Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) (TV)

Director:

Martha Coolidge

Writers (WGA):

Earl Mills (book)
Shonda Rhimes (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

21 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Right woman. Right place. Wrong time.

Plot:

This biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies...

Plot Keywords:

Career | Actress | Manager | Director | Love

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 17 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Halle Berry	...	Dorothy Dandridge
Brent Spiner	...	Earl Mills
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Otto Preminger
Obba Babatundé	...	Harold Nicholas (as Obba Babatunde)
Loretta Devine	...	Ruby Dandridge
Cynda Williams	...	Vivian Dandridge
LaTanya Richardson	...	Auntie
Tamara Taylor	...	Geri Nicholas
William Atherton	...	Darryl Zanuck
D.B. Sweeney	...	Jack Denison
Don Gettinger	...	Hotel Clerk
Nicholas Hormann	...	Oscar Emcee
Sharon Brown	...	Etta Jones
Darrian C. Ford	...	Fayard Nicholas
M.J. Sawyer	...	B&W Movie Actress

Also Known As:

Face of an Angel (UK) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

120 min | Germany:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

City Entertainment

Trivia:

When production ran over budget the studio wanted to cut the red carpet scene at the end of the film. Halle Berry desperately wanted to keep the scene, so she paid for it herself (HBO subsequently reimbursed her).

Quotes:

Earl Mills: [notices thick makeup on Dorothy's face] What happened to your face?
Dorothy Dandridge: Guess I wasn't black enough to lead the tribe.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Chattanooga Choo Choo

A sizzling portrayal of a star who fizzled out before her time

By far, a tour de force for Berry. She gives a more than convincing portrayal of the first black woman ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Not only is Berry's performance breathtaking, but the fact that the story is based on actual events, made my lungs collapse as well.

Too bad Dandridge didn't make the Emmy nomination deadline.....Berry would have taken home the award that both her and Dandridge deserve(d).