Dorothy Dandridge, Angel Face

Earl Mills was Dorothy Dandridge's manager and friend during her successful professional life.  He celebrated victories with her and suffered with her when things were tough.  Their relationship often bordered on the romantic according to Earl.  Geri Branton, Dorothy's best friend disagrees with that. Earl wrote this biography as a labor of love.  Earl's love shines through for Dorothy in this biography. Birth Name: Dorothy Jean Dandridge DOB: November 9, 1922 Birth Place: Cleveland, Ohio "In the black ghetto there is a saying that black is disliked by two races; the white and the black." - Earl Mills.   So true, especially today.  Dorothy was born with what turned out to be two curses - she was light and she was beautiful. Those two curses gave her both triumph and tragedy.   Earl Mills with Geri Branton In this book Earl describes himself as Dorothy's manager, close friend and lover f...

On the set of 'Carmen Jones', Dandridge usually kept to herself when not working in a scene, partly because she felt that others in the company mistrusted her and suspected her relationship with Preminger. Preminger originally wanted Dorothy for the role of 'Cindy Lou' in the film Carmen Jones (1954).  Dorothy laughed, and insisted that she could play a hellcat or a nun.   Orly Airport (May 9,1955) Preminger paid the down payment on her new showplace house in the Hollywood Hills and kept her checking account replenished.   Like Otto, Dorothy matched him in his meticulousness and discipline. Otto bullied everyone on the set with the exception of Pearl Bailey.  Dorothy got it the worse, but according to Geri, Dorothy's best friend, Dorothy handled Otto off the set ,"She gave him hell for two weeks. She didn't yell back on the set, but i'm telling you she gave him hell." "He couldn't get me out o...

 (Geri with her husband, Attorney Leo Branton) On Dorothy "She was outstandingly beautiful, and  sometimes I think that can be very difficult for a woman.  In this town, you can get chewed up...but she never knuckled under one time.  They never had to take up a collection for her.  She fought it through.  It think she died of exhaustion-----and a broken heart.  "

Dorothy, Harold and Geri, Fayard Harold, Dorothy, Fayard, Geri Wedding w/ Dorothy and next greeting her at Copenhagen airport. Dorothy and Harold were married for seven years.

Receiving marriage license in Santa Monica on morning of wedding day, Jack Denison happily kisses Dorothy after signing. Jack Denison kneels in prayer before wedding. It had taken Jack more than four years to get Dorothy to say yes, and maybe because it was a second marriage for both or took too long to come about.  The bride war a gown of white mousseline de soie and Chantilly lace, designed by Berman of London.  The dress was ballerina-length, with a V-neckline, three-quarter-length pouffe sleeves and a full skirt.  She carried a modest bouquet of lilies of the valley and violets. They were married in the ancient Greek rite ceremony at Los Angeles St. Sophia Orthodox Cathedral and 200 attended.  Dorothy was attended by Mrs. Gerry Branton and Miss Mary Denison, sister of the groom, while his brother, William, was best man.   w/ Nat King Cole Thirty minutes after the wedding began, the pair were Mr. and Mrs. ...