A ZOOT SUIT WITH A REET PLEAT

RARE OLDIES SOUNDIES WITH MISS DOROTHY DANDRIDGE Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. Dandridge was the first black actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. After many bit parts and a few minor roles, Dandridge landed her first notable film role in Tarzan s Peril (starring Lex Barker) in 1951. She won her first starring role in 1953, playing a teacher in Bright Road, a lowbudget film with a nearly allblack cast, released by MetroGoldwynMayer. In 1954 she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Carmen Jones. In 1959 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Porgy and Bess. In 1999 she was the subject of the HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry as Dandridge. Sh