Dorothy Dandridge, the tragic fate of the first actress of color to step on the Oscars
2021-11-09 13:29:51
TiranaPost
Oscar Night is the most important cinematic event since 1929. Since then, anyone aiming or becoming an actor has dreamed of raising the golden statue at least once. Dorothy Dandridge, nominated for Best Actress for her starring role in Carmen Jones, also wanted this.
That March evening, in 1955, she appeared at the Century Theater in New York with her sister Vivian. Dressed in a chic yellow silk dress, she stepped out of the limousine and tried to stay calm. Between camera shots and reporters screaming, she looked happy, but those who knew her well knew how scared she was. Her biography, written by Deann Herringshaë shows this.
She was nervous because it had never happened before that an African-American woman was nominated for such a coveted award. She knew that at home, in front of the TVs, millions of people would see her as a symbol of hope. Maybe it was girls like her who believed it was impossible to go out in Hollywood, in a world dominated by white men.
She had achieved it. With the success of the film he was already a star. Beautiful, refined, sleek and talented, she had everything she needed to compete with divas like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.
Dorothy Dandridge was on par with the other four Oscar nominees, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jane Ëyman. However, she had her doubts that the Academy jury would not really dare so much and declare her the winner, a girl of color. At least she hoped her friend Judy would win.
Eventually, the cup went to Grace Kelly. After the ceremony was over, she rushed straight to her room, without going to the party after the ceremony. Just wanted a quiet place to rest.
Anyway she did not lose hope, she felt that one day she would win the Oscar, but life had reserved for her other sorrows.
Her life
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born on November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents separated shortly before her birth. The mother, already forced to abandon the idea of a career on stage, focused on Dorothy and the other daughter Vivian. Since she was very fond of art, she created a dance group for her two daughters. Thus was born the duo "Wonder Children". When they managed to break into Hollywood, the mother changed the band's name to "Dandridge Sisters" and Etta Jones, a school friend of the two sisters, joined the group.
The Dandridge sisters continued to perform successfully for several years at the most important nightclubs in the country. In the eyes of filmmakers, Dorothy fell in 1940, when she was offered the role of a murderer in the movie "Four Shall Die". The fact that he was colored did not allow him to participate in roles other than the stereotyped ones, the classic roles given to girls of color.
It attracted a lot more attention by playing Queen Melmendi in the movie Tarzan.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Dandridge married dancer Harold Nicholas in 1942 and a year later their only daughter, Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas, was born. Due to a carelessness during the birth, the baby had severe brain problems that required constant care, throughout her life. Gradually, the couple's relationship deteriorated, and in 1948 Harold abandoned the family.
Diagnoza e fëmijës u përcaktua tre vjet pas lindja. Dorothy ishte konsultuar me shumë mjekë për të kuptuar pse vajza e saj qante shumë dhe deri atëherë askush nuk e kishte kuptuar se kishte një dëmtim të përhershëm të trurit. Nga ai moment, nuk kishte më lumturi për aktoren: filloi një udhëtim i gjatë vetë-shkatërrues.
Në vitin 1954 Dorothy u zgjodh nga regjisori Otto Preminger si protagoniste në muzikalin Carmen Jones, për të cilin u nominua për Oscar në vitin 1955. Në të njëjtën periudhë ajo filloi të shoqërohej me Premingerin, i cili ishte i martuar. Ata nuk dolën kurrë hapur për ta pranuar lidhjen e tyre edhe për shkak se çiftet ndërracore nuk pranoheshin lehtë nga publiku amerikan.
Pas nominimit të saj për Oscar, Dorothy Dandridge u bë një yll i vërtetë i Hollivudit, me role të reja dhe duke zënë kopertinat e revistave.
Asnjë nominim nuk e çoi drejt fitores dhe filloi gradualisht rënia e saj.
Në vitin 1959 ajo u rimartua me Jack Denison, por martesa ishte shumë e trazuar për shkak të dhunës që ai ushtronte ndaj saj. Pas divorcit në vitin 1962-shin, Dorothy e gjeti veten pa asnjë kacidhe pasi për shkak të disa njerëzve të cilëve u kishte besuar llogaritë e saj, i humbi të gjitha. U detyrua të shiste vilën ku jetonte dhe t'ia besonte vajzën një institucioni të shëndetit mendor.
E vetme dhe pa para, Dorothy gjeti ngushëllim tek alkooli. Në vitin 1963 ishte afër arritjes së rolit kryesor të Kleopatrës, por në fund u përzgjodh Elizabeth Taylor.
On the eve of a new film she was about to shoot, which would probably reopen the doors of her career, Dorothy Dandridge was found dead in her home. It was September 8, 1965 and she was only 42 years old. A few months later doctors determined the cause of her death from an overdose of antidepressants.
Another version, that official talked about a rare embolism caused by an old shooting incident.
The figure of Dorothy Dandridge has been brought back to attention in recent years thanks to the movie Meet Dorothy Dandridge, played by Halle Berry.
When the latter won the Oscar for Best Actress for 'Monster's Ball - The Shadow of Life', in 2002, he dedicated the award to Dorothy Dandridge and other African-American actresses who laid a stone to pave the way against all obstacles and distrust of people of color.
