Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Buy This Item Introducing Dorothy Dandridge by Hbo Home Video  Available from Amazon  $8.49  on 8-10-2008     An acclaimed stage performer, Dorothy struggled with the challenge of her color in Hollywood. She beat out many more famous rivals for the role of ' 'Carmen Jones' ', and became the first black woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award (R). Seductive and easily seduced, she was born to be a star. Here was a woman who wouldn't wait in the wings. Reader Reviews Halle Berry and her role model, Dorothy Dandridge have a striking resemblance to one another. Dandridge's best friend, Gerri Benton, has said this, and so have many other people. But Berry's resemblance to Dandridge isn't even the half. Their lives parallel in more ways than one. Both Berry and Dandridge had to do some extreme things to acquire certain roles (Berry had to literally not bathe for ten days, visit crack houses and talk to drug addicts for her to obtain her role in "Jungle Fever" and Dandridge had to come into a movie producer's office dressed as Carmen Jones and show sex appeal in order for him to even consider her...but they both got the roles). Neither woman had an active father. Their marriages both failed. I could go on and on because I have done much research, but it's bizarre how akin these women are. Halle Berry did a magnificent job portraying Dorothy Dandridge. She captured the most pivotal moments and she did it with such elegance, you would swear it was Dandridge herself. I was a bit concerned for Berry because I know she had to do some lip-syncing for the stage performances, but that woman pulled it off like it was nothing! She did very well with the choreography as well. This film has quite a few scenes which are touching and emotional i.e. when certain places didn't want Dandridge to perform because she was a Negro, when her mother's girlfriend stuck her hand in her private area to see if she was still a virgin, when she found out that her only child was retarded, and when she was strung out on pills. Scenes such as those cause you to realize why she titled her autobiography "Everything and Nothing." Sure, she was the first Negro actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress (for Carmen Jones), sure, she is one of the most beautiful women to ever walk the earth, sure, she had every man she lusted after, she had a plethora of money, fame, friends, status and intelligence, thus, she had both "everything and nothing" simultaneously. But she was sad all throughout her life, that's why most people believe she ended her own life. Do yourself a favor and watch this film. It's entertaining, but also very emotional.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Available from Amazon Price: $8.49 Updated on 8-10-2008.

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