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Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965)
Dorothy Dandridge had all the assets needed for theatrical success. She was beautiful, she could sing, and ultimately she proved to have substantial acting ability as well. For a brief moment in the early 1950s, it seemed that all those assets were about to make her a top ranked star when Otto Preminger tapped her for the lead in Carmen Jones, his movie based on Bizet's opera Carmen. After seeing in that film, one critic hailed her as "one of the outstanding dramatic actresses of the screen," and her performance made her the first African-American to win an Oscar nomination for best actress. Unfortunately what seemed to be the beginning of a stellar career was actually its climax. Because Dandridge was black, the good film roles available to her were practically non-existent, and her considerable talent was largely wasted on mediocre productions.
Unidentified artist
Color halftone, 1954
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
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