Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (RPKG/DVD)

We can't forget...

Released to dvd in 2000 Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is a film that rarely gets made especially when the subject is an african-american female in the 1950's. Dorothy Dandridge was a beautifully talented actress and singer although never fully taken seriously or given the due that she truely deserved. Dorothy's entire being dripped with glamour, sex appeal and charisma nothing short of bombshell at a time when Hollywood pin-ups were supposed to be white. Frankly the film industry hadnt the slightest idea what to do with her, her nightclub act was polished and deffinately before its time the south was not ready for such a gem as a black performer she wasn't allowed to stay in many of the hotels or even use the pools, in fact one incident highlights this very fact depicting the janitors of a hotel cleaning a pool in which dorothy had swam in. This film truly depicts the Dandridge that is remembered, Dorothy at her highest heights but also gives us a glimpse of her lowest of lows, dealing with racism, sexism and attempting to become an actress that all will know for all time. The fabulous Halle Berry slips on Ms. Dandridges shoes and truly becomes the iconic actress. The dvd features actor bios but that is it, although it would be nice to have much more honoring this beautiful history making actress it is great to just be able to own it. Dorothy Dandridge became the 1st African-American woman to be honored with an Academy award nomination as Best Actress for her knockout performance in 1954's Otto Preminger directed,Carmen Jones although she lost the award to Grace Kelly Carmen Jones is Dandridges most well known and beloved film. Although Ms Dandridge died of an overdose of pills in 1965 her legacy shall not be forgotten and this film shows why it cant be forgotten. Dorothy is truly unsung and hopefully this film will shine a light to her struggles and educate those of this beautiful songbirds potential and the achievements that many have yet to learn.With a stunning supporting cast Loretta Devine,Brent Spiner, Obba Babatunde, and Klaus Maria Brandauer, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is fabulous and lets the true story of a woman many don't know shine through.This is deffinately a film the whole family should see.

Excellent movie, all Dorothy (Halle) wanted was love and Otto broke her heart. The second husband was a wreak and a con man. Earl her manager loved Dorothy [Halle]. He always looked out for Dorothy. But still life was difficult for her although she was successful in one sense, and deservingf of much more in another. Good movie and strong characters. For centuries many people have suffered and still suffering.

"Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," directed by Martha Coolidge, tells the story of the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Halle Berry turns in a powerful, multifaceted performance in the title role. The film moves back and forth in time to explore Dandridge's career as singer and actress, her troubled personal life, the racism she battled, the personal demons that tormented her, and her relationships with significant figures in the entertainment industry.Although a bit soap opera-ish at times, this is a compelling and well-made film. It is full of excellent production values--great sets and costumes really help tell this tale. Musical numbers are skillfully woven into the overall story.But it's the fine performances that really make this biopic special. Berry is superb in the challenging title role. Fiery and vulnerable, Berry creates a full-bodied cinematic portrait of this compelling woman. She gets solid support from a superb supporting cast that includes the versatile Loretta Devine as Dorothy's mother. Klaus Maria Brandauer brings elegance and gravitas to his role as director Otto Preminger. I was especially impressed by Brent Spiner in the pivotal role of Earl Mills, Dorothy's manager; if you only know Spiner from his role as Mr. Data from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," you are in for a revelation in this film.There are some powerful scenes in this film, and it really holds together overall as a unified whole. "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" is a fitting tribute to Dandridge herself, and is a compelling slice of African-American history and Hollywood history.

Ms. Berry was a shoe-in for this role. I learned a lot about Ms. Dandridge's tragic life. Wish things could have turned out differently for this beautiful, talented artist.

The item arrived on time and in good condition. The movie was very entertaining and interesting.

If this movie wasn't made for HBO and was a general release film, Halle Berry would have won her Oscar for Best Actress for this film. Halle channels the amazing Dorothy Dandridge (she even looks like her!) and plays her to perfection. While it's obvious Halle isn't doing her own singing, this one flaw in the movie is easily forgiven.Dorothy Dandridge, with style and grace, broke down color barriers in Las Vegas and Hollywood. She was the first African American woman nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, and performed in clubs and hotels that had formerly only been open to whites. Dorothy's story is a sad one, but the courage demonstrated by one woman made a difference. This is the one role I've seen Halle in that I believe she was born to play!Also of note, Brent Spiner's portrayal of Halle's manager is heart-felt. Brent endows his character with a care for Dorothy that is truly touching, especially when you realize that Dororthy will never return the sentiment.Overall, this is a fantastic film about a time that Hollywood and America can never forget, and a woman who dared to help move us all forward.

I love that it showed the pressure that Dorothy was under all the time to both do an amazing job in her roles and still was required to put up with all the baloney she was required to deal with everyday of her life. It was not just her but still the grace she tried to handle it with until the end was admirable.

If it weren't for this movie, I wouldn't have known who Dorothy Dandridge was!💔 Great, great movie!!! One of my faves. No one does it better than Ms. Halle Berry!

This 1999 made for TV movie [aka Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, aka Face of an Angel, aka Rising Star] is drawn exclusively from the biography of Dorothy Dandridge by Earl Mills. It follows Dorothy Dandridge [Halle Berry] a young aspiring Black actress from her early stage days with her sister, through her rise to stardom [as Carmen Jones 1954] and her final demise in 1965.The disc opens to play and scene selection and is unsurprisingly in TV format [not widescreen]and the first scene shows her collecting a dress at a hotel lobby as the clerk points out `Her lady' must have paid for it, she then goes to her room where she dresses up for a showbiz 'do' as she reflects on her showbiz career. And that's the theme of this movie, the inbuilt systematic racism and is filled with heart-wrenching examples of this in practice.Brent Spiner [as Earl Mills] and Klaus Maria Brandauer [as Otto Preminger] both put in excellent performances and overall this is a well filmed piece with a good period soundtrack and captures the `attitude' of the period well. As for the disc differences -there are none other than `Rising Star' has subtitles [on/off] and is titled as Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. The film does feature two scenes of violence and some occasional bad language which merits the 15 rating.This film is more than a **** and scrapes in with a ***** but the renaming/rebranding of this leaves me wanting to rate it down -but that a marketing fault, not the films. It's quite moving, covering unrequited love, racial intolerance as well as physical and mental abuse, showing the unseen face of Hollywood, so have your tissues ready!

Una brava e bella Halle Berry alle prese con la vita sfortunata e dolorosa di una sua collega, stella di Hollywood per un breve ma intenso periodo.Da vedere !!!!

Achtung/Vorsicht!Die DVD ist nur für die Wiedergabe innerhalb "Region 1", z.B. USA, ausgelegt bzw. codiert. Deutschland ist international als "Region 2" codiert! Mit auf "Region 2" eingestellten Geräten ist die Wiedergabe überhaupt nicht möglich! Das können DVD-Player (auch in PCs) sowie Fernsehgeräte sein. Die Geräte, die die Wiedergabe verweigern, zeígen es unmittelbar nach dem versuchten Start der DVD an. Einzige Möglichkeit die DVD wiederzugeben ist eine Umstellung/Anpassung des verwendeten Gerätes auf "Region 1". Nach dem Abspielen die Rückcodierung auf "Region 2" nicht vergessen. Manche Geräte machen das nicht unbeliebig oft mit und warnen auch davor.Deshalb die Bewertung mit nur 1 Stern für ein Produkt für das ein Verkäufer auch noch ca. EUR 100,- (!) und ein anderer ca. EUR 150,- (!!!) verlangt.....W.Schwarz

Ce téléfilm, produit par HBO et Halle Berry, retrace la vie de Dorothy Dandridge, actrice noire des années 50 nominée aux Oscars en 1955. Si aujourd'hui le sort des acteurs et actrices noirs à Hollywood est plus enviable, "introducing Dorothy Dandridge" nous ramène dans l'Amérique raciste des années 50 et 60, particulièrement dans le cinéma. Halle Berry est tout simplement époustouflante dans ce rôle qui lui va comme un gant !!!Un film à voir !