Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
| Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |
|---|---|
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| Written by | Shonda Rhimes Scott Abbott Novel Earl Mills |
| Directed by | Martha Coolidge |
| Starring | Halle Berry Brent Spiner Klaus Maria Brandauer |
| Theme music composer | Elmer Bernstein |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Joshua D. Maurer Halle Berry Robert Katz Moctezuma Esparza Vincent Cirrincione |
| Cinematography | Robbie Greenberg |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Budget | $9,200,000 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Home Box Office (HBO) |
| Release | August 21, 1999 |
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is a television film directed by Martha Coolidge. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in early 1998, the film was aired in the United States on August 21, 1999.[1] The teleplay is drawn exclusively from the biography of Dorothy Dandridge by Earl Mills.[2] The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein, who had known Dandridge and Otto Preminger.[3] The film is marketed with the tagline: "Right woman. Right place. Wrong time."
Cast
- Halle Berry as Dorothy Dandridge
- Brent Spiner as Earl Mills
- Klaus Maria Brandauer as Otto Preminger
- Obba Babatundé as Harold Nicholas
- Loretta Devine as Ruby Dandridge
- Cynda Williams as Vivian Dandridge
- LaTanya Richardson as Auntie
- Tamara Taylor as Geri Branton-Nicholas
- William Atherton as Darryl Zanuck
- D. B. Sweeney as Jack Denison
- Don Gettinger as Hotel Clerk
- Nicholas Hormann as Oscar Emcee
- Sharon Brown as Etta Jones
- Darrian C Ford as Fayard Nicholas
- Jon Mack as Ava Gardner
- Kerri Randles as Marilyn Monroe
- Benjamin Brown as Sidney Poitier
- Vocalist Wendi Williams provides the singing voice for Dorothy Dandridge
Soundtrack
RCA Victor released a soundtrack album on August 10, 1999.
- Your Red Wagon - Wendi Williams (2:29)
- I Got Rhythm - Wendi Williams (2:44)
- Hep Hop - Bill Elliott (3:17)
- Chattanooga Choo Choo - Wendi Williams (2:27)
- Sportsman's Mambo - Bill Elliott (3:08)
- Somebody - Wendi Williams (2:33)
- Twelve Cylinders - Bill Elliott (3:39)
- You Do Something to Me - Wendi Williams (2:19)
- Zoot Suit For My Sunday Gal - Wendi Williams (3:28)
- That's All - Wendi Williams (2:34)
- Streamliner - Bill Elliott (3:49)
- First Telephone - Elmer Bernstein (2:05)
- Try Again - Elmer Bernstein (1:17)
- No Song - Elmer Bernstein (1:18)
- Dorothy - Elmer Bernstein (2:04)
Awards and nominations
- Best Actress—Halle Berry (won)
- Best Film (won)
- Best Supporting Actor—Obba Babatundé (nominated)
- Best Supporting Actor—Brent Spiner (nominated)
2000 Directors Guild of America
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television—Martha Coolidge (nominated)
- Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (won)
- Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (won)
- Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (won)
- Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (won)
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie—Halle Berry (won)
- Outstanding Choreography (nominated)
- Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special—Martha Coolidge (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie—Klaus Maria Brandauer (nominated)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie (nominated)
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV—Halle Berry (won)
- Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (nominated)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV—Klaus Maria Brandauer (nominated)
- Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special—Halle Berry (won)
- Outstanding Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special (won)
- Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special—Obba Babatundé (nominated)
2000 Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries—Halle Berry (won)
References
- ^ "Halle Berry Brings the Passion and Pain of Dorothy Dandridge to HBO Movie". Jet. August 23, 1999. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ^ *Mills, Earl. Dorothy Dandridge: An Intimate Portrait of Hollywood's First Major Black Film Star. Holloway House Publishing (1970), 1999. ISBN 0-87067-899-X.
- ^ Martha Coolidge, liner notes, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge soundtrack album.