Book Description

Dorothy Dandridge's life story is the stuff Hollywood dreams--and nightmares. Completed shortly before her tragic death in 19665, Everything and Nothing recounts her rags-to-riches-to-rags story form her personal point of view. Dandridge recalls her humble beginnings in Depression-era Cleveland, Ohio, her rise to fame and success as the first African American to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination (for her role in Carmen Jones), the disappointments and pain of her childhood and family life, and her downward spiral into alcoholism and financial troubles, Everything and Nothing is a mesmerizing and harrowing journey through the life and times of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

An emotional roller coaster
"I am an actress.I can play a nun or a b*tch."
-Dorothy Dandridge from "Everything and Nothing"

For such a long time, I have wondered why some of my favorite celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Halle Berry, and Whitney Houston have taken such a strong interest in the life of Dorothy Dandridge.I have wondered, "What was so intriguing about this woman?""Why did so many entertainers want to depict her life story in a motion picture?"I finally decided to search her on youtube.com and read her autobiography, because after Halle created the movie and spoke so highly of her, I, like Halle, pursued research on her.

After seeing photos of her, seeing movie clips on youtube, and reading her autobiography, I am enlightened as to why so many people find her interesting.During her life, she truly had both "everything and nothing."

Dorothy, through her writing, appeared to be an emotional, sad, often confused, depressed, disappointed and seemingly doomed from early on.Based on my perspective, she wasn't especially close to anyone in her immediate family.She and her mother, Ruby, were on good terms, but not close.Her father took very slight interest in her only after he heard that she had some success.She had two failed marriages and a slew of love affairs from men who seemed to be interested in her solely because of her beauty and success.While on the subject of beauty, Dorothy was gorgeous!She was a bombshell by all means, and she knew it.There were a few things about her that I didn't especially like, and one of them was the fact that she kept saying she was pretty, and that others said the same.It's a fact, but it became redundant after the first hundred times.Perhaps that was the one thing that kept her self-esteem moderately afloat.Another issue that I was annoyed by was the fact that she preferred white men.I understand that Harold Nicholas was an atrocious husband, but Dorothy seemed to let her first failed marriage set the tone for the rest of her romantic life.Ironically, they meant her no good, either.

"You must be at your best each instant, for, in a manner of speaking, you are "carrying" the race."
-Dorothy Dandridge from "Everything and Nothing"

Dorothy was very specific with her career, and how difficult it was for her (and all other Black actors) to receive movie roles.Many of the males she was romantically involved with conned her into staying with them, for they told her they would further her career.This was all emoting, but what touched me more than anything was her daughter, Harolyn.Dorothy made it clear that she was disappointed by the fact that her daughter was born mentally retarded, and she held a bitterness because of that.Friends and doctors both told her to get rid of Harolyn since she would never mentally advance, and Dorothy did just that.Harolyn was with Dorothy for a few years, but most of her time was spent in mental institutions or with family members while Dorothy was doing films or with her paramours.

I admire Dorothy.She was the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for her role in the infamous movie, Carmen Jones.I admire her because she stood up to those who did her wrong.For example, her mother's female friend (who was rumored to be her lover), spanked her everyday with a brush for a long time.One day Dorothy became fed up and retaliated by beating the woman up!

To this day, no one knows whether she committed suicide or not, however, all one has to do is read her autobiography and look at her photos (and see the sadness within her eyes), and it wouldn't be hard to draw the conclusion that she purposely ended her life.Dorothy Jean Dandrige deserves to be included in Black History because she paved the way for the Halle Berrys, Angela Bassetts and the like.Read "Everything and Nothing", and, perhaps, you will take a second look at your life and realize that things aren't as terrible as some make them out to be.

Beautiful woman, tragic life, a lesson for us all
Mrs Slaughter says, "Dorothy Dandridge's book is filled with hilarious laughter and oceans of tears. It is evident to me that she wrote this book when she had reached the utter end of her tether. I think there is much to learn from her life. Importantly that success has nothing to do with how much fame or money one is able to amass but rather peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment which can only be achieved intrisically through one's own ability to love themselves enough to give themselves the very best of this love without relying on external factors. Dorothy was an obviously beautiful, talented and intelligent woman who lost all she had in a quest to derive happiness and acceptance through circumstances and people which she was unable to control. This unfortunately led to much self-loathing and the eventual demise of one of our age's most important African American icons. A brilliant read and excavationinto the complex mind of Dorothy Dandridge."

Insightful, well written & in Dorothy's own words.
I recently completed this book. In my opinion, this version of events about Miss Dandridge's life meant more to me than any other biography written by others who claimed to know her & her struggles. I say this because this was the one literary piece she left behind before she died. This was from HER. This was her story. Only she can explain her feelings about the ups and downs of her life. Her disappointment with her first husband, her mixed emotions of love & burdensome feelings about her retarded daughter, all of the trists with strange men who treated her like a dog treats a fire hydrant, and last but not least, her heartbreak of her "friends" lethal words & non-support of her wish to tell the world her story. It was very clear to me that she was heading down a path of destruction & death. She candidly spoke of wanting to commit suicide more than once. I wish she could have lived on into the next few decades & was able to witness the changes in society & Hollywood's portrayal of black people. I think she could have been saved & able to one day say "I am finally free from being the female negro role model" as Lena Horne was able to say. I felt as if I knew Miss Dorothy. For the life of me, I could not fatham why she would engage in affairs with physically disgusting looking men like Otto Preminger ( I've seen him ) and Mr. Tyner, the millionaire with the spit foam in the corners of his mouth. These actions of hers proved contradictary to the fact that thru-out the book she kept saying that physical attractiveness in a male is very important to her. I guess when it all boiled down to it, she just wanted a man around and to be married. What a terrible loss this is. For those trully interested, read this book before any others about Dorothy Dandridge ( i.e. Donald Bogle, Earl Mills ). This one is from Dorothy in her own words before she died.

Only scratches the surface...
After reading other works on Dorothy Dandrige I thought this purported autobiograph left a few things to be desired.The book reveals personal details of her life but downplays certain players in her life.For example, the lesbian relationship between her mother and "friend" Auntee was passed off as being no more than a casual friendship.I understand DD reasons for not revealing things about her mother considering she was still alive at the time the book was published.She only mention a few details about her fame with the movie CARMEN.

The book is written well but only takes a cursory view of her life and success.It seems to accentuates the most tragic details of her life and downplays her contribution to others.It's a good book, but please read Donald Bogle's book if you want a more thorough revelation of her life.

A must have
From the pages I got to read it is a book I will definitly buy.It was very good and I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Donald Bogle was almost single-handedly responsible for reviving interest in historic black film with his seminal work, Toms, Coons, Mammies, Mulattoes, and Bucks. Here, in his new biography, he turns his gaze on Dorothy Dandrige, a bronze goddess of the silver screen. Stunningly beautiful and enormously talented, Dandridge had the misfortune to practice her craft at a time when Hollywood trafficked only in black stereotypes. She starred in several films--among them Carmen Jones, an adaptation of Bizet's Carmen, and the musical Porgy and Bess. But because there were few black male romantic leads, and Hollywood could not conceive of pairing her with a white actor, Dandridge's career languished. In 1965, she was found dead in her apartment of a drug overdose. Bogle's excellent book brings Dandrige and her times to life again, portraying this remarkable woman in all her strength and fragility.Book Description

Dorothy Dandridge -- like Marilyn and Liz--was a dream goddess of the fifties. All audiences ever had to do was take one look at her --in a nightclub, on television, or in the movies -- and they were hooked. She was unforgettable, Hollywood's first full-fledged African American movie star.

This definitive biography -- exhaustively researched -- presents the panoramic dimensions of this extraordinary and ultimately tragic life. Talented from the start, Dorothy Dandridge began her career as a little girt in Cleveland in an act that her mother Ruby, an actress and comedienne, created for her and her sister Vivian. By the time she reached her teens, she was working in such Hollywood movies as Going Places with Louis Armstrong and A Day at the Races with the Marx Brothers. She also appeared at New York's Cotton Club in a trio called The Dandridge Sisters, but soon went solo, determined to make a name for herself. She became one of the most dazzling and sensational nightclub performers around, all the white breaking down racial barriers by integrating some of America's hottest venues.

But she wanted more. Movie stardom was her dream. And she got it. Dandridge broke through the glass ceiling of Tinseltown to win an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for her lead role in Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones. Other films such as Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun, and Tamango would follow and the media would take notice. In an industry that was content to use Black women as comic mammy figures, Dorothy Dandridge emerged as a leading lady, a cultural icon, and a sizzling sex symbol.

She seemed to have everything: glamour, wealth, romance and success. But the reality was fraught with contradiction and illusion. She became a dramatic actress unable to secure dramatic roles. While she had many gifts to offer, Hollywood would not be the taker.

As her professional frustrations grew, so did her personal demons. After two unhappy marriages -- her first to the great dancer Harold Nicholas -- a string of unfulfilling, love affairs, and the haunting tragedy of her daughter Lynn, she found herself emotionally and financially -- bankrupt. She ultimately lost all hope and was found dead from an overdose of antidepressant pills at the age of 42.

Drawing on extensive research and unique interviews with Dorothy Dandridge's friends and associates, her directors and confidantes, film historian Donald Bogle captures the real-life drama of Dandridge's turbulent life; but he does so much more.This biography documents the story of a troubled but strong family of women and vividly recreates Dandridge's relationships with an array of personalities such as Otto Preminger, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, Peter Lawford, Ava Gardner, and many more. Always at the center though is Dorothy Dandridge, magnetic and compelling.

Donald Bogle -- better than anyone else -- goes beyond the surface of one woman's seemingly charmed life to reveal the many textured layers of her strength and vulnerability, her joy and her pain, her trials and her triumphs.

Customer Reviews (26)

No, Dorothy, this isn't Kansas anymore
An enlightened bio of a regretably glossed-over star.This book is, however, about more than just Dorothy---it reveals much about the history of Hollywood in general, and black entertainers in particular.Read it definitely for the story of this beautiful, talented woman, but read it also for TinselTown info you won't find thus condensed anywhere else.

Dorthy Dandridge - human, superstar, human
I checked this book out from the library for Black History Month.I felled in love with the story that I chose to buy it in order to finish reading her life's story.I was able to relate to her life on many levels.She was an oscar nominated woman, she was a great performer/singer, as well as known for her acting skills.She, too, experience the same concerns that many of us face today.She was insecure about her talent at times & suffered great anxieties.She found it difficult to find love which offered her security that many women today experience.She was a pioneer & champion for african americans rights.I have told many that I was impressed with the fact that she was a superstar dealing with real issues that many of us assume that only happens to the little folks.I love Dorthy Dandridge & I will treasure this book always.

Much Better Than The Movie
Even though I liked the Telefilm, and thought Halle Berry was the obvious choice to play Miss Dandridge (both were born in Cleveland), I was somewhat disappointed with it, after having read this book first. Dorothy's many trials and heartaches were only lightly touched upon in the film version. This book reads like a well written novel, starting from her early years as a child performer. The physical, verbal, and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's lesbian lover. The failed marriages, and financial ruin. And most heartbreaking of all, the birth of her extremely mentally challenged daughter. But there are the triumphs also. Like making the cover of Life magazine, and receiving a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for the 1954 film "Carmen Jones." A first for an African-American actress. Unfortunately, the making of this film marked the beginning of an affair with the director Otto Preminger, that would end on a very sour note. Something she apparently never fully recovered from. Even being verbally abused by the same director during the making of "Porgy and Bess."

Another great aspect of this book, is the social background of Black Los Angeles and Hollywood during the '30s, '40s and '50s. And who could ever imagine, Dorothy riding the streets of L.A. with her good friend Louis Armstrong, and him puffing on a marijuana joint? A must read for those interested in the history of Black Hollywood and Tinseltown in general.

I now know everything about her....
I wanted to read about Dorothy's life so this book was a perfect. It has all the details about Dorothy's childhood, her lesbian mother, her failed marriages and romances, her depression, her fantasies, her romantic feelings with Harry Belafonte (hmmm...I knew there was something special between the two....who could blame here???), racism, and abuse. I really feel like I could so relate to her feelings about life. I'm not quite happy myself. Her personality is very much like mine and she's not too different from Marilyn Monroe. It really pisses me off that she had to dealt with racism and movies that were never produced with her in it. I think it was really stupid that they never allow two couples from different race to kiss on the screen. It's just really sad...a really sad period for Dorothy to put up with. It really a shame how her mother Ruby never truly cared about her and let that pschyo Aunt Ma-Ma into her life. What an unfit mother!!! Anyway, I would definately recommend this book to others who are interested in Dorothy's life.

My apologies in advance
I really wanted to like this book, because I've been a Dorothy Dandridge fan long before the HBO movie and am impressed by Donald Bogle's efforts to keep Black Hollywood history alive. However, like a few other reviewers mentioned, I found the pace of this book incredibly slow. This, in part, is actually due to the constant quotes of Dottie's friends- and the anecdotal examples from Bogle which precede or follow them- which quickly become repetitive. In other words, the book is too detailed (yes, it is possible for a biography to contain too much information, especially when an intended point has already been made). The prose, as well, is flat and dull. Dorothy Dandridge was a vivid, glamorous, electric, hot-blooded performer and deserved that type of stylized language to capture her and the slick era she lived in, but the book's words and structuring is very plain and uninspiring. And since her life was immensely bleak, filled with disappointments, humiliations, injustices, and defeats, all of these elements combine to make reading this biography quite painful.

I also felt cheated because of the lack of photographs. Dandridge was one of the most beautiful women of all time yet there are only two really breathtaking portraits of her here, the cover included. I've seen some fabulous ones of her over the years but why they weren't included in this bio- even reduced in size- is beyond me (two full-page pictures of her mom, though-?!). The rest of the Dottie pics are everyday candid shots, many unremarkable (a few- pics with her different men, her last singing performance- are good, though).

I got as far as when Carmen Jones was in the works (about the middle) and just skipped over the Preminger affair, her Oscar nomination, and her second marriage so I could read about the last days of her life, which is surprisingly written with conciseness and left me wanting to know much more. Maybe I'll read the middle someday when I have the patience and will for it. You'd just think that a book about her life would just jump off the pages- a drop-dead-gorgeous entertainer, possible manic depressive, a tragically [disabled] child, marriage to Nicholas brother, an affair with Peter Lawford, Otto Preminger, raised by a lesbian couple, Black superstar in segregated Hollywood, possible suicide... Whoa! Hopefully a book will one day come along that'll do justice to a goddess who should never, ever be forgotten or overlooked. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

a confused man
i read this book and being a relative of dotty's i found this bookto be a fairy tale of the authors own imagination, he wrote about things in this book that he couldn't have possibly known, like about her wedding night and her alleged rape, was he under the bed how, did he know that she had bruises smarting? and all these carefree stories of dotty playing and riding bikes, this woman worked since she was three she didn't have time to be a kid and ride bikes, and futhermore dotty was a professional, she would not have gotten involved with this man whom she viewed to be just a little to solicitous, and struck her as wimpy, this book is no better than her ghost written memoir which she wrote when she was depressed and made up a lot of things that didn't happen and the co author also added things that weren't true either i am tired of dotty being exploited, the best bio is by donald bogle but he falls short too because he is obviously toomuch in love with his subject to be objective

Dorothy Dandridge
The Book Dorothy Dandridge Gives an in dept understanding of Dorothy Dandridge's life as an actor an singer the book also explains all of the troubles that Dorothy has faced and overcame such as racism and jealousy and still she has managed to become the first African American to be nominated foe an academy award.
One thing that I liked about this book is that how it shows the determination that Dorothy Dandridge has had throughout her life it shows the ups and downs that she has faced and how she strives to reach Stardom.
In conclusion I would recommend this book to people who seeks guidance in their life and likes to use other peoples life stories to inspire them to better themselves.

Memories from a friend
Putting the best light on his friend, Mills presents a good recitation of facts that really begins when Dandridge was first "discovered". More information comes from the additional material by Halle Berry and others at the end of the book.

Mills has a bias toward the actress that is probably love. He presents primarily good and inspirational items about Dandridge and leaves out the other. I would have prefered a more objective read, but this is one perspective. There are not too many books about this lady, so a really objective one would be good.

The book reads quickly, holds your interest, (although it didn't "grip" it) and the pictures are an added bonus.

I recommend it for anyone looking at this actress, the African American experience in film or for a light read.

A Satisfying Biography
Dorothy Dandrige's friends hated this book and I can't understand why. Earl Mills, knew her as well, if not better, than anyone else and his book does a fine job in telling the reader why DD was so tragic. The humiliations, the anger, the stupidity that she had to put up with from Hollywood and America are all spelled out without going into hundreds of pages. The story of DD's ghastly marriages and her retarded daughter were quite moving. This book is respectful of DDs memory and is clearly written by a man who loved her and was able to see the real woman behind the star. Frankly, I enjoyed this far more than I did the huge minutiae laden book by Donald Bogle.

Less Is More. . .
Having read Donald Bogle's version, where you get endless details, Earl does a concise, though captivating, story. You get the relevant facts from someone who was a manager, friend, and ultimately, lover.Earl's version captures the essence of Dorothy Dandridge beautifully.You get to know her, see her, (he has some photographs that I've not seen in other books) and get a feel of what she was about. In your minds eye you can visualize her just as Earl does.He depicts her eloquently and gives a good, factual description of her career and all the trials and tribulations that she endured.His story (Dorothy's story) is about many things. Love, rascism, what being a 'colored' woman really meant during her time and he also gives a notable account of how things really haven't changed. Because Dorothy was gorgeous, talented and because she never found the love that she was searching for, even though she had the man who truly loved her right by her side, is what makes this story a tragic one. The side story about her retarded daughter is also extremely heart-wrenching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

bloodless
i do not understand why each book on dandridge is un able to paint a more interesting picture of this fascinating yet tragic woman, her story has it all! so heres hoping a writer comes along and can give this goddess her just due- because frankly this isn't it. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on September 22, 1998. The length of the article is 1155 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography.(Review)
Author: Ed Guerrero
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 1998
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: 23Issue: 4Page: 60(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
fine. 34pg. souvernir program for Otto Preminger's version of the great Gershwin opera. Attractive. Binding is oversz bds. ... Read more