Home / Stars / Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge

A magnetic performer whose success exposed both possibilities and severe racial barriers in the studio era.

Why they matter

Dandridge became the first Black woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for Carmen Jones.

Start here

This profile grows automatically as more films and collaborators are added to the OldHollywood.co data set.

2 connected titles in the current build.

1954 · Musical drama

Bizet is reimagined in an all-Black American setting, with Dandridge in the role that brought her historic Oscar nomination.

1959 · Musical drama

The Gershwin opera reached the screen in a large-scale production led by Poitier and Dandridge.