Halley Berry's breasts star in the first twenty minutes of INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE. As perfect as they are, they tend to distance us slightly from Halley Berry, a fine, sensitive, talented actress (pretty good dancer, too) AND the plight of Dorothy Dandridge. Berry, like Victoria Principal (the white actress she most closely resembles) seem less confident in the rest of her charms than she does her breasts. Like Principal, Berry appears to be a smart businesswoman (she coproduced this movie). However, unlike Principal, as a talent Berry is more than a beautiful face and body. Once she submerges herself into the role, Halley Berry IS Dorothy Dandridge. Berry deserves great credit as a producer as well. Like the star, INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE is beautiful to look at and listen to, well deserving of its four technical Emmeys (for cinematography, sound, costume and makeup). Unfortunately, like Berry (and Dandridge), INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE undercuts itself by underestimating its appeal to the heart. Berry makes you CARE about Dandridge (and her), but devotes far too little screen time to STORY. The plotting is pure Hollywood boilerplate. Sad, because this shortchanges the many fine performances on hand here. Cynda Williams as Vivian Dandridge seems particularly shortchanged. Beautiful in her own right, Williams creates sympathy for a VERY bitter character, no mean feat. William Atherton is phenomenal impersonating Daryl F. Zanuck, and Klaus Maria Brandauer is terrific as Otto Preminger (Would somebody PLEASE make a movie on Preminger; and PLEASE use Brandauer). Obba Babatunde and D.B. Sweeney are very effective in unsympathetic roles. Andre Carthen and Ben Brown do marvelous impersonations as Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier, respectively. Only Jon Mack (as Ava Gardnerand the actress playing Marlyn Monroe) fail to ring true, reminding us this is a cable movie.
Some mention must be made of Brent Spiner. He gives a warm, sympathetic performance as Earl Mills. However, since the film credits Mills book, it is impossible to determine the accuracy of his performance.
You done good, Halley. Do this again; but, next time, give us more of YOU, OK? There is a fine, sensitive person AND actress, hiding behind that beautiful face and body.
Some mention must be made of Brent Spiner. He gives a warm, sympathetic performance as Earl Mills. However, since the film credits Mills book, it is impossible to determine the accuracy of his performance.
You done good, Halley. Do this again; but, next time, give us more of YOU, OK? There is a fine, sensitive person AND actress, hiding behind that beautiful face and body.