Dorothy Dandridge was a Triple Threat in the classic sense of the phrase; an accomplished singer, dancer, and actress. She was also a Triple Scorpio; Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter aligned in the sign of the Scorpion.
She was of the same Neptune in Leo generation as Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner – she also had Leo Rising, like Monroe. Later she was referred to as “the black Marilyn Monroe.” She began working at the age of five, as a child singer and dancer during the Depression.
Her career was not so illustrious in large part because of vicious racism and sexism. She was segregated to her hotel room after performances and pursued by Hollywood hacks trying to catch her out in a “lewd act.” Hint: Unless you were married then, anything was a “lewd act.” She was also hounded by the press for “dating white men”. The men? Not so much.
Despite all this crap, she managed a series of “firsts” – she was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award in a major role (Best Actress) and the first African American woman to be on the cover of the then major Life Magazine.
Dandridge was always glamorous and professional despite personal life traumas and famously refused a role because, as she said; “I won’t play a slave.”
When you’re a Triple Scorpio, every day is another opportunity to regenerate, to be the Phoenix. But her resilience, talent, and glamor under such circumstances were formidable.
Image: Philippe Halsman
Beautiful.
I’ve always loved Dorothy Dandridge! Thanks for mentioning her on this site. Most people tend to only mention old Hollywood actresses like Marilyn Monroe, whom I adore, but Dorothy was also a beauty.
She could have become a big star like Marilyn if racism hadn’t prevented her from achieving her full potential.
I also love the fact that Dorothy was a Scorpio like me…November Scorp! “Carmen Jones” and “Island In The Sun” are only a couple of films in which she was able to show her talent.
Apparently she wanted the lead role in “Bus Stop” (1956) but at the time, it was unheard of for a Black actress to even be considered for a part like that. Marilyn got the part. I wish Dorothy could have achieved the kind of stardom that Marilyn did, but sadly no…
Yes absolutely concur with this…I know contemporary times are not – obviously – optimal but sometimes looking back at past eras and the entrenched injustice, my heart breaks.
PORGY & BESS….. ‘I lerves ya Porgy’. So remember that movie when it came out. The music was unforgettable with her singing.She was out loud proud.
But so sad. Every man in Hollywood wanted to get into her knickers while they were segregating her.
The Mulatto (High Yella it demeaning called) was western man’s wet dream, howzat for black madonna-whore attitude. Think it was he first role that was NOT a ‘mammy’ or slave.
Funny how ‘slave’ has become a sexual term, not.
Now the world’s is a melting pot of different coloured skins, it seems insane that those mindsets were only 50 + years ago.
Dorothy is really beautiful. I would love to read a biography. Heartbreaking about her daughter and that awful husband stealing her money so she had to put her in a home. Ugh, horrifying.
Her mother was clever to turn her children into a performing duo i suppose.. But it can’t have been much of a childhood.
So interesting how watery and Plutonic her chart is! Sun-Mercury-Jupiter in the 4th, Scorpio. Pluto-Moon in her 12th, Cancer. Uranus in her 8th, Pisces. I think that there a few actors heavy with heavy trine action that a very popular. Like Paul Rudd (Fire Trines), Zooey Deschanel (Earth Trines) etc.
Anyway, her Venus in Saggitarius in the 5th would definitely never play a slave! Freedom and being too divine would be key to her charisma no doubt.
I stumbled upon a documentary last summer, I think it was A&E. I was of course looking up her Astro while I was watching. Good god, what a life.
Triple threats are the complete demolition special ops, dirty tricks gang–behind enemy lines the wer little zeuses of overlord busters. But what struck me off topic was the mask evoking franz fanon haunting black white skin–the same breathless character in spirit-away myazki shorthand anime my favourite scene being the transformation from swamp ghoul read white supremascist guff to spirit of the river. This lady is an auspicious dragon–becoming deleuzian and guttarean line of flight– lackkadaddy
The golden yellow dress and perfectly coiffed hair tres Leo Rising!
Scorpio- Leo energy (and kataka in some ways (moon) pings my draconic chart. that last image – dress is ahmayzing.
Is being a triple threat a Pluto in Leo thing? Entertainment back in the day was really all-encompassing and on point compared to the little to no talent you need to achieve fame today…
If you have $ you can buy fame now, even a job as President. 😉
All white icons. Yes, yes, we love them too, and singin-dancin-musical style is not for all of us here, either.
But what do you have to say about the unsung brown girl who really thought she could, and had to live later with the knowing she couldn’t? Maybe her artistic style was hampered by the limited context she worked in, since her childhood. No performing childhood for those people you mentioned. Their underprivilege was nothing compared to Dandridge’s. Just a female; just a coloured. Not my artistic style either but goddamn she rocked the fuq as much as she could out of her world.
What an amazing woman.
That leo rising really shines out.
Talented and beautiful. Her story is heartbreaking. She was fierce to endure all that she did, not a life for the weak of heart.