Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty (2003) - full transcript
A biography of pioneering black American singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge, featuring clips from her films and interviews with friends and co-workers.
(MultiCom Jingle)
(orchestral music)
- [Narrator] Dorothy
Dandridge and her music
are inextricably linked.
She sang and danced for
her supper her whole life.
In her teens, she often appeared
in the 1940s phenomenon
called soundies.
Here is Dorothy dancing
as the world-famous
Mills Brothers
long for a paper doll
to call their own.
* I'm gonna buy a paper doll
* That I can call my own
* A doll that other
fellows cannot steal
* And then the
flirty, flirty guys
* With their flirty, flirty eyes
* Will have to
flirt with dollies
* That are real
* When I come home at night
* She will be waiting
* She'll be the truest
doll in all this world
* I'd rather have a
paper doll to call my own
* Than have a fickle-minded
real live girl
* I guess you've played
the doll game o'er and o'er
* I guess you've had a
million dolls or more
* You just quarreled with Sue
* That's why you're blue
* She's gone away and left you
* Just like all dolls do
* I guess you know
it's tough to be alone
* And it's tough to love
a doll that's not your own
* I'm through with all of them
* I'll never fall again
* Say boy
* Whatcha gonna do
* I'm going to buy a paper doll
* That I can call my own
* A doll that other
fellows cannot steal
* And then the
flirty, flirty guys
* With their flirty, flirty eyes
* Will have to flirt with
dollies that are real
* When I come home at
night she will be waiting
* She'll be the truest
doll in all this world
* I'd rather have a
paper doll to call my own
* Than have a fickle-minded
real live girl
(piano music)
- [Narrator] Filmed
for reverse projection
through mirrors and
nickelodeon-style jukeboxes,
the soundies all had their
titles projected backward.,
Sam Coslow was the
executive producer
of most of the soundies,
including this one
with Hoagy Carmichael.
Here's a look at a
very young Dorothy
acting out the
lyrics to Lazybones.
* Mm hmm
* Be my holidays
* Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun
* How you 'spect to get
your day's work done
* Ah you never your
day's work done
* Sleepin' in the noon-day sun
* Lazybones
* Sleepin' in the shade
* Now tell me
* How you 'spect to
get your cornmeal made
* You never get
your cornmeal made
* Sleepin' in the evening shade
* Now when you
taters needs sprayin'
* I bet you keep prayin'
* That the bugs
fall off of the vine
* And when you go fishin'
* I bet you keep wishin'
* That the fish won't
grab at your line
* You're such a lazybones
* Sleepin' all the day
* Tell me
* How you 'spect to
make a dime that way
* You'll never make
a dime that way
* Well looky here
* He never heard a word I said
* Lazybones
* Sleepin' all the day
* How you 'spect to
make a dime that way
* Oh you'll never
make a dime that way
* Well looky here
* He never heard a word I said
* Sleepin' all the day
* You a good-for-nothin'
lazybones
- [Narrator] Listen
closely to the lyrics
of Swing for My Supper.
Dorothy sings that her parents
made her rock and roll
and put it on red hot.
Years later, in the rock era,
many DJs and promoters
would claim ownership
of that phrase, rock and roll.
* Mommy and my poppy are
the cutest things to me
* If it hadn't
been for Mom and Pa
* I don't know where I'd be
* Every night I thank my stars
* That I was born that year
* I know that
you'll agree with me
* When I tell what they did
* They made me
swing for my supper
* When I was a tot
* They made me rock and roll
* And put it on red hot
* Each night at the table
* Here's what Papa said
* Kid if you wallop me hi-dee-hi
* Sling me a slice of bread
* Treatin' 'em
right my mama said
* Won't help to make you click
* So they taught me, brought
me up on good ole 'rithmetic
* Yeah
* Right now I'm flyin' high
* I'm gonna reach my goal
* Swingin' for my supper
* They put rhythm in my soul
* I was givin' the hi-dee-hi
* When I first made a sound
* Soon as I could walk
* They made me kick
the darn around
* Yeah
* Someday another name
is added to our own
* Let's swing him for our supper
* Let the rhythm in his soul
- [Narrator] Ella May Morris,
a white singer who often
hit the black charts,*#
was the first to make
Cow Cow Boogie famous.
The song, complete with
slightly risque lyrics,
was also performed in
Harlem Rides the Range,
starring Herb Jeffries.
* Out on the plains
down near Santa Fe
* I met a cowboy ridin'
the range one day
* And as he jogged along
* I heard him singin'
* The most peculiar cowboy song
* It was a ditty
* He learned in the city
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
* Get along
* Get hip little
doggies, get along
* You'd better be on your way
* Get along
* Get hip little doggies
* And he trucked it on down
* The old fairway
* Singin' his Cow Cow Boogie
* In the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
* Singin' his cowboy songs
* He's just too much
* He's got a knocked-out
Western accent
* With a Harlem touch
* He was raised
* On loco weed
* He's what you call
* A swing half-breed
* Singin' his Cow Cow Boogie
* In the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
(gunshots booming)
- Yippie!
Solid, man, solid.
* singin' his cowboy song
* He's just too much
* He's got a knocked-out
Western accent
* With a Harlem touch
* He was raised on loco weed
* He's what you call
a swing half-breed
* Singin' his Cow Cow
Boogie in the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
- [Narrator] In the 50s,
writer-arranger Phil Moore
created the musical images
of film stars Ava Gardner,
Marilyn Monroe,
and Dorothy Dandridge.
He'd worked at MGM and
took Dorothy under his wing
to develop her style.
Here with the signature
song they created together
is Hello Dorothy,
Blow Out the Candles.
* Flickering candles
* Silhouetted on
* And all was here
* Our voices were low
* His arms
* Crept 'round me
* His soft lips
* Found me
* Then I was quick, dear
* You've got to go
* Oh
* Darlin' dear
* It's getting late
* The clock has just struck one
* I'll give you
another kiss or two
* If you'll promise
then you'll run
* But first
* Blow out the candles
* Blow out the candles
* Blow out the candles so
the neighbors won't see
* Won't you
* Blow out the candles
* So there will be no scandal
* And no one will know
* You've been kissin' me
* Darlin' dear
* Time goes so fast
* I know it's after two
* Gee, anyone can see
you're a man with a past
* My doesn't it
look so cute on you
* Won't you blow out the candles
* Blow out the candle
* Blow out the candles
* So the neighbors won't see
* Won't you blow out the candles
* So there will be no scandal
* And no one will know
* You've been kissin' me
* Darling I feel so helpless
* My resistance is gone, I fear
* But before we snuff
the last candles
* Tell me once more
you love me, dear
* Oh
* Blew out the candles
* Blew out the candles
* We blew out the candles
* So the neighbors couldn't see
* Yes we blew out the candles
* To avoid a scandal
* Then all at once
* Did we realize
* That the dawn comes up
* Like thunder
* And the sun shone
* Yes, the sun shone
* Yes, the sun shone
* Right in our eyes
(audience applauding)
* And now the
- [Narrator] The
next two performances
are from the televised
tribute to Cole Porter.
- And then I'll turn you over
to a very delightful
young singer.
She's gonna open with one
of Cole's earliest hits.
This is a song which I
believe was in a show called
50 Million Frenchmen.
It's called You Do
Something to Me.
The singer is Miss
Dorothy Dandridge.
She's fine.
(orchestral music)
* You do something to me
* Something that
simply mystifies me
* Tell me, why should it be
* You've got the
power to hypnotize me
* Let me live 'neath your spell
* You do do that voodoo
* That you do so well
* You do something to me
* That nobody else can do
* You do somethin'
* Somethin' to me
* Somethin' that
simply mystifies me
* Tell me, tell me,
why should it be
* You've got the power
* To hypnotize me
* Let me live 'neath your spell
* Do do that voodoo
that you do so well
* Oh you do
* Somethin' to me
* That nobody else
* Can do
(audience applauding)
(jazz music)
* Tha tha tha tha-tha
* Tha tha tha
* I used to fall
* In love with all
* Those boys who
call on young cuties
* But now I find
* I'm more inclined
* To keep my mind on my duties
* Since I began to share
* In such a sweet love affair
* Though I'm in
love, I'm not above
* A date with a duke or a caddie
* But that's a pose,
'cause my baby knows
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* When some good scout
* Invites me out
* To dine om some
fine Finnan haddie
* My baby's sure
* His love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes I'm gonna marry Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
belongs to my heart
* My heart belongs to Daddy
* My baby's sure
his love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes I'm gonna marry Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
belongs to my heart
* But that's the pose
that my baby knows
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* My baby's sure
his love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
* Belongs to my heart
(audience applauding)
- [Narrator] These
musical performances
reveal a special insight
into the enormity
of her acting, singing
and dancing talents.
It offers just a glimpse
into her heart and soul.
It helps us better understand
how Dorothy Dandridge
became film-land's
first black female superstar.
(orchestral music)
(MultiCom Jingle)
(orchestral music)
- [Narrator] Dorothy
Dandridge and her music
are inextricably linked.
She sang and danced for
her supper her whole life.
In her teens, she often appeared
in the 1940s phenomenon
called soundies.
Here is Dorothy dancing
as the world-famous
Mills Brothers
long for a paper doll
to call their own.
* I'm gonna buy a paper doll
* That I can call my own
* A doll that other
fellows cannot steal
* And then the
flirty, flirty guys
* With their flirty, flirty eyes
* Will have to
flirt with dollies
* That are real
* When I come home at night
* She will be waiting
* She'll be the truest
doll in all this world
* I'd rather have a
paper doll to call my own
* Than have a fickle-minded
real live girl
* I guess you've played
the doll game o'er and o'er
* I guess you've had a
million dolls or more
* You just quarreled with Sue
* That's why you're blue
* She's gone away and left you
* Just like all dolls do
* I guess you know
it's tough to be alone
* And it's tough to love
a doll that's not your own
* I'm through with all of them
* I'll never fall again
* Say boy
* Whatcha gonna do
* I'm going to buy a paper doll
* That I can call my own
* A doll that other
fellows cannot steal
* And then the
flirty, flirty guys
* With their flirty, flirty eyes
* Will have to flirt with
dollies that are real
* When I come home at
night she will be waiting
* She'll be the truest
doll in all this world
* I'd rather have a
paper doll to call my own
* Than have a fickle-minded
real live girl
(piano music)
- [Narrator] Filmed
for reverse projection
through mirrors and
nickelodeon-style jukeboxes,
the soundies all had their
titles projected backward.,
Sam Coslow was the
executive producer
of most of the soundies,
including this one
with Hoagy Carmichael.
Here's a look at a
very young Dorothy
acting out the
lyrics to Lazybones.
* Mm hmm
* Be my holidays
* Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun
* How you 'spect to get
your day's work done
* Ah you never your
day's work done
* Sleepin' in the noon-day sun
* Lazybones
* Sleepin' in the shade
* Now tell me
* How you 'spect to
get your cornmeal made
* You never get
your cornmeal made
* Sleepin' in the evening shade
* Now when you
taters needs sprayin'
* I bet you keep prayin'
* That the bugs
fall off of the vine
* And when you go fishin'
* I bet you keep wishin'
* That the fish won't
grab at your line
* You're such a lazybones
* Sleepin' all the day
* Tell me
* How you 'spect to
make a dime that way
* You'll never make
a dime that way
* Well looky here
* He never heard a word I said
* Lazybones
* Sleepin' all the day
* How you 'spect to
make a dime that way
* Oh you'll never
make a dime that way
* Well looky here
* He never heard a word I said
* Sleepin' all the day
* You a good-for-nothin'
lazybones
- [Narrator] Listen
closely to the lyrics
of Swing for My Supper.
Dorothy sings that her parents
made her rock and roll
and put it on red hot.
Years later, in the rock era,
many DJs and promoters
would claim ownership
of that phrase, rock and roll.
* Mommy and my poppy are
the cutest things to me
* If it hadn't
been for Mom and Pa
* I don't know where I'd be
* Every night I thank my stars
* That I was born that year
* I know that
you'll agree with me
* When I tell what they did
* They made me
swing for my supper
* When I was a tot
* They made me rock and roll
* And put it on red hot
* Each night at the table
* Here's what Papa said
* Kid if you wallop me hi-dee-hi
* Sling me a slice of bread
* Treatin' 'em
right my mama said
* Won't help to make you click
* So they taught me, brought
me up on good ole 'rithmetic
* Yeah
* Right now I'm flyin' high
* I'm gonna reach my goal
* Swingin' for my supper
* They put rhythm in my soul
* I was givin' the hi-dee-hi
* When I first made a sound
* Soon as I could walk
* They made me kick
the darn around
* Yeah
* Someday another name
is added to our own
* Let's swing him for our supper
* Let the rhythm in his soul
- [Narrator] Ella May Morris,
a white singer who often
hit the black charts,*#
was the first to make
Cow Cow Boogie famous.
The song, complete with
slightly risque lyrics,
was also performed in
Harlem Rides the Range,
starring Herb Jeffries.
* Out on the plains
down near Santa Fe
* I met a cowboy ridin'
the range one day
* And as he jogged along
* I heard him singin'
* The most peculiar cowboy song
* It was a ditty
* He learned in the city
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
* Get along
* Get hip little
doggies, get along
* You'd better be on your way
* Get along
* Get hip little doggies
* And he trucked it on down
* The old fairway
* Singin' his Cow Cow Boogie
* In the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
* Singin' his cowboy songs
* He's just too much
* He's got a knocked-out
Western accent
* With a Harlem touch
* He was raised
* On loco weed
* He's what you call
* A swing half-breed
* Singin' his Cow Cow Boogie
* In the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
(gunshots booming)
- Yippie!
Solid, man, solid.
* singin' his cowboy song
* He's just too much
* He's got a knocked-out
Western accent
* With a Harlem touch
* He was raised on loco weed
* He's what you call
a swing half-breed
* Singin' his Cow Cow
Boogie in the strangest way
* Come-a tie yay
* Come-a tie yippity yie yay
- [Narrator] In the 50s,
writer-arranger Phil Moore
created the musical images
of film stars Ava Gardner,
Marilyn Monroe,
and Dorothy Dandridge.
He'd worked at MGM and
took Dorothy under his wing
to develop her style.
Here with the signature
song they created together
is Hello Dorothy,
Blow Out the Candles.
* Flickering candles
* Silhouetted on
* And all was here
* Our voices were low
* His arms
* Crept 'round me
* His soft lips
* Found me
* Then I was quick, dear
* You've got to go
* Oh
* Darlin' dear
* It's getting late
* The clock has just struck one
* I'll give you
another kiss or two
* If you'll promise
then you'll run
* But first
* Blow out the candles
* Blow out the candles
* Blow out the candles so
the neighbors won't see
* Won't you
* Blow out the candles
* So there will be no scandal
* And no one will know
* You've been kissin' me
* Darlin' dear
* Time goes so fast
* I know it's after two
* Gee, anyone can see
you're a man with a past
* My doesn't it
look so cute on you
* Won't you blow out the candles
* Blow out the candle
* Blow out the candles
* So the neighbors won't see
* Won't you blow out the candles
* So there will be no scandal
* And no one will know
* You've been kissin' me
* Darling I feel so helpless
* My resistance is gone, I fear
* But before we snuff
the last candles
* Tell me once more
you love me, dear
* Oh
* Blew out the candles
* Blew out the candles
* We blew out the candles
* So the neighbors couldn't see
* Yes we blew out the candles
* To avoid a scandal
* Then all at once
* Did we realize
* That the dawn comes up
* Like thunder
* And the sun shone
* Yes, the sun shone
* Yes, the sun shone
* Right in our eyes
(audience applauding)
* And now the
- [Narrator] The
next two performances
are from the televised
tribute to Cole Porter.
- And then I'll turn you over
to a very delightful
young singer.
She's gonna open with one
of Cole's earliest hits.
This is a song which I
believe was in a show called
50 Million Frenchmen.
It's called You Do
Something to Me.
The singer is Miss
Dorothy Dandridge.
She's fine.
(orchestral music)
* You do something to me
* Something that
simply mystifies me
* Tell me, why should it be
* You've got the
power to hypnotize me
* Let me live 'neath your spell
* You do do that voodoo
* That you do so well
* You do something to me
* That nobody else can do
* You do somethin'
* Somethin' to me
* Somethin' that
simply mystifies me
* Tell me, tell me,
why should it be
* You've got the power
* To hypnotize me
* Let me live 'neath your spell
* Do do that voodoo
that you do so well
* Oh you do
* Somethin' to me
* That nobody else
* Can do
(audience applauding)
(jazz music)
* Tha tha tha tha-tha
* Tha tha tha
* I used to fall
* In love with all
* Those boys who
call on young cuties
* But now I find
* I'm more inclined
* To keep my mind on my duties
* Since I began to share
* In such a sweet love affair
* Though I'm in
love, I'm not above
* A date with a duke or a caddie
* But that's a pose,
'cause my baby knows
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* When some good scout
* Invites me out
* To dine om some
fine Finnan haddie
* My baby's sure
* His love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes I'm gonna marry Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
belongs to my heart
* My heart belongs to Daddy
* My baby's sure
his love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes I'm gonna marry Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
belongs to my heart
* But that's the pose
that my baby knows
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* My baby's sure
his love is secure
* 'Cause my heart
belongs to Daddy
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* So I simply couldn't be bad
* Yes my heart belongs to Daddy
* Da da da da da da da da da
* So if you feel
romantic, laddie
* Let me warn you
right from the start
* That my heart belongs to Daddy
* And my Daddy
* Belongs to my heart
(audience applauding)
- [Narrator] These
musical performances
reveal a special insight
into the enormity
of her acting, singing
and dancing talents.
It offers just a glimpse
into her heart and soul.
It helps us better understand
how Dorothy Dandridge
became film-land's
first black female superstar.
(orchestral music)
(MultiCom Jingle)