Dorothy Dandridge was begged by Daryl F. Zanuck to play Tuptim in "The King & I." Otto Preminger talked her out of it because Dandridge had just received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for "Carmen Jones" and he felt it detrimental, career-wise, for her to play a supporting role, let alone a SLAVE.
share...um, let along a Siamese girl. It's bad enough they were trying to pass off Rita Moreno as one. As if there were no deserving Asian actors/actresses in the world. Geez
I guess she did turn it down.
I should think Miss Dandridge had some conflicts on this one. No doubt she would have received equal billing with Brynner and Kerr, but the part was probably already whittled down from the play, a slave's a slave, and there's just no getting around the fact that the ballet, Siamese-version or not, was Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her black fan base would have evaporated.
shareBut it hurt her career and helped aid her into depression and eventually death. Fox studios and Zanuck never forgave her. SO eithere way she lost.
DO everything you're afraid to do
CHALLENGE 07-08