Everything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy Summary and Reviews

Everything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy
by Dorothy Dandridge, Earl Conrad

Everything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy
List Price: $13.00
Our Price: $2.77
You Save: $10.23 (79%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Dorothy Dandridge, Earl Conrad
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2000-05-01
ISBN: 0060956755
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks

Book Reviews of Everything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy

Book Review: An emotional roller coaster
Summary: 4 Stars

"I am an actress. I can play a nun or a b*tch."
-Dorothy Dandridge from "Everything and Nothing"

For such a long time, I have wondered why some of my favorite celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Halle Berry, and Whitney Houston have taken such a strong interest in the life of Dorothy Dandridge. I have wondered, "What was so intriguing about this woman?" "Why did so many entertainers want to depict her life story in a motion picture?" I finally decided to search her on youtube.com and read her autobiography, because after Halle created the movie and spoke so highly of her, I, like Halle, pursued research on her.

After seeing photos of her, seeing movie clips on youtube, and reading her autobiography, I am enlightened as to why so many people find her interesting. During her life, she truly had both "everything and nothing."

Dorothy, through her writing, appeared to be an emotional, sad, often confused, depressed, disappointed and seemingly doomed from early on. Based on my perspective, she wasn't especially close to anyone in her immediate family. She and her mother, Ruby, were on good terms, but not close. Her father took very slight interest in her only after he heard that she had some success. She had two failed marriages and a slew of love affairs from men who seemed to be interested in her solely because of her beauty and success. While on the subject of beauty, Dorothy was gorgeous! She was a bombshell by all means, and she knew it. There were a few things about her that I didn't especially like, and one of them was the fact that she kept saying she was pretty, and that others said the same. It's a fact, but it became redundant after the first hundred times. Perhaps that was the one thing that kept her self-esteem moderately afloat. Another issue that I was annoyed by was the fact that she preferred white men. I understand that Harold Nicholas was an atrocious husband, but Dorothy seemed to let her first failed marriage set the tone for the rest of her romantic life. Ironically, they meant her no good, either.

"You must be at your best each instant, for, in a manner of speaking, you are "carrying" the race."
-Dorothy Dandridge from "Everything and Nothing"

Dorothy was very specific with her career, and how difficult it was for her (and all other Black actors) to receive movie roles. Many of the males she was romantically involved with conned her into staying with them, for they told her they would further her career. This was all emoting, but what touched me more than anything was her daughter, Harolyn. Dorothy made it clear that she was disappointed by the fact that her daughter was born mentally retarded, and she held a bitterness because of that. Friends and doctors both told her to get rid of Harolyn since she would never mentally advance, and Dorothy did just that. Harolyn was with Dorothy for a few years, but most of her time was spent in mental institutions or with family members while Dorothy was doing films or with her paramours.

I admire Dorothy. She was the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for her role in the infamous movie, Carmen Jones. I admire her because she stood up to those who did her wrong. For example, her mother's female friend (who was rumored to be her lover), spanked her everyday with a brush for a long time. One day Dorothy became fed up and retaliated by beating the woman up!

To this day, no one knows whether she committed suicide or not, however, all one has to do is read her autobiography and look at her photos (and see the sadness within her eyes), and it wouldn't be hard to draw the conclusion that she purposely ended her life. Dorothy Jean Dandrige deserves to be included in Black History because she paved the way for the Halle Berrys, Angela Bassetts and the like. Read "Everything and Nothing", and, perhaps, you will take a second look at your life and realize that things aren't as terrible as some make them out to be.

Arts & Photography Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Memorable Star Biographies & Autobiographies
Everything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy ImageEverything and Nothing : The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy
by Dorothy Dandridge, Earl Conrad
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2000-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $74.91
Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It ImageGoodness Had Nothing to Do With It
by Mae West
Manor Books; Published: 1970-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $50.75
Steps in Time ImageSteps in Time
by Fred Astaire
Cooper Square Press; Published: 2000-08-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.58
Price in other shops: $22.95
The measure of a man : a spiritual autobiography ImageThe measure of a man : a spiritual autobiography
by Sidney Poitier
San Francisco CA : HarperSanFrancisco; Published: 2000-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.65
What Falls Away: A Memoir ImageWhat Falls Away: A Memoir
by Mia Farrow
Bantam; Published: 1997-12-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.93
Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star ImageWisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star
by William Mann
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1999-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $138.79
It's Always Something ImageIt's Always Something
by Gilda Radner
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2000-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.65
Nazimova: A Biography ImageNazimova: A Biography
by Gavin Lambert
Knopf; Published: 1997-04-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $29.00
Price in other shops: $32.50
Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow ImageBombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow
by David Stenn
Lightning Bug Press; Published: 2000-08; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $24.95
The Moon's a Balloon ImageThe Moon's a Balloon
by David Niven
Dell Pub Co; Published: 1983-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $69.87
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Pinky ImagePinky
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops: $14.98
Basketball Jones ImageBasketball Jones
by E. Lynn Harris
Doubleday; Published: 2009-01-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops: $22.95
Dorothy Dandridge : A Portrait in Black ImageDorothy Dandridge : A Portrait in Black
by Earl Mills
Holloway House Publishing Company; Published: 1970-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $62.04
The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way ImageThe Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way
by Diahann Carroll
Amistad; Published: 2008-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.88
Price in other shops: $24.95
Island in the Sun ImageIsland in the Sun
Release date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $6.78
Price in other shops: $14.98
Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood ImageBright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood
by Donald Bogle
One World/Ballantine; Published: 2006-01-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops: $15.95
Dorothy Dandridge ImageDorothy Dandridge
by Donald Bogle
Amistad; Published: 1997-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.93
Price in other shops: $27.95
Dorothy Dandridge ImageDorothy Dandridge
Holloway House; Published: 1997-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.15
Price in other shops: $14.99
Carmen Jones ImageCarmen Jones
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2002-01-22; DVD
Best price: $4.35
Price in other shops: $9.98
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge ImageIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge
Release date: 2000-02-08; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops: $9.98