Dorothy Dandridge's way to fame and fortune as a dancer, singer and actress.

This biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies, including becoming the first black actress to win a Best Actress Nomination in 1954 for "Carmen Jones", to her final demise to prescription drugs, which was debated whether it was suicide or accidental. Brent Spiner plays her faithful manager who stood beside her through all of the roller coaster of her career. The film also examines her love affair with director Otto Preminger, which is shown to have probably initially helped her career, but later probably led her to some wrong decisions. The film also examines 50's racism as the black star is not permitted to use white bathrooms or the Vegas pool. In the first situation, she was given a bathroom cup to pee in. In the second situation, the hotel drained the pool and scrubbed it after she dared put her foot in the water.—John Sacksteder <[email protected]>

Biopic of the multi-talented African-American singer/dancer/actress Dorothy Dandridge. As a teenager, she was part of the Dandridge Sisters night club where she met her first husband, Harold Nicholas. She had difficulties with intimacy however owing to her brutal treatment at the hands of her mother's female lover, whom they referred to as Auntie. The stress of having a mentally disabled child ends her marriage to Harold and the color barrier in Hollywood makes it difficult for her to find meaningful work. Her big break came with the lead role in Carmen Jones, for which she was nominated for a best actress Oscar. She had a relationship with the film's director, Otto Preminger. Although she had never again was given the opportunity or a role as great, she re-married and continued performing. She died of a prescription drug overdose in 1965.—garykmcd