Dorothy Jean Dandridge was born in Cleveland Ohio's City Hospital on November 9, 1922. Her mother was an aspiring actress named Ruby Dandridge. Ruby had walked out on Dorothy's father, Cyrus, five months previous to Dorothy's birth taking her first child, Vivian, with her. Cyrus still lived with his mother and Ruby had come to the conclusion that he would never amount to anything and she resented the fact that they did not have their own home.
Ruby moved into an apartment on Central Avenue and did what work she could find to support her daughters. This usually entailed cleaning houses but Ruby also satisfied her creative aspirations by singing and reciting poetry for local theater groups and churches. Ruby was pleased to see that both of her daughters displayed a great talent for memorizing poetry and singing. A friend of Ruby named Geneva Williams soon moved in with them and Geneva became instrumental in teaching the girls singing, dancing and piano. The girls were too young to realize it at the time, but Geneva was also their mother's lover.
As the talents of Dorothy and Vivian improved, Ruby and Geneva began to plan a future for themselves that they hoped would bring them fame and security. The girls would now be called The Wonder Children and they would be their ticket. They moved to Nashville and The Wonder Children were signed with the National Baptist Convention to tour churches throughout the southern states.
Their act became a family affair with Geneva at the piano while Dorothy and Vivian performed a variety of skits that included singing, dancing, acrobatics, impressions and the ever popular poetry recitations. Mama Ruby became the business manager and she handled all the business affairs and sometimes even joined in the act herself.
The Wonder Children proved successful and they spent three years on the road. To Dorothy and Vivian, their act became tiring and tedious. Long hours were spent rehearsing as Geneva demanded perfection. The sisters had little time for fun and games and the usual activities that girls their age enjoyed. As for education, they were tutored, but education took a back seat to their work. The girls also learned about the harsh realities of racism that was at its worst in the south.
The Great Depression put a halt to The Wonder Children tour and Ruby planned what they would do next. She had wisely studied films and intuitively felt that their future would be in Hollywood. They settled into a house on Fortura Street and Dorothy and Vivian were enrolled in Hooper Street School and a dancing school for afternoon classes. In the meantime, Ruby was using her vivacious personality to gain a foothold in the Hollywood community.
Dorothy and Vivian made friends at the dancing school with a girl named Etta Jones. They would sing together with Geneva at the piano and Ruby decided that the three girls would make a terrific singing trio. With the help of black agent Ben Carter, the girls found work at various theaters in southern California. Their reputation grew and The Dandridge Sisters, as they were known known, landed their first big break when they received an uncredited cameo in the film The Big Broadcast of 1936. Subsequent small film roles followed until the summer of 1938 when their manager informed them that he had booked them in the prestigious Cotton Club in New York City.
Geneva and the girls moved to New York. Ruby was forming a successful career for herself as a character actress so she remained in Hollywood. On the first day of rehearsals at the Cotton Club, Dorothy met Harold Nicholas, who with his brother, Fayard Nicholas made up the famous Nicholas Brothers dancing team. Dorothy was almost 16 and she was developing into a beautiful young woman. People would stop to stare at her beauty and Harold Nicholas was no exception. They began dating much to the dismay of Geneva, who kept the girls on a tight leash.
The Dandridge Sisters were a hit in The Cotton Club and the critics gave them glowing reviews. Their success earned them another exciting engagement - they would tour in Europe. Again, the girls received good reviews but their tour was cut short by the advent of World War II.
The girls returned to Hollywood, where ironically The Nicholas Brothers were filming Down Argentine Way. Dorothy and Harold resumed dating. The Dandridge Sisters played a few more engagements but they eventually split up due in part to Dorothy's increasing desire to have a solo career.