Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965) was an Oscar® winning actress, singer and dancer. She is perhaps one of the most famous African-American actresses to have a successful Hollywood career and the first nominated for an Oscar® for Best Actress for her performance in 1954’s Carmen Jones. Her IMDb page shows 36 acting credits from 1935 to 1962. This page ranks 19 Dorothy Dandridge movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts and her movies not released in North America theaters are not included in the rankings.
Dorothy Dandridge Movies Ranked By Combination of Box Office, Reviews and Awards (UMR Score) *Classic UMR Table (the one with all the stats is the second table)
CreditRank
Movie (Year)
UMR Co-Star Links
UMR Score
S
CreditRank Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links UMR Score S
1
Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
Sonja Henie &
John Payne97.1
3
Carmen Jones (1954)
AA Best Actress NomHarry Belafonte
95.3
2
Porgy and Bess (1959)
Sidney Poitier
95.3
4
Island in the Sun (1957)
James Mason &
Joan Fontaine88.8
5
Irene (1940)
Ray Milland
78.2
6
Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
Susan Hayward
78.1
7
Sundown (1941)
Gene Tierney &
George Sanders74.7
9
Going Places (1938)
Dick Powell
68.8
8
Bahama Passage (1941)
Sterling Hayden &
Flora Robson68.2
10
The Decks Ran Red (1958)
James Mason
64.7
11
Remains To Be Seen (1953)
June Allyson &
Van Johnson62.0
12
The Harlem Globetrotters (1951)
Harlem Globetrotters
59.4
12
Moment of Danger/Malaga (1960)
Trevor Howard
58.4
14
Lady from Louisana (1941)
John Wayne
56.6
18
Tarzan's Peril (1951)
Lex Barker &
Tarzan Movies48.6
15
Bright Road (1953)
Harry Belafonte
48.1
15
Tamango (1958)
Curd Jürgens
45.5
16
Atlantic City (1944)
Constance Moore
45.2
19
Malaga (1960)
Trevor Howard
37.1
19
Drums of the Congo (1942)
Ona Munson
10.3
Dorothy Dandridge Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Dorothy Dandridge movies by co-stars of her movies.
- Sort Dorothy Dandridge movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Dorothy Dandridge movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Dorothy Dandridge movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Dorothy Dandridge movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Dorothy Dandridge movie won.
- Sort Dorothy Dandridge movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Sun Valley Serenade (1941) | Sonja Henie & John Payne |
7.30 | 324.0 | 324.00 | 9 | 77 | 03 / 00 | 97.1 | |
| 3 | Carmen Jones (1954) AA Best Actress Nom |
Harry Belafonte | 7.10 | 194.1 | 194.10 | 40 | 73 | 02 / 00 | 95.3 | |
| 2 | Porgy and Bess (1959) | Sidney Poitier | 8.30 | 172.6 | 172.60 | 28 | 77 | 04 / 01 | 95.3 | |
| 4 | Island in the Sun (1957) | James Mason & Joan Fontaine |
14.30 | 318.9 | 318.90 | 7 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 88.8 | |
| 5 | Irene (1940) | Ray Milland | 2.40 | 107.8 | 206.60 | 80 | 58 | 01 / 00 | 78.2 | |
| 6 | Hit Parade of 1943 (1943) | Susan Hayward | 3.60 | 149.4 | 149.40 | 87 | 44 | 02 / 00 | 78.1 | |
| 7 | Sundown (1941) | Gene Tierney & George Sanders |
2.80 | 125.8 | 185.20 | 90 | 46 | 03 / 00 | 74.7 | |
| 9 | Going Places (1938) | Dick Powell | 1.90 | 87.0 | 123.90 | 123 | 54 | 01 / 00 | 68.8 | |
| 8 | Bahama Passage (1941) | Sterling Hayden & Flora Robson |
1.30 | 59.6 | 59.60 | 154 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 68.2 | |
| 10 | The Decks Ran Red (1958) | James Mason | 2.30 | 48.5 | 48.50 | 95 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 64.7 | |
| 11 | Remains To Be Seen (1953) | June Allyson & Van Johnson |
2.10 | 44.0 | 59.30 | 165 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 62.0 | |
| 12 | The Harlem Globetrotters (1951) | Harlem Globetrotters | 1.80 | 46.0 | 46.00 | 161 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 59.4 | |
| 12 | Moment of Danger/Malaga (1960) | Trevor Howard | 1.20 | 22.1 | 22.10 | 120 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 58.4 | |
| 14 | Lady from Louisana (1941) | John Wayne | 1.20 | 53.6 | 53.60 | 161 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 56.6 | |
| 18 | Tarzan's Peril (1951) | Lex Barker & Tarzan Movies |
2.10 | 53.6 | 119.60 | 150 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 48.6 | |
| 15 | Bright Road (1953) | Harry Belafonte | 0.50 | 11.3 | 15.90 | 230 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 48.1 | |
| 15 | Tamango (1958) | Curd Jürgens | 0.90 | 18.6 | 18.60 | 147 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 45.5 | |
| 16 | Atlantic City (1944) | Constance Moore | 0.50 | 21.1 | 21.10 | 164 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 45.2 | |
| 19 | Malaga (1960) | Trevor Howard | 0.40 | 6.4 | 6.40 | 145 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 37.1 | |
| 19 | Drums of the Congo (1942) | Ona Munson | 0.60 | 26.3 | 26.30 | 203 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 10.3 |
I saw 1. no tens, no favorites, no hidden gems. I love Sidney poitier. thanks to flora , I will try her favorites echoed by several commenters.
Hey bob cox….well when I wrote this page, my tally was 0….but I have now seen 1….as I watched Carmen Jones this weekend. She was very lovely in Carmen Jones…..the music was ok….never been a fan of opera type music…..but she was very memorable in the movie. Hope you find some of those Flora gems to watch. Good stuff.
Dorothy has never been on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list. Matter of fact there is no one on the current list who appeared in a film with her. These are the actors on the 2000 list all since gone who were in a film with her.
27 MARC LAWRENCE Sundown (1941)
43 KEENAN WYNN Since You Went Away (1944)
52 JAMES MASON Island in the Sun (1957)
52 JAMES MASON The Decks Ran Red (1958)
54 STUART WHITMAN The Decks Ran Red (1958)
118 WOODY STRODE Sundown (1941)
129 CURT JURGENS Tamango (1958)
151 CESAR ROMERO Orchestra Wives (1942)
158 JOSEPH COTTEN Since You Went Away (1944)
175 MICHAEL HORDERN Malaga (1960)
179 JOHN WAYNE Lady from Louisiana (1941)
187 RAY MILLAND Irene (1940)
192 YVONNE DE CARLO Lucky Jordan (1942)
222 BESS FLOWERS A Day at the Races (1937)
222 BESS FLOWERS Happy Go Lucky (1943)
222 BESS FLOWERS The Night Before the Divorce (1942)
231 SIDNEY POITIER Porgy and Bess (1959)
234 AKIM TAMIROFF The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
241 BRODERICK CRAWFORD The Decks Ran Red (1958)
287 RICHARD FARNSWORTH A Day at the Races (1937)
323 GEORGE SANDERS Sundown (1941)
379 ANN DORAN Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
380 STERLING HAYDEN Bahama Passage (1941)
506 DOUGLAS FOWLEY Tarzan’s Peril (1951)
571 CHARLES LANE Ride ‘Em Cowboy (1942)
634 JOAN COLLINS Island in the Sun (1957)
648 HARRY MORGAN Orchestra Wives (1942)
663 MILTON BERLE Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
740 GEORGE CHANDLER Since You Went Away (1944)
783 JAMES FLAVIN Ride ‘Em Cowboy (1942)
795 STEPHEN BOYD Island in the Sun (1957)
851 CEDRIC HARDWICKE Sundown (1941)
868 LEX BARKER Tarzan’s Peril (1951)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
903 JACK KRUSCHEN The Decks Ran Red (1958)
969 BYRON FOULGER A Day at the Races (1937)
969 BYRON FOULGER Since You Went Away (1944)
989 BRUCE CABOT Sundown (1941)
Dorothy appeared with 13 Oscar winners.
BING CROSBY The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
BRODERICK CRAWFORD The Decks Ran Red (1958)
CLAUDETTE COLBERT Since You Went Away (1944)
GEORGE BURNS The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
GEORGE SANDERS Sundown (1941)
HATTIE MCDANIEL SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944)
JENNIFER JONES Since You Went Away (1944)
JOAN FONTAINE Island in the Sun (1957)
JOHN WAYNE Lady from Louisiana (1941)
LIONEL BARRYMORE Since You Went Away (1944)
RAY MILLAND Irene (1940)
SIDNEY POITIER Porgy and Bess (1959)
SUSAN HAYWARD Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
Hey Dan. As always…thanks for this information on Dorothy Dandridge. Not surprised she was not on the current list. Her other lists are still impressive…especially since she made so few movies. Glad to not only see Bess Flowers on the first list…but to see that Bess was her most frequent co-star. 13 Oscar winners…is not Caine like…but still an impressive %. Thanks again for sharing this information.
love her in carmen jones. her “dat’s love” is beautifully song. gone way too soon. this is yasmine burgess not bur. edit button does not allow me to fix name only the comment.
Hey Yasmine…thanks for the visit and the comment. I will have to check out Carmen Jones and keep an ear out for that song. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Dorothy Dandridge.
Hey Yasmine….well…I finally watched Carmen Jones. I did like “Dat’s Love”….but I actually liked the “Card Song” a little more. Even though Dandridge and Belfonte were great singers…there voices were dubbed in this one…..but Dandridge’s acting skills really come through in the movie and that scene in particular.
FYI…So now my tally is 1…..already tied with Steve….coming after Flora now….lol.
I have seen 5 Dorothy Dandridge movies.
Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun and Bright Road are favourites of mine.
I have also seen Irene. Carmen Jones is the movie most often aired on TCM of all her films.
Note: I see in your comment about this page that you are attempting to do a page a day for this month. I know you meant to say November. But you actually wrote October.
Hey Flora…thanks for the feedback on our latest page. Your 5 is 5 Times The combined total of me and Steve….as we (ok Steve) have only seen one of her movies. I will have to check out your favorites…especially since I want to get rid of my goose egg. Thanks for the heads up on my October mistake. Good feedback.
Hey Flora….well…I fixed that error….but that mission has failed….as I am too tired to put a new page together….but 8 pages in 10 days is still a decent output….lol.