
She ended the affair when she realized that Preminger had no plans to leave his wife to marry her. Their affair was depicted in the HBO Films biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, in which Preminger was portrayed by Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer. Dandridge married Jack Denison on June 22, 1959.
What happened to Otto Preminger and Dandridge?
The 1955 forced abortion of Otto Preminger’s child ended the relationship between Preminger and Dandridge. After the abortion, Dandridge realized that Preminger had no plans to leave his current wife and children, and she wanted a more stable, long-term relationship.
Was Dorothy Dandridge ever married?
She is the subject of the 1999 HBO biographical film, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. She has been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dandridge was married and divorced twice, first to dancer Harold Nicholas (the father of her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne) and then to hotel owner Jack Denison.
Did George Preminger have an affair with Dorothy Dandridge?
While filming Carmen Jones (1954), Preminger began an affair with the film's star, Dorothy Dandridge, which lasted four years. During that period he advised her on career matters, including an offer made to Dandridge for the featured role of Tuptim in The King and I (1956).
How many years did Otto Preminger have an affair?
Otto Premingerhad an 4 years affair with Dorothy Dandridgewhen Otto Premingeris now deceased. Otto Preminger Entertainment - Director Why Famous: for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura (1944)
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What happened between Otto Preminger and Dorothy Dandridge?
While filming Carmen Jones (1954), she began an affair with director Otto Preminger that lasted four years, during which Preminger advised her on career matters. He demanded that she accept only starring roles after her success in his film. Dandridge later regretted following his advice.
Who did Dorothy Dandridge marry?
Jack Denisonm. 1959–1962Harold Nicholasm. 1942–1951Dorothy Dandridge/Spouse
Did Earl Mills find Dorothy Dandridge?
' " The following afternoon, Earl Mills found Dorothy Dandridge's body. He says he had to force his way into her apartment with a crowbar, and that when he found her she had showered already, and put her makeup on.
Did Dorothy Dandridge have a child?
Harolyn Suzanne NicholasDorothy Dandridge / Children
How old was Marilyn Monroe when she died?
36 years (1926–1962)Marilyn Monroe / Age at deathOn August 5, 1962, Monroe was found dead from an overdose of barbiturates in her home in Brentwood, California. She was 36 years old.
Who was the first black woman to star in a Hollywood movie?
Nina Mae McKinney: Hollywood's First Black Movie Star opens with the premiere of a 35mm restoration print of King Vidor's all-Black musical Hallelujah!, her feature debut from 1929, in which she starred as a wisecracking Jazz Age flapper who gets caught in a deadly love triangle.
What does Halle Berry have in common with Dorothy Dandridge?
The two actresses seemed to have a lot in common. Berry was 32 when the HBO film was in production, the same age Dandridge was when she earned her Oscar nomination. They were both born in Cleveland and grew up with absent fathers.
What pills did Dorothy Dandridge take?
Getty Images/staff Best known for her starring role in the 1955 hit "Carmen Jones," heart-stoppingly beautiful African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge died in September 1965 at age 42 due to an overdose of the antidepressant Imipramine, according to a profile in the Washington Post.
Did Dorothy Dandridge daughter ever talk?
Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas' Mental Disabiility As Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas grew up, Dorothy Dandridge began to wonder if something was wrong with her daughter. When Nicholas was two years old, Dandridge told The Mike Douglas Show, “She couldn't speak although other children her age were speaking.”
Who was the first black movie star?
In 1903, Uncle Tom's Cabin, starred the first black actor to ever appear on screen. During that era African American roles were very limited to playing the Tom, coon, buck, mammie, or mulatto. After that came the great producer Bill Foster.
Did Halle Berry sing in Dorothy Dandridge?
Halle Berry reintroduces Dorothy Dandridge Initially, says Williams, she was supposed to serve only as Berry's vocal coach. The actress intended to do all her own singing in the film. But as shooting loomed, she ran out of time and ceded singing duties to Williams.
How old was harolyn Suzanne Nicholas when she died?
60 years (1943–2003)Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas / Age at death
Who did Dorothy Dandridge love?
Harold NicholasIn 1941 alone, she appeared in four films, including Lady from Louisiana and Sun Valley Serenade. While working in New York, Dandridge met and struck up a relationship with Harold Nicholas, who was a tap dancer in the Nicholas Brothers group alongside his older brother, Fayard. The two were wed on September 6, 1942.
Is harolyn Suzanne Nicholas still alive?
2003Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas / Died
What was Otto Preminger's first ambition?
Find sources: "Otto Preminger" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2017) Preminger's first theatrical ambition was to become an actor. In his early teens, he was able to recite from memory many of the great monologues from the international classic repertory, and, never shy, he demanded an audience.
Who was Otto Preminger's mentor?
In 1923, when Preminger was 17, his soon-to-be mentor, Max Reinhardt, the renowned Viennese-born director, announced plans to establish a theatrical company in Vienna.
Why did Preminger scream at Linda Darnell?
During rehearsals for the Herman Wouk play "A Modern Primitive", Preminger screamed so violently at an actor who struggled to remember his lines that the man allegedly suffered a nervous breakdown, and one witness later commented, "I had never seen such terrifying rage in anyone," describing the director as having "veins standing out on his forehead" and "literally foaming at the mouth".
How did Preminger die?
Preminger died in his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1986, aged 80, from lung cancer while suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was survived by three children; his son, Erik, and twins Mark William and Victoria Elizabeth, from his marriage to Hope Bryce.
What was Preminger's job after a year in Graz?
After a year in Graz, Preminger claims he was summoned to Vienna and offered an eminent position (roughly equivalent to that of the United States Attorney General ), but was told that the position would be his only if he converted to Catholicism, which he refused to do.
Where was Preminger born?
Preminger was born in 1905 in Wischnitz, Bukovina, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Vyzhnytsia, Ukraine ), into a Jewish family. His parents were Josefa (née Fraenkel) and Markus Preminger. The couple provided a stable home life for Preminger and his younger brother Ingwald, known as "Ingo", later the producer of the original film version ...
What was Preminger's most successful performance in the National Library rotunda?
Preminger's most successful performance in the National Library rotunda was Mark Antony 's funeral oration from Julius Caesar. As he read, watched, and after a fashion began to produce plays, he began to miss more and more classes in school. When the war came to an end, Markus formed his own law practice.
When did Dorothy Dandridge die?
Only hours after phone calls to friends in which she stated, ominously, “Whatever happens, I know you will understand,” Dorothy Dandridge was found dead in her apartment at age 42. Her date of death was September 8th, 1965. Dandridge was supposed to fly out to New York later that night for some club appearances.
What happened to Otto Preminger's child?
The 1955 forced abortion of Otto Preminger’s child ended the relationship between Preminger and Dandridge. After the abortion, Dandridge realized that Preminger had no plans to leave his current wife and children, and she wanted a more stable, long-term relationship. The stress of the abortion and the terrible career advice were the nails in the coffin of their doomed affair.
How much did Dandridge owe the IRS?
Thanks to the duplicitous and fraudulent management of her financial managers, Dandridge ended up owing back taxes of over $139,000 to the IRS. In a tale that has become all too common for Black actors and entertainers, in particular, the IRS did not take kindly to Dandridge’s late payment.
What happened to Dandridge?
A bitter divorce and the gross ineptitude and theft of her financial managers left Dandridge in dire financial ruin. She was forced to sell her Hollywood home and put her daughter into a public-run mental asylum. She went from being an Academy Award-nominated actress to having to rent a tiny, dingy apartment.
Did Dandridge stay in one place?
With her continuing financial woes, worsened by her acrimonious divorce from second husband Jack Denison, Dandridge rarely stayed in any one place for long . Friends reported that she was always moving in and out of apartments. She would often become convinced that landlords or neighbors were stealing from her, prompting yet another move.
How old was Dorothy Dandridge when she died?
The exact circumstances of Dorothy Dandridge’s death at age 42 remain a Hollywood mystery. The actress called up friends on September 8, 1965 to prepare for her flight to New York for nightclub appearances.
What are some interesting facts about Dorothy Dandridge?
Tragic Facts About Dorothy Dandridge, Hollywood’s Fallen Star. “America was not geared to make me into a Liz Taylor, a Monroe, a Gardner.” —Dorothy Dandridge. Sad Hollywood stories are a dime a dozen, but the tragedy of Do rothy Dandridge feels unique. As one of the first black superstars of the screen and stage, ...
What was the first movie that Dandridge played?
Talent Has Standards. Dandridge embodied a killer for her very first major film role in the drama Four Shall Die from 1940. She would make a point of avoiding such violent and dastardly characters in the future.
What is Dorothy Dandridge's stage name?
While still with the Dandridge sisters, Dorothy often went by the stage name of “Dot.”
Why was Tamango banned in America?
Dandridge’s foray into Italian film was banned in America for some time. Why? Racism. Tamango is controversial for depicting Dandridge’s first (and only) on-screen kiss with a white male actor.
Where was Dorothy Dandridge born?
At least on her mother’s side, Dandridge came from a showbiz, performer family. Dandridge was born on November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother was the singer Ruby Dandridge, who trained the young Dorothy and her sister Vivian to perform as “The Wonder Children.”. Shutterstock.
When did Dandridge and Nicholas get married?
Dandridge temporarily retired from acting to settle into married life with Harold Nicholas in 1942. Nicholas returned his wife’s commitment by pursuing other women.
When was Dorothy Dandridge nominated for a Golden Globe Award?
In 1959 , Dandridge was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Porgy and Bess. She is the subject of the 1999 HBO biographical film, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. She has been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
What high school did Dorothy Dandridge attend?
After that relocation, in 1930, Dorothy attended McKinley Junior High School . The Wonder Children were renamed The Dandridge Sisters in 1934, and Dandridge and her sister were teamed with dance schoolmate Etta Jones.
What was the first show that the Dandridge sisters were in?
Dandridge's first on-screen appearance was a small part in an Our Gang comedy short, Teacher's Beau in 1935. As a part of The Dandridge Sisters, she also appeared in The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1936) with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, A Day at the Races with the Marx Brothers, and It Can't Last Forever (both 1937) with the Jackson Brothers. Although these appearances were relatively minor, Dandridge continued to earn recognition through continuing her nightclub performances nationwide.
What was the name of the movie that starred a woman with an Italian name?
In 1959, Dandridge starred in a low-budget British thriller, Malaga, in which she played a European woman with an Italian name. The film, co-starring Trevor Howard and Edmund Purdom, plotted a jewel robbery and its aftermath. Some pre-release publicity invited the belief that Dandridge received her first, and only, on-screen kiss with a white actor (Howard) in this film. This was not so since she kissed her white costar in Tamango, but Dandridge and Howard, under László Benedek 's direction, created some strongly understated sexual tension. The film was withheld from a theatrical release abroad until 1960, but went unreleased in the United States until 1962. Malaga was her final completed film appearance.
What was Melmendi's name in Tarzan's Peril?
In 1951, Dandridge appeared as Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba in Tarzan's Peril, starring Lex Barker and Virginia Huston. When the Motion Picture Production Code tut-tutted about the film's "blunt sexuality", Dandridge received considerable attention for wearing what was considered "provocatively revealing" clothing. The continuing publicity buzz surrounding Dandridge's wardrobe got her pictured on the April 1951 cover of Ebony. That same year, she had a supporting role in The Harlem Globetrotters (1951).
When did Dandridge return to the Mocambo?
In a return engagement at the Mocambo in December 1952, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio agent saw Dandridge and recommended to production chief Dore Schary that she might make an appearance as a club singer, in her own name, in Remains to Be Seen, already in production.
Where did Dorothy Dandridge live during the Great Depression?
During the Great Depression, work virtually dried up for the Dandridges, as it did for many Chitlin' Circuit performers. Ruby moved to Hollywood, California, where she found steady work on radio and film in small domestic-servant parts. After that relocation, in 1930, Dorothy attended McKinley Junior High School.
How old was Dorothy Dandridge in 1965?
The year was 1965. Dorothy Dandridge was 42 years old. She had $2.14 in her bank account. In the end, Hollywood forced her to embody one of the stereotypes she so loathed: the tragic mulatta, a woman accepted in some ways by both the black and white communities but rejected in other, crucial, heartbreaking ways.
Who was Dorothy Dandridge's mother?
Both girls showed some sort of aptitude for performance — or maybe that aptitude was drilled into them — and one of Ruby’s friends, a woman named Geneva , moved in to help refine their singing and dancing skills. Years later, Dorothy and Vivian would figure out that Geneva was much more than her mother’s friend, but at the moment, she simply made them practice until they collapsed. Think wrist slaps and tears.
Why did Dorothy and the Dandridge sisters split up?
At some point during this period, the Dandridge Sisters split up Destiny’s Child-style so that Dorothy can concentrate on her own career. But to truly pull away from Ruby and Geneva, Dorothy had to do something even more drastic: get married.
How much did Dandridge ask for?
Suddenly, everything was awesome. Dandridge could ask $100,000 a picture, draped herself in white beaver (weird?), bought a huge Hollywood mansion, and drove around town in a huge white Thunderbird. She accompanied Preminger to Cannes and waited for the offers to pour in.
What happened to Dandridge in Michael Jackson?
She declares bankruptcy and takes piecemeal, embarrassing gigs to pay the bills. After a few years of terribleness, she ditches the juicebox, puts her life back together, and decides to make a second go — booking international club appearances and beginning rehearsals. But it was all very Michael Jackson preparing for the “This Is It” tour. She injured her foot while practicing, re-lost the momentum, and fatally overdosed — accidentally or purposefully — on her anti-depressant.
Why does Dandridge get pregnant?
Dandridge becomes pregnant in hopes of roping Harold back home, but we don’t need an Ask a Dude column to know how that strategy would turn out. A daughter, Lynn, is born in 1943. But as Lynn grows, Dandridge realizes that something isn’t right. Lynn isn’t speaking; she isn’t responding.
What was Dorothy Dandridge's role in the Depression?
Dorothy Dandridge was a fighter. Growing up in The Depression and making her way through Hollywood in the ’40s, she encountered resistance — to her skin color, to her refusal to play demeaning roles — at every turn. She was assailed in the press for dating white men, and blamed herself for her husband’s philandering and her daughter’s brain damage. Nearly every societal convention was against her. And yet she managed to make a handful of gorgeous, invigorating films — films that offer a glimpse at the superstar she would have become if the studios knew what to do with with a beautiful black woman.

Overview
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro-Hungarian-born theatre and film director, film producer, and actor.
He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gained attention for film noir mysteries such as Laura (1944) and Fallen Angel (1945), while in the 1950s and 1960s, he directed high-profile ada…
Early life
Preminger was born in 1905 in Wischnitz, Bukovina, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Vyzhnytsia, Ukraine), into a Jewish family. His parents were Josefa (née Fraenkel) and Markus Preminger. The couple provided a stable home life for Preminger and his younger brother Ingwald, known as "Ingo", later the producer of the original film version of M*A*S*H (1970).
After the assassination in 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the Great War, Russia …
Career
Preminger's first theatrical ambition was to become an actor. In his early teens, he was able to recite from memory many of the great monologues from the international classic repertory, and, never shy, he demanded an audience. Preminger's most successful performance in the National Library rotunda was Mark Antony's funeral oration from Julius Caesar. As he read, watched, and aft…
Personal life
Preminger and his wife Marion became increasingly estranged. He lived like a bachelor, as was the case when he met the burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and began an open relationship with her.
Lee had already attempted to break into movie roles, but she was not taken seriously as anything more than a stripper. She appeared in B pictures in less-than-minor roles. Preminger's liaison wit…
Death
Preminger died in his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1986, aged 80, from lung cancer while suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was survived by three children; his son, Erik, and twins Mark William and Victoria Elizabeth, from his marriage to Hope Bryce. Preminger was cremated and his ashes are in a niche in the Azalea Room of the Velma B. Woolworth Memorial Chapel at Woo…
Awards
Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. As the producer of the film, he received the nomination. He was twice nominated for Best Director: for Laura and for The Cardinal. He won the Bronze Berlin Bear award for the film Carmen Jones at the 5th Berlin International Film Festival.
Further reading
Journals
• Denby, David (14 January 2008). "Balance Of Terror: How Otto Preminger made his movies". The New Yorker. New York, NY: Condé Nast Publications. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
• Rich, Nathaniel (6 November 2008). "The Deceptive Director". The New York Review of Books. New York, NY. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
External links
• Otto Preminger at IMDb
• Otto Preminger at the Internet Broadway Database
• Cinema Retro: Keir Dullea Recalls Starring in Preminger's Bunny Lake is Missing
• Literature on Otto Preminger, virtual-history.com; accessed 1 February 2017