Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte: Bright Road Lobby Cards

September 22, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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).

Dorothy Dandridge: Stunning Promotional Picture from Tarzan’s Peril

May 29, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Dorothy Dandridge, Tarzan’s Peril (1951)

One of my all-time favorite actresses is the beautiful and talented Dorothy Dandridge. I would feature her more here on the Old Hollywood blog (and on Twitter for that matter) but it’s tough to get pictures of her. Sadly, she wasn’t used in as many movies as she should have been – so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to screencap her movies either.

I’m looking, daily, for more photos, however, and hope to have many more to add here soon.

This beautiful photo is from the 1951 movie Tarzan’s Peril.

How stunningly beautiful was she?!?

Tragically, Dorothy died at the devastatingly young age of 42.

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

Porgy and Bess: Performances That’ll Blow You Away

April 26, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Porgy and Bess (1959)

There are All Star casts, then there are ALL STAR casts! Porgy and Bess (1959) certainly had the latter: Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr, Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, and Claude Akins.

(Continued below)

Porgy and Bess – Pearl Bailey and Sammy Davis, Jr.

This film was one of Brock Peters’ first movies. He also starred alongside Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones (1954) under the name Broc Peters in the role of Sergeant Brown.

The acting and directing (Otto Preminger) in Porgy and Bess is outstanding – as you’d expect from this lineup! The only regrets I have after watching this film are…

Due to the times, these absolutely amazing stars weren’t given the roles, credit, money, or attention they deserved. When you see them performing and know that they were every bit as talented as other stars of their time, it can kind of make you crazy. Before I ever allow it to make me completely crazy (crazier???), I remember that these stars aren’t just legends, they were trailblazers – and few things in life are as cool as blazing a trail for others to travel upon. These stars did the heavy lifting and I admire the heck out of each of them.
How could Sammy Davis, Jr. and Pearl Bailey (names synonymous with PERSONALITY!) not have been inserted into more films?! Each brought so much life, energy, and fun to everything they ever touched… you’d think more people would have insisted they bring all of that to more parties! They’re two off my Watch Anythings, as in I will watch anything they’re associated with – so, as you’d imagine, I’m in Heaven when watching this movie. The two of them in one place is almost more charisma than anyone can take!
Many people involved with this movie deserved Oscars – there are just so many wonderful performances.
I cannot seem to get my hands on a dvd for the life of me! I keep watching all of my favorite sources, but so far a copy simply cannot be found.

Sadly, the movie is next to impossible to find on television. If you ever get the opportunity to watch it, be sure to check it out. The performances will blow you away.

Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier, Porgy and Bess

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte Light Up the Screen in Carmen Jones

January 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Do Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte make a beautiful couple or what?! They had so much chemistry in their films – as much chemistry as any film couple I’ve ever seen.

If you’ve never watched Carmen Jones, I hope you’ll make a point of doing that ASAP. These stars are outstanding in this fantastic film. Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Oscar for her performance but she didn’t win.

She should have. That’s a hill I will die on. She was robbed.

Harry Belafonte should also have gotten an Oscar. They were both mesmerizing in this film. Olga James and Pearl Bailey are also excellent. I wish Olga had been onscreen more. She was adorable and so very, very talented.

Please see the movie soon!

Dorothy Dandridge Porgy and Bess (1959)

December 14, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Dorothy Dandridge, Porgy and Bess (1959)

Dorothy Dandridge is, by far, one of my favorite actresses. She didn’t have many opportunities come her way, but the ones she did have she made the absolute most of.

The frustrating thing for me is that, as I said, she’s one of my favorites, but I have a lot of trouble finding pictures of her to share on Hollywood Yesterday. This is the only reason she isn’t featured in more posts.

Believe me, however, I am always on the look out for pictures I can buy and/or scan to add. I’m also in the process of collecting her movies (the ones that are in circulation anyway), so I can at least add screencaps of her.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the rare and wonderful pictures I CAN find.

Great Gift Idea for Fans of Classic Hollywood: Renegade Women in Film & TV

November 23, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Renegade Women in Film & TV

I love my family. Okay, that should probably go without saying, but seriously… I really, really love my family.

Not only because they’re the coolest, most colorful, and lovable group of people you could ever hope to meet but also because they’re uncommonly thoughtful, kind, generous, and… well…. DARN good. Not just good. DARN good.

The book you see here is an early Christmas gift from my youngest daughter Stephany. She and her two sisters (Emily and Brittany) have contributed to my Old Hollywood book and dvd collections tremendously and I love that they love supporting my obsessive habit!

They’ve helped create the monster behind these words.

Renegade Women in Film & TV is an absolutely remarkable book. Not only is it gorgeous (hardcover and packed with colorful illustrations of the women it celebrates), it is an exceptionally inspiring read.

Within the pages I was reminded of just how remarkable some of my favorites are (Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Dorothy Dandridge, Hedy Lamarr, Hattie McDaniel, Dorothy Arzner, Mary Pickford, Rita Moreno, Anna May Wong, Marlo Thomas, Oprah…). I also learned a lot about some ground-breaking women I knew very little about (Ida Lupino, Mae West, Edith Head, Barbra Streisand, Susan Harris, Mary Tyler Moore, Lesley Visser, Barbara Walters, Geena Davis…) and met ladies I knew nothing about and a few I’d never heard of before but will never forget now.

(Continued Below Lucille Ball… how mesmerizing are those eyes??)

Lucille Ball

As expected, there are outstanding women who are missing that I’d have LOVED for them to have included..

Olivia de Havilland
Bette Davis (she gets a mention at the end)
Greta Garbo
Betty White
Etc.

However, the ones who AREN’T there should not and do not detract from the ones who are. Besides, maybe there’ll be a follow-up. I certainly hope so!

Renegade Women in Film & TV would make the most wonderful gift for fans of Old Hollywood and/or Classic TV imaginable. You will, however, want to get your hands on a copy for yourself, too, trust me.

But, here’s the thing… you may want TWO copies. I know I do. One for enjoying and keeping whole (it would make a perfect coffee table book) and one for removing the gorgeous photos for framing. They are truly stunning.

See Renegade Women in Film & TV for more information.

Renegade Women in Film & TV

Beautiful Dorothy Dandridge: Hard to Beat This One for Picture of the Day!

November 7, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Dorothy Dandridge

The beautiful Dorothy Dandridge deserved better than she got from life. When I think of how incredibly famous she would be, today, had she been born later, it makes me kind of crazy. She should be a household name. If, like me, you love this lovely actress and singer, I hope you’ll join me in trying to make that happen.

Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier: Porgy and Bess (1959)

October 23, 2019 By Joi 1 Comment

Now… ladies and gentlemen… this is what you call a beautiful couple. Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge were excellent in Porgy and Bess (1959) – just excellent. If you’ve never seen this film, I hope you’ll catch it as soon as possible. It’s unique, full of heart and emotion, and boasts as strong a cast as you’re going to find. Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Brock Peters, Claude Akins… WHAT A CAST!

In addition to these huge names, the cast is rounded out by extremely talented men and women who didn’t achieve the level of fame their co-stars did but contributed strongly to this legendary film.

The problem with finding this film is that it no longer seems to be in circulation on DVD. Believe me, I have looked and looked. I need it for my Dorothy Dandridge collection and it simply doesn’t seem to exist on DVD. If you can find it on television (again, sadly, it’s very hard to find), I hope you’ll catch it. It’s a masterpiece.

Dorothy Dandridge and The Nicholas Brothers – “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941)

April 11, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

I could watch and listen to Dorothy Dandridge OR The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold) all day long… but when you put them all together, I’m ready to go well into the night.

Words can’t tell you how much I love this type of entertainment – the dancing, the singing, the smiles… If it were a drink, I’d get drunk on it!

In the video below (which I’ve watched at least 100 times in the last week), Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers perform Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Enjoy! THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT!