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 the autumn of 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.
Contents
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 (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)