Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is a 1999 American biographical drama television film directed by Martha Coolidge and written by Shonda Rhimes and Scott Abbott, based on the 1991 biography Dorothy Dandridge by Earl Mills. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in late 1998, the film stars Halle Berry as actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge and premiered on HBO on August 21, 1999. The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein, who had known Dandridge and Otto Preminger.
Cast
- Halle Berry as Dorothy Dandridge
- * Wendi Williams provides the singing voice for 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
- Andre Carthen as Harry Belafonte
- Jon Mack as Ava Gardner
- Kerri Randles as Marilyn Monroe
- Benjamin Brown as Sidney Poitier
- Tyrone Wade as Lex Barker
Production
Filming began on 29 September 1998.Soundtrack
RCA Victor released a soundtrack album on August 10, 1999.- "Your Red Wagon" – Wendi Williams
- "I Got Rhythm" – Wendi Williams
- "Hep Hop" – Bill Elliott
- "Chattanooga Choo Choo" – Wendi Williams
- "Sportsman's Mambo" – Bill Elliott
- "Somebody" – Wendi Williams
- "Twelve Cylinders" – Bill Elliott
- "You Do Something to Me" – Wendi Williams
- "Zoot Suit for My Sunday Gal" – Wendi Williams
- "That's All" – Wendi Williams
- "Streamliner" – Bill Elliott
- "First Telephone" – Elmer Bernstein
- "Try Again" – Elmer Bernstein
- "No Song" – Elmer Bernstein
- "Dorothy" – Elmer Bernstein