During her early career, she performed as a part of the Wonder Children, later the Dandridge Sisters , and appeared in a succession of films, usually in uncredited roles. She was the subject of the biographical film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge , with Halle Berry portraying her.
She had been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dandridge was married and divorced twice, first to dancer Harold Nicholas the father of her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne and then to hotel owner Jack Denison. Dandridge died in at the age of Her parents separated before her birth. Ruby created a song-and-dance act for her two young daughters, Vivian and Dorothy, under the name The Wonder Children.
The act was managed by her lover, Geneva Williams. During the Great Depression , work virtually dried up for the Dandridges, as it did for many Chitlin' Circuit performers. Ruby moved her family to Hollywood, California, where she found steady work on radio and film in small domestic-servant parts. Dandridge and her sister were teamed with dance schoolmate Etta Jones. The Dandridge Sisters continued strong for several years, and they were booked in several high-profile New York nightclubs, including the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.
Dandridge's first credited film role was in Four Shall Die The race film cast her as a murderer and did little for her film career. Because of her rejection of stereotypical black roles, she had limited options for film roles. The film marked the first time she performed with the Nicholas Brothers. Carpenter's Rent Party" also called "Swing for my Supper", among others. These films were noted not only for showcasing Dandridge as singer and dancer and her acting abilities, but also for featuring a strong emphasis on her physical attributes.
She appeared occasionally in films and on the stage throughout the rest of the s and performed as a band singer in films with Count Basie in Hit Parade of and Louis Armstrong , Atlantic City and Pillow to Post When the Motion Picture Production Code objected to the film's "blunt sexuality", [ citation needed ] Dandridge received considerable attention for wearing what was considered "provocatively revealing" clothing.
