FREE ESSAY ON DOROTHY

DOROTHY

Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born on November 9,1922, in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents (Cyril
and Ruby Dandridge) had a troubled marriage, which eventually lead to them going their
separate ways. Ruby met the new love of her life, a woman, later was much despised by
Dottie. She was very domineering and abusive toward Ruby's two children, especially
Dottie. Early in their youth Ruby and her friend trained them for performing onstage.
Between the ages 4-6 depending on who you ask, was about the time Dorothy and Vivian
began performing publicly in Baptist churches, and they toured the country as the gospel
singing act, the Wonder Children Around the 1930's Dottie &Vivian joined a third girl
(Etta Jones) in a song and dance act known as the Dandridge Sisters Hard times and the
Great Depression forced them to move to Hollywood, where, at age16, Dandridge Sisters
Dorothy danced with Bill Bojangles Robinson in The Big Broadcast of 1936. The same year
she sang at legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, where she first met Harold Nicholas, her
future husband. Harold was the younger member of the Nicholas Brothers. They danced with
Gene Kelly in The Pirate. At 17she was performing in Benny Goodman's musical, Swinging
the Dream.
Dorothy Dandridge had a natural beauty, and an ideal figure to match! Dottie suffered
from severe stage fright, but despite this, she played the best hotels in Miami and Las
Vegas, although she couldn't stay in them. One, in 1953, drained its swimming pool to
keep her out of it. In 1954 Dandridge became the first black woman to appear on the cover
of Life and received an Academy Award nomination for best actress for her role in Carmen
Jones. But because the industry still could not see her potential as an serious actress
(mainly because of her race), roles for her faded quickly, as well as her career.
Eventually, she ended up working on cruise ships, series TV, and in the lounges of the
hotels she had once headlined. Her second marriage, to Jack Denison (a club owner) ended
with Dorothy being abused and exploited. Which resulted in further financial problems for
her, and coupled with poor investments and tax problems hastened her decline. By 1962 she
was bankrupt. 
On the morning of September 8, 1965, Dorothy had an appointment to have a cast put on her
foot. Earl Mills called her early but she asked that he reschedule the appointment for
later so that she could sleep a few more hours. Mills tried calling again later in the
morning but he could get no answer. He went to Dorothy's apartment but he could not get
in. He returned around 2 p.m. and finally forced his way in. He found Dorothy lying dead
on the bathroom floor. She was nude except for a blue scarf around her head.
A few months earlier, Dorothy had given Earl a note, which read In case of my death - to
whomever discovers it - don't remove anything I have on - scarf, gown or underwear.
Cremate me right away. If I have anything, money, furniture, gives it to my mother Ruby
Dandridge. She will know what to do. Dorothy Dandridge.
Her death was first attributed to a blood clot caused by the fracture in her foot but an
autopsy revealed that she had died of an overdose of Tofranil, theantidepressant that she
was taking. Whether the overdose was accidental or intentional remains a mystery to this
day.
Dorothy was cremated and buried at the Little Church of the Flowers at Forest Lawn.
Bibliography
WORLD BOOK
GROILERS ENCYCLOPEDIA