Dorothy Dandridge Part II
Dorothy's first major offer after Carmen was for the supporting part of Tuptim in The King and I. She nearly accepted the part, but eventually declined because she didn't want to play a "slave girl" role. Earl Mills resented Otto Preminger's influence on her decision to decline and she fired him for objecting. She later believed that rejecting the part was the beginning of her downfall.
With no movie offers, Dorothy continued to tour nightclubs. She became estranged from Phil Moore when he becoming too controlling and resentful of the attention she received. Eventually, the tension between them was so great that she was forced to leave him. She lost a valuable ally, who understood how to work around her limitations. Without him, her singing career was weakened.
In Hollywood, Dorothy received offers for the maid, prostitute and slave girl roles that were common for African American actresses of the day, but nothing fit her ladylike style. She had a small part in Island in the Sun and a leading role in the European production Tamango, but nothing made the splash that Carmen had.
With the exception of some insignificant 'B' pictures, Dorothy's last Hollywood leading role was in the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. The African American community did not like the project and believed it offended black people. Dorothy agreed to play Bess, reasoning that perhaps she could bring some dignity to the role. She was later criticized for being too dignified.
At the last minute, Otto Preminger was signed to direct. He now had quite a cruel opinion of Dorothy. Though Preminger was rude to the entire cast, he yelled the most at her. Other members of the cast revolted and also fought for Dorothy, as she would never stand up for herself. Preminger backed down a little, but the filming was still a traumatic ordeal for Dorothy.
After filming, Dorothy returned to singing once again. During one of her Vegas runs, she met club owner Jack Denison. When she returned to Hollywood after her tour to rest, Denison tracked her down. They were soon married. None of Dorothy's friends approved of the marriage.
Denison was mentally and physically abusive, and on their wedding night he made it clear that he had married Dorothy for her money. He begged her to perform in his failing Los Angeles club and she consented because she was desperate to have a successful marriage.
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