FAST FACTS:

Dorothy and her sister Vivian, along with Etta Jones, comprised the nightclub act, The Dandridge Sisters. In 1938, they made it all the way to the New York City's famous Cotton Club. Eventually, Dorothy struck out on her own, achieving much success.

Her first major acting role was in the 1953 film Bright Road, in which she co-starred with Harry Belafonte. She went on to work with Belafonte in Otto Preminger's 1954 film, Carmen Jones, an Americanized version of the Bizet opera.

For her role as Carmen, she became the first African American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar (Grace Kelly won). She later starred with Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis, Jr. in Porgy and Bess.