olga James, who should have been in a LOT more films. If you’ve never seen this incredibly bold and deliciously unique film, I hope you’ll find it and watch it very soon. There truly has never been a movie quite like this one and I’m certain there never will be. I couldn’t love it any more.

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge and Lex Barker in Tarzan’s Peril

June 22, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Lex Barker in Tarzan’s Peril

Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready, and Dorothy Dandridge star in the 1951 adventure drama Tarzan’s Peril. Unfortunately, Dorothy Dandridge doesn’t have a lot of screen time, the film would have been even better more of her regal presence!

Dorothy Dandridge

You can find Tarzan’s Peril (link to the dvd on Amazon) on dvd or watch the film on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge, Tarzan’s Peril Publicity Photo

May 24, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge, Tarzan’s Peril

One of the most beautiful stars of all time is pictured here.. the stunningly lovely and stunningly talented Dorothy Dandridge.

This publicity photo is for the 1951 film Tarzan’s Peril (directed by Byron Haskin). The film starred Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready, Douglas Fowley, Glenn Anders, Dorothy Dandridge, and Alan Napier.

You can find Tarzan’s Peril (link to the dvd on Amazon) on dvd or watch the film on Prime Video.

Dorothy Dandridge

Tamango: Dorothy Dandridge and Curt Jurgens

November 23, 2020 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Curt Jurgens

Dorothy Dandridge was such an incredibly talented and beautiful actress – I wish she had gotten all the chances and opportunities she deserved, as opposed to those others would allow her to have. I can’t spend too much time with the regret, or I’ll go nuts. So I’ll just focus on the positives and say that she took the opportunities given to her and made that absolute most with them.

No matter what movie she was in, she commanded each and every scene. The more you watch this talented lady, the crazier it makes you that she wasn’t given more films.

Uh, oh.. regret is sneaking in again.

If you’re unfamiliar with this extraordinary lady, I hope you’ll search out her movies. You’ll soon be as smitten with her as I am.

That’s a promise.

Tamango Lobby Card

The 1958 film Tamango, while not one of her better films (Carmen Jones, Bright Road, Porgy and Bess, and The Decks Ran Red are all better, IMO), is still absolutely a good (albeit hard to watch, given the subject) film and Dorothy is outstanding.

While Tamango (link to the dvd) is on Amazon, if you look below the image – in the Frequently bought together section, you’ll find this movie, Carmen Jones, and The Decks Ran Red combined for a better deal. A great deal, if we’re being honest!

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Bright Road Lobby Cards

September 22, 2020 By Joi

Bright Road, With Dorothy Dandridge, Philip Hepburn, and Harry Belafonte

Two of my all-time favorite stars are Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte – so, the fact that they teamed up for a couple of movies feels like a gift that keeps giving for me! Their chemistry was as good as it gets – second to none – and each star’s talent will blow you away. Belafonte has always had a certain dynamic – charisma on steroids, if you will – that makes his every screen presence an especially powerful thing.

If you aren’t familiar with Harry Belafonte as an actor, I hope you’ll see this movie, the wonderful Carmen Jones (I’ll be honest… I’m obsessed with Carmen Jones!), and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (link to a post where I rave and rave about this one) ASAP, if not sooner.

The essence of my being is to focus on positivity (my family doesn’t call me Mary Poppins for nothing), but some things just have to be said – the fact that stars such as Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Philip Hepburn, Rex Ingram, Lena Horne, Hattie McDaniel, etc… weren’t given more films, more diverse roles, and more of an opportunity to shine isn’t just maddening and infuriating – it’s heart-breaking. Not just for the stars who more than deserved as many opportunities as everyone else, but also for those of us who were robbed of seeing more of their work.

I can’t tell you how often I think about other roles and opportunities Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte should have had! They would have been delicious in a film-noir – either together (my personal dream) or apart.

Again, I am “bent” toward focusing on the positives in life, so I will simply say that I am forever thankful that Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte had a chance to shine in the films they were given. They took their opportunities and absolutely blew everyone away! Philip Hepburn did the same in the extraordinary movie Bright Road. Seeing the three of them in one movie is a very special treat.

I wish there had been more, but I am more grateful than I can say for this film. Like Dorothy Dandridge, it’s a beauty you won’t forget.

You can find Bright Road (link to Amazon) on dvd on Amazon or watch on Prime Video. It’s a very, very special movie with wonderful stars who deserved so much more.

Bright Road, Starring Dorothy Dandridge, Philip Hepburn, and Harry Belafonte

Carmen Jones: The Magic of Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

July 20, 2020 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Carmen Jones Lobby Card

Do you happen to have a favorite movie (literally, one of your all-time favorites) that hardly anyone you talk to has ever seen? You want to talk about its stars, quotes, and scenes with someone but…. it seems only you, within your circle of family and friends… has even seen it?!

Carmen Jones is one of mine that fits this description as perfectly as Dorothy Dandridge fit a dress (A Woman’s Secret and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil are two more).

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte are two of my absolute favorites. One of my greatest “old Hollywood” regrets is that these charismatic and talented stars weren’t in more. I can’t tell you how much I’d LOVE to have shelves filled with their dvds. There’s just something about the acting styles and charisma of these two that lights up the room for me.

Carmen Jones is a fascinating film. It’s almost like director Otto Preminger took an old black and white film-noir, added color… then took a musical and added it to the mix. Then, for good measure grabbed a sexy mystery and threw it in the pot. The result is fascinating, in every sense of the word.

When I first watched Carmen Jones (years ago), I was really upset that Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte were dubbed by opera singers. I mean… come on… Belafonte can MORE THAN sing for himself and Dorothy Dandridge had a lovely singing voice. At the time, I thought this “dubbing” was the one drawback of the film.

However, when I watched it a second time (and then third, fourth, fifth…), I actually “got” what Otto Preminger was selling. The opera absolutely, positively adds to the entire ambiance of the film and helps it to stand out as an even more unique and mesmerizing work of art.

Many movies you can say, “THIS film is a lot like THAT one…” but not with Carmen Jones. Why? There is absolutely not another film like it and I’m certain there never will be. This cast and its director and writers struck pure gold. The film and its stars should have won as many awards as were available. Seriously, the Academy Awards that year should have been a Carmen Jones invitational.

(Continued below Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte)

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

Dorothy Dandridge was, at least, nominated as lead actress – but she wasn’t given the award. I refuse to say, “..she lost” because that’s not quite true. She wasn’t given her award – and, make no mistake about it, it was her award and should have been in her hands.

I often wonder what winning would have done for this beautiful actress. Her troubled life ended far too soon (she was only 42 when she died) and she was never given the type of (or number of) roles she deserved. I often wonder if she had been given this award if her life would have changed.

For that matter, I often wonder what a win would have meant for black actors and actresses – would they have earned the respect and chance they deserved sooner? Questions like that frustrate me because, trust me, the award should have been Dorothy’s. I’ve seen each of the films from which the actresses in the category with her were in – and Carmen Jones multiple times.

The Oscar was given to the wrong lady. Period.

What’s even more frustrating – more should have been nominated! Harry Belafonte gave an absolutely phenomenal performance. He took his character on one heck of a journey and did so flawlessly. He begins the film as such an innocent young man… then here comes beautiful Carmen and my guy didn’t stand a chance!

If you love great acting, great chemistry, film-noirs, musicals, wonderful stories, and movies with endings that leave you speechless (and thinking about them for days!), I am begging you to see Carmen Jones.

Watch Carmen Jones on Amazon Prime.

Buy Carmen Jones on DVD (Amazon link).

Buy Carmen Jones on Blu-Ray (Amazon link).