Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
First screened in March 2020
Director: Martha Coolidge. Cast: Halle Berry, Brett Spiner, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Loretta Devine, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Obba Babatundé, Tamara Taylor, Cynda Williams, William Atherton, D.B. Sweeney, Alexis Carrington (!), Aiysha Sinclair, Sharon Brown, Nicholas Hormann, Billy Mayo, Ken Michelman, Larry Poindexter, Irene Roseen, Raphael Sbarge, Benjamin Brown, André Carthen, Jon Mack, Kerri Randles. Screenplay: Shonda Rhimes and Scott Abbott (based on the biography/memoir Dorothy Dandridge by Earl Mills).

 Twitter Capsule: Key issues of conflict, pace, and POV never get resolved. Still, a memorable, well-produced tribute.

VOR: ③  Early sequences of all-black entertainment feel mostly deeply researched and revelatory. Cuts corners as it goes. Successfully boosted Dandridge's legacy.


Photo © 1999 HBO Films

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: B–

Primetime Emmy Nominations and Winners:
Best Made for TV Movie
Best Director (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): Martha Coolidge
★Best Actress (TV Movie/Miniseries): Halle Berry
Best Supporting Actor (TV Movie/Miniseries): Klaus Maria Brandauer
★Best Cinematography (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): Robbie Greenberg
★Best Art Direction (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): James. H. Spencer, A. Leslie Thomas, and Robert Greenfield
★Best Costume Design (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): Shelley Komarov and Lucinda Campbell
Best Single-Camera Picture Editing (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): Alan Heim
Best Sound Editing (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): David Hankins, et al.
★Best Hairstyling (TV Movie/Miniseries/Special): Hazel Catmull, Kathrine Gordon, Katherine Rees, Jennifer Bell, and Virginia Kearns
Best Choreography: Kim Blank

Golden Globe Nominations and Winners:
Best TV Movie/Miniseries
★Best Actress (TV Movie/Miniseries): Halle Berry
Best Supporting Actor (TV): Klaus Maria Brandauer

Other Awards:
★Best Actress (TV Movie/Miniseries): Halle Berry
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