Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty is a biographical documentary film directed by Ruth Adkins Robinson that centers on the African American singer and actress Dorothy Dandridge as she set out to become a pioneer who kicked in the barriers of Hollywood to become an icon in film. Utilizing interviews not only with the very people who new the beauty, including former sister-in-law and dancer Fayard Nicholas, friend Joe Adams, and co-star Brock Peters, as well as the actors today inspired by her, such as Halle Berry and Laurence Fishburne, discover the journey of a young girl rising from a sister act to stardom. Trained to sing and dance, Dorothy originally joined her mother and sister on the road before becoming a successful nightclub act and ultimately a successful actress, who was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Hosted by Odda Babtunde, Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty is a well-edited portrayal of a beautiful and magnetic woman whose smile hid an often-tragic personal life.moreless
