Dorothy Dandridge's Life in Photos

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1922: A Young Dorothy

Dorothy Dandridge was born on November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother, actress Ruby Dandridge, left Dorothy's father while she was pregnant, so Dorothy never knew him.

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1923: A Famous Mother

Dorothy's mother, Ruby, was known for her work in television and radio. She raised Dorothy and her other daughter, Vivian, to be performers as well.

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1925: Growing Up Performing

At a young age, Dorothy and Vivian (right) began performing as a singing act known as the Wonder Children.

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1930: Heading to Hollywood

Dorothy's family moved to Hollywood around 1930. The future star formed a singing group with Vivian and their friend, Etta Jones, called the Dandridge Sisters.

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1931: Singing Success

The Dandridge Sisters were a success. Soon, they became a fixture at clubs across the country and began opening for acts like Cab Calloway and Jimmie Lunceford (pictured).

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1932: Facing Discrimination

Although the Dandridge Sisters were highly regarded in the nightclub scene, segregation was still prevalent during this time. The group notably performed at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem, where Black performers "were instructed not to mix with white patrons," per The New York Times.

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1935: Appearing in Film

It wasn't long before the singing group found themselves on the screen. In 1935, the trio began appearing in film roles as the Dandridge Sisters.

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1940: A Big Role

In 1940, Dandridge appeared in her first solo film role. The singer and actress landed the part of Helen Fielding in Four Shall Die.

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1941: Success On-Screen

After her solo debut, Dandridge's talents led her to a successful film career. In 1941 alone, she appeared in four films, including Lady from Louisiana and Sun Valley Serenade.

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1942: Getting Married

While working in New York, Dandridge met and struck up a relationship with Harold Nicholas, who was a tap dancer in the Nicholas Brothers group alongside his older brother, Fayard. The two were wed on September 6, 1942.

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1943: A Baby Girl

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1947: A Solo Career

After a brief hiatus from performing, Dandridge embarked on a solo singing career and became a regular on the nightclub circuit, including at the Waldorf Astoria's Empire Room.

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1951: Getting Divorced

In 1951, Dandridge divorced Nicholas. After nine years of marriage, Nicholas's wandering eye reportedly led to the split, as well as him leaving Dandridge to care for their disabled daughter alone.

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1951: A Talented Singer

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1953: Her First Starring Role

Although Dandridge had worked in film for years, she didn't land a starring film role until 1953, when she appeared in Bright Road as teacher Jane Richards.

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1953: Starring as Herself

By 1953, Dandridge had established herself as a star. That year, the singer-actress took to the screen to star as herself in the musical comedy Remains to Be Seen.

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1955: Signing with a Studio

Dandridge signed a three-year contract with 20th Century Fox for a starting salary of $60,000 per film in 1955.

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1954: Landing Carmen Jones

The peak of Dandridge's career was earning the starring role in Otto Preminger's musical Carmen Jones. Here, the actress films a scene for the movie with her costar, Harry Belafonte.

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1955: An Iconic Outfit

Dandridge's iconic costume for her role in Carmen Jones featured a black off-the-shoulder top, a bright red wrap skirt, and gold hoop earrings.

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1955: Making History

In 1955, Dandridge became the first Black woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. She was nominated for her role in Carmen Jones. She lost to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl.

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