A Rare Recording of Film Icon Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 to September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. She was the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Carmen Jones (1954). Dandridge had also performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. During her early career, she performed as a part of the Wonder Children, later the Dandridge Sisters, and appeared in a succession of films. In 1959, Dandridge was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Porgy and Bess. The following recordings are from a television interview in 1954, Dandridge's presentation of the Film Editing Oscar at the 1955 Academy Awards, and a speech at a freedom rally at Wrigley Field on May 26, 1963.