DIAHANN CARROLL IS DEAD TO ME

So young.

Loved her. RIP.

A whole other world!

I sent her some very special caviar. Bitch.

I'm raising a glass of burned champagne in her honor.

Oh Dominique Devereaux!!!

You just know that Alexis would have called her the 'N' word but that would have ruined Alexis entirely so they had her refer to Dominique with great disgust as "that saloon singer" or "that caberet singer"

" A 'N' who knows her caviar, how impressive ................. " -Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby

I believe Alexis asked someone, "Wasn't there once a singing nun named Dominique?"

NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Groundbreaker, gorgeous, talented. Got to meet her and have "Claudine" signed by her. RIP.

In honor of Miss Carroll...

[quote] [quote] Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby

Wasn’t Alexis’ name longer?

Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan

Wow didn’t know she’s sick? Is she on anybody’s list?

Actually, Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Dexter Rowan

(She married Dex twice)

Right you are, R15.

She was 84 R14 so that in and of itself means this isn't entirely unexpected, but I admit I was pretty shocked to hear it. I didn't realize she was over 80.

She was an absolute doll.

Her daughter says she died of cancer

Apparently she was fabulous.

“Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Dexter Rowan”

Actually, it would be:

Alexis Swallows Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Dexter Rowan

if you include my high school nickname.

Was supposed to see her at the Cafe Carlyle but she canceled her engagement due to shingles.

She survived a relationship with Vic Damone. That says a lot right there.

Unlike Diane she wasn’t embarrassed to be black.

Miss Carroll was a fantastic Norma Desmond - beautiful but vulnerable. A true fading star. Her mad scene was arguably the best of the lot. And her voice was pretty good as well...

What a glamorous beautiful woman. Saw her play Norma Desmond in Toronto...she was wonderful. RIP

She even sang with DL favorite Judy Garland.

[quote]She survived a relationship with Vic Damone. That says a lot right there.

She was married to Vic Damone from 1987 to 1996.

They separated in 1991, R27

"Unlike Diane she wasn’t embarrassed to be black."

Oh yeah? Then why did she have six nose jobs? The last one left her crooked.

Wiki still hasn't updated (2:21PM ET)

She was a great character in White Castle.

I can't see her name without thinking of the DL story about Carroll at a concert rehearsal accusing all and sundry of stealing a braceley of hers. The DL poster's aged orchestra musician relative just upped and walked out.

*bracelet

Cunt

😥 Oh, no .........Hogs & Quiches to her clan.

Loved her first on Julia then watched the hell out of Claudine on early cable...

Wow. And I just watched “Claudine” a few months ago for the first time in years.

My friend has this signed by her

Was she wearing her Medic Alert bracelet?

Classy, talented woman.

RIP

Great lady even if Alexis Carrington referred to her as "a saloon singer."

Every time I saw DIAHANN on anything, she was dressed to the nines, looked like a million bucks.

Even on White Collar

House of Flowers

I love Hollywood folks like Diahann Carroll, Joan Collins, etc. It's a lot of work, but they grew up and learned to greet the public and their fans always dressed impeccably. They were stars and took their roles seriously. They enjoyed their role and gave the public what was expected. The younger stars of today could take a lesson.

R28

Having a nose job(s) doesn't mean she didn't want to be black. CARROLL had been very involved in Civil Rights and from I know about her, she was very focused on making sure that blacks were treated fairly and well. People who I know who dealt with her said that she often came across with a chip on her shoulder; that is until she realized that you were treating her accordingly, then she was fine.

BELOW: DIAHANN was one of the Hollywood stars who travelled to D.C. in 1963 for civil rights march. Others involved included Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando, James Garner, Paul Newman.

Flashin' the gams....

R44

Funny thing about those two is JOAN & DIAHANN were actually very good friends; the two having known one another for decades.

She was genuinely fantastic at her park, when she was starring in "No Strings" on Broadway. But there weren't the kind of roles for her after that that she deserved.

She was an excellent actress (see "Claudine" if you don't believe me), she had a glorious voice, and she was a great beauty. But it was sad she was reduced to "Hollywood Squares" and then "Dynasty." She deserved much better.

With Pearlie Mae....

Wasn't she said to have been suffering from dementia?

A real pioneer.

Wasn't Pearlie Mae Bailey a complete cunt to her during the run of "House of Flowers"?

I believe it.

I'm gonna miss this lady :-( You all know her from her stint on Dynasty, but she was a hoot as Whitley Gilbert's snobby mother on A Different World. So friggin hilarious. That's always the first show that comes to mind whenever I think of her.

Some of these days....

R45, appearing at the March on Washington is not synonymous with being "very involved in Civil Rights." She was not. Are you twelve?

God, what a gorgeous and talented woman. Tony winner. Oscar and Emmy nominee. Diahann once said after her Oscar nomination you don’t know what a black actress has to go through to make it in Hollywood. She was lucky because she covered all the bases. Stage, screen, tv and even nightclubs. True star and I’m going to miss her beautiful face and voice. Rest In Peace. True trailblazer for today’s black actresses.

R48

She was a fighter which is a quality I greatly admire. She had to fight. She knew that as a black woman she was going to have to work harder to achieve fame but she hung in and she made great progress for herself which in turn opened doors for people.

I hadn't known that she was ill. I know that she was 84 but in this day and age I seem to expect everyone to live longer. If I had to guess it would have thought that DIAHANN had another 10 years left.

Bless her & may she R.I.P.

R42 here. Obviously I meant White Collar. Don't know why I typed Castle. Oy

R56

Wrong. She was pretty involved in civil rights back in the 1960s. Check it out.

R48 Totally agree. She should have been given so much more, especially on Broadway. A great elegant talent. Rest In Peace for sure. She overcame all that diversity then too, with such grace. An inspiration. That damn cancer. It's gonna get all of us. 84 is a good run. Better than most. ❤💋

Overcame diversity? You should really stop signing your posts, which are invariably embarassing.

Diahann Carroll and Sammy Davis, Jr. Fucking tremendous.

Another era fades further into to the past with each passing.

Wow, two amazing legends in R63's clip!

[quote]She was an excellent actress (see "Claudine" if you don't believe me), she had a glorious voice, and she was a great beauty. But it was sad she was reduced to "Hollywood Squares" and then "Dynasty." She deserved much better.

I'm just now appreciating how great she was in "Claudine":

"Mama, black men have made great contributions; George Washington Carver, WEB DuBois, Frederick Douglass."

"Well, ain't it just too damn bad you didn't get your ass knocked up by Frederick Douglass!"

On the lack of support she received when replacing Diana Sands as the title character in CLAUDINE.

One of the things I loved the most about her was the fact when you saw her,she was beautifully dressed and impeccably coiffed . I devoutly wish these young bitches of today would take note . Sh epitomized a glamour that is dying in Hollywood. She was a STAH !

May she enjoy her non burnt champagne, petrosyan beluga, and two bedroom suites in the afterlife.

[quote]She should have been given so much more, especially on Broadway.

I could be wrong, but I suspect she didn't work more often by choice. She was quite a big star, especially after JULIA and CLAUDINE, and then after DYNASTY, so it's hard for me to believe a star that talented and gorgeous wasn't offered lots of opportunities.

[quote]petrosyan

о дорогой

I remember an appearance of hers on the Tonight Show. She was about to sing a song; she was wearing a black evening gown. And she was so beautiful the audience gasped at the sight of her. Johnny Carson called her "this vision!" She was amazingly gorgeous.

[Quote] I could be wrong, but I suspect she didn't work more often by choice. She was quite a big star, especially after JULIA and CLAUDINE, and then after DYNASTY, so it's hard for me to believe a star that talented and gorgeous wasn't offered lots of opportunities.

She was black, dear.

Beautiful and talented- (and not very nice I understand)- but beautiful and talented! She was a better than good singer and also stage star in addition for film and TV. RIP

As mentioned before, Norma in Toronto. Talented lady.

[Quote]"Well, ain't it just too damn bad you didn't get your ass knocked up by Frederick Douglass!"

Hey, r65, why say it when you can play it! That particular bit of dialogue starts at 4:22, but the scene starts at 3:35.

The BEST scene, however, is the preceding one, in which she beats her daughter's ass with a hairbrush. THAT starts at 2:37.

[quote]I'm just now appreciating how great she was in "Claudine":

Mama came home with chicken on her breath.

And I think James Earl Jones shows his ass in this movie?

I expect she'll be cremated, burned, like her champagne.

Diahann Carroll walked this earth for 84 years and broke ground with every footstep. An icon. One of the all-time greats. She blazed trails through dense forests and elegantly left diamonds along the path for the rest of us to follow. Extraordinary life. Thank you, Ms. Carroll.

- Ava Duvernay

Having the opportunity to meet & work with one of your inspirations is rare enough. To have them exceed every expectation of who you thought they would be is difficult to put into words. Diahann Carroll was a giant. The ADW family cherished every day she graced our set.

- Darryl M Bell

Diahann Carroll you taught us so much. We are stronger, more beautiful and risk takers because of you. We will forever sing your praises and speak your name. Love Love Love, Debbie

- Debbie Allen

Thanks for helping clear the path for me and so many others. I was honored to salute you as a Legend then, now and Forever. #RIPDiahannCarroll

- Oprah Winfrey

Diahann Carroll was more than an actress but an icon who inspired generations. She broke barriers and changed our lives and the industry for the better. May she forever Rest in Peace.

- Kamala Harris

Diahann Carroll was a gifted artist and activist whose trailblazing legacy will live on.

- Bill Clinton

This one cuts deeply. My mom & Ms Diahann were friends since they were 14. She was a pioneer on so many levels. She made me believe I could be on television! I loved & cherished and idolized her like a daughter.... RIP Diahann Carroll thank you for the gift of your life

- Holly Robinson Peete

To Diahann Carroll, a Black woman who settled for nothing less than excellence, the complete recognition of her worth and the full valuation of her voice, may we all say "thank you, and good night, Queen."

- Joy Reid

Diahann Carroll, from Carmen Jones to Julia to Dynasty to Broadway & the recording stage’s, she did it all, worked her butt off & NEVER seemed to break a sweat. Honest and Funny and drop dead beautiful. She lived her life. R.I.P. condolences to the family

- Whoopi Goldberg

My idol my idol my idol. Diahann Carroll led the way for all of us. A great actress! An amazing human being! Rest in peace sweet, Diahann.

- Jenifer Lewis

^^ kind words

Did you leave out Susan Dey's tweet?

Joan, reminiscing ...

Beautiful voice and face. Not a bad actress either. Hopefully she didn't suffer much.

Strong family resemblance.

[quote]Did you leave out Susan Dey's tweet?

We're waiting on James Earl Jones and Sidney Poitier's statements; they'd better say SOMETHING if they know what's good for them!

The ending to "Claudine" is one of my all-time favorites. I love how the camera ends up focusing on just her genuinely joyful face.

I’m absolutely devastated by the passing of Diahann Carroll. As a child, I looked up to her. As an adult, I was honored to call her a mentor & friend. I know it sounds superficial at first, but one of my most cherished moments in life was when she taught me about jewelry.

- Jackee

Rest In Peace Queen When we first met~ Her: “Darling, do you know where you are every evening”? Me~ “ummm, yes ma’am. I am at the center of my will as a Black woman cuz I know why the caged bird sings”?

- Niecy Nash

#RIPDiahannCarroll thank you for paving the way!!! It was an honor to know you Queen!!! Your legacy will live on through us all!!!

- Taraji P Henson

She is, was, and forever will be AN ICON!! Simply everything, EVERYTHING

- Gabrielle Union

My greatest blessing is that I had the honor to connect with you on a personal level. You shared your humor, your mess, your mistakes, your talent...You were authentic. As a woman and actress of color that will be your legacy...

- Viola Davis

Just heard the news LEGEND #DianeCarroll has passed.Thank you 4 your many gifts QUEEN u will not be 4gotten. I ADORED U AS U WERE MY ACTING ROLE MODEL! PRAYERS UP 2 YA FAMILY! #CLASS #BLESSED #RESPECT #RESTINPARADISE #RESTINPOWER #BLACKLADIESROCK

- Vivica Fox

Diahann Carroll was a groundbreaking Tony Award winning, Oscar nominated Actress, singer, talk show host and world class beauty who didn’t take No for answer. She dared the industry to tell her she “wasn’t good enough.” Her bravery along with her ability to carry on will never be forgotten by me. RIP

- Sheryl lee ralph

#DiahannCarroll stunning force of grace power beauty strength. blazed the mightiest trail for us all... a master class in every category.

- Kim fields

Miss Carroll (what we all ALWAYS called her) will be so missed.

- Star Jones

RIP Diahann Carroll. You gave a lot to this world. Thank you, Love Barbra

- Barbra Streisand

Diahann Carroll

Diane? Oh, Viv.

Diahann Carroll had a great career but her sister Christmas is the truly famous one.

Diahann Carroll and husband number four Vic Damone

DIAHANN CARROLL & VIC DAMONE """TERRIFIC""" - TRIBUTE TO PERRY COMO, KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, 1987

The greats are departing.

I don't think comedy was her thing. (And the young woman who comes to get Carroll & Patti looks at the camera at one point...)

Jule Styne Medley Diahann Carroll Vic Damone

I once met the legendary Diahann Carroll at a luncheon in Toronto. I told her that when she starred in Julia, people used to say my mother looked like her. Without blinking an eye, she said “Was she very beautiful?” Ms Carroll was a Goddess.

- Dana Delaney

R60, you convinced me that you ARE twelve.

I usually roll my eyes at celebrity condolence tweets 'cause they're usually so trite, but those comments above are really profound and touching.

Notice Streisand (supposedly) did n RIP quote. She didn't do one for Rhoda!

Diahann Carroll; born Carol Diahann Johnson

July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019

RIP

[quote]As mentioned before, Norma in Toronto. Talented lady.

She and Rex Smith should have been brought down to Broadway instead of being banished in Mooseville.

If it was the 1980s, they probably would have been.

If it was the 1980s, they probably would have been.

I saw her twice in Toronto. Rex Smith was terrific in the part!

diahann was the definition of a fox!

Wait, does anyone know how Corey's holding up? (not Cory Booker)

i heard about her death earlier today, but wasn't able to get away from work until just a little while ago. I've just been reading this thread, and reading these reminisences (sp), and watching the clips. And y'all brought tears to my eyes. What a great lady. I always knew she was: I grew up seeing her, and always was impressed by how beautifully she dressed, and how gamefully she dealt with the press. We all know DL can be a cunting place, but there are times that DLers help me love different artists. This has been a pretty sweet thread, and I can't single out the individual posters (there are too many), but wanted to honestly thank you for giving me a better scope of her career. BTW, 'Summertime' is probably my favorite song, and I can only listen to it a couple of times a year, since it sort of breaks my heart. It's too personal for a hillbilly like me.

Has Marc Copage been reached for comment?

Ingenue Diahann.

"It's burned."

She looks great in that clip but she lacks the flamboyance that the Brits do so well. Stephanie Beacham was Alexis' best sparring partner.

I wonder how she felt about Barbra co-opting Snow and Sleepin' Bee, r 87 and r107.

[quote] She looks great in that clip but she lacks the flamboyance that the Brits do so well. Stephanie Beacham was Alexis' best sparring partner.

Disagree. Dominique was the perfect foil. Carroll certainly had the range to be more flamboyant. Though I sometimes wonder if she was asked to downplay the character somewhat. The producers got hate mail from white people who were unsettled to see a black woman like Dominique -- she was too "uppity." Collins and Beacham were completely unencumbered by such nonsense. By the end of her run Dominique had morphed into Julia.

Ugh. I used to wait on Miss DIAHANN CARROLL years ago and she was a TOTAL DRUNKEN LOON!

She referred to the Asian staffers as "those people", drank at least an entire bottle of wine by herself, got loud and screechy and was a bizarre pain in the ass!

People wondered why her career wasn't bigger.....there's your answer!

What was her glitch? She lays it out herself.

[quote]Wait, does anyone know how Corey's holding up? (not Cory Booker)

Has there been a tweet from Earl J. Waggadorn yet?

Did Diahann Carroll ever lunch with Linda Lavin?

Still waiting for Susan Dey to do the right thing and send her condolences.

R62 haha. That was meant to say ADVERSITY. Chill.

There are certain random moments occasionally in my day in which I think, “Oh, that’ll be a thread on DL.

I had this thought today when NPR did a story on Carroll’s death. They must have a DLer story editor there because they played the burned champagne audio for the story. A very DL moment.

She was an old-school star who always looked impeccably turned out and always had a classy presentation, unlike most of today's celebs, who present as such low-class trash.

NYT Website article says her publicist indicated she passed from complications related to breast cancer which she’d experienced and battled back in the 1990s. I’d actually thought she had been older. RIP, beautiful and talented Diahann.

Hmm.

R118, any DL'er recognizes that line from Liza's HSN appearance. No sweat.

R123 Riiight. 💋

Liza and Diahann are not one and the same. Joking about "overcoming diversity" when the subject is white is not the same as when the subject is black. I wouldn't expect the "michealtolliver" poster to get that, though. He posts ignorant shit on the regular.

R125 It was a typo, get over it. You don't agree with me, we get it. Move on already.

Any word from Matt Bomer?

[Quote] It was a typo

Then why are you blowing kisses to someone who assumed you were joking?

[Quote] In my career, I've worked with some magnificent leading ladies but Diahann Carroll... one of the finest women I've ever known. Class. Intelligent. Beautiful. Talented. I called her "my Mick Jagger." We did over 600 shows of "Sunset Boulevard" together. And I lost her today. I'll find her up in heaven. She never phoned it in. She was magnificent on every, every level. Check all the boxes with that girl. What a fine woman. Diahann, my love to you. R.I.P.

- Rex Smith

R128 And WHY are you sooo obsessed with me? 💋 Let it go. You have no idea what's going on. Run along miss thang.

r110

...

Could anyone spell her name without looking it up?

[quote] One of the great joys of my career was getting to work with, laugh with, sing with, and listen to Miss Diahann Carroll for 6 years on White Collar. We are all deeply saddened by her loss, and will miss her greatly. I love you Diahann, and I will never forget your wisdom, generosity of spirit, and the ever present twinkle in you eye. You broke so many boundaries, and you helped me to have the courage to push through my own. Thank you for the memories, and Rest In Peace. What a life you lived. Our hearts and thoughts are with her family today. #diahanncarroll

- Matt Bomer, Golden Globe Winner

Ciao. For now.

[quote]I can't see her name without thinking of the DL story about Carroll at a concert rehearsal accusing all and sundry of stealing a braceley of hers. The DL poster's aged orchestra musician relative just upped and walked out.

I posted that story R31! I was there to witness it in person. It's the first thing I thought of when I heard she had passed away. Not to wish ill will on the dead, but she was not a nice person.

quote]but she was not a nice person.

You may not have had a pleasant experience with her but apparently many have. You can't blanket her as not nice.

I always used to confuse her with Faye Dunaway. Must have been the haughty diva thing.

Fierce!

That pink outfit is DIVINE !

Please tell the detectives here, in your own words, everything you remember about the incident.

Above intended for r35.

(It will aide in our investigation.)

[quote] My dear friend and mentor, Diahann Carroll. A groundbreaking talent.🕊

- The legendary Dionne Warwick

[quote]Could anyone spell her name without looking it up?

Well we couldn't!

I’m at an utter loss of words right now. The impact you have had on me, Hollywood, America, the World is telling that God exists.

I love you. ❤️ #DiahannCarroll

- Lee Daniels

R136, the majority of opinion in Hollywood is that she was not a nice woman. That's understandable considering what she went through and it doesn't change her achievements. But a nice lady she was not.

Loved her role as classy June Ellington on White Collar. Great chemistry with Matt Bomer and Willie Garson.

The Tony Awards committee were shady as hell. The first two Black women to win, Diahann Carroll and Leslie Uggams, were both "coincidentally" tied with another actress (who, of course, happened to be white) in their respective years.

She is what Whitney Houston should have been. R147 The Tony Awards being shady and racist? That doesn't sound like them.

Diahann gives a heartfelt thanks for her Tony award for "No Strings."

Does the fact that Diahann Carroll was so affected irritate anyone? She had a lot of talent and worked very hard for what she got, but the affectations in her manner, speech, everything - turned me off.

[quote] [R136], the majority of opinion in Hollywood is that she was not a nice woman. That's understandable considering what she went through and it doesn't change her achievements. But a nice lady she was not.

Untrue. That is not the "majority" opinion. I have heard over the years from many who had worked with her that though she was not "warm" she was witty, personable, very professional and occasionally kind. I have never heard that she was unkind or not nice.

Lena Horne hated her and Carroll admitted it.

R151, I've worked with her on A Different World and even though she was said to be on good behavior, she was dreadful and not professional. Sadly, also drunk. I'll raise you one and said I've never heard she was the kind of person people wanted to work with twice.

When Marilyn sang "Happy Bithday" to JFK at MSG in 1962, there was an after party at the home of Mathilde and Arthur Krim and Diahann performed for their guests, which included JFK, RFK, Marilyn and many others.

Makeup artists felt that the faces and bone structure of Diahann Carroll and Michele Lee were amazingly similar.

I don't know that talentless bitch.

[quote]r150 Does the fact that Diahann Carroll was so affected irritate anyone? She had a lot of talent and worked very hard for what she got, but the affectations in her manner, speech, everything - turned me off.

She was of a generation that felt that for black people to be accepted professionally, they had to be IMPECCABLE. Beyond reproach. Very dignified and classically tasteful. They had to overcompensate as there was so much unfair criticism aimed at them by white society straight out of the gate.

I get it, R157. However, Lena Horne, The Queen of cabaret performers (all of them) in her time, and almost 20 years older than Diahann Carroll, was not as affected by a 100 miles. In fact, the Lena that let it all hang out so to speak in her stage show The Lady & Her Music, was the FAKE, an affected Lena.

From LH's biographer yesterday:

"I had recently interviewed Diahann (in 2006) about her greatest inspiration and template, Lena Horne. Even though she did not like admitting how much she'd borrowed from Lena, she revealed that Lena didn't like her. I think it was hard to be Diahann Carroll. I felt enormous tension from her. She had inherited Lena's responsibility of being a symbol, impeccable at all times - especially in the 1960s.

From his Instagram, it sounds as if she was good to Matt Bomer. On Twitter he linked to this with lots of hearts.

R153, the accounts I've heard of her are consistent and reliable. Your impression of her may be because you are very sensitive -- or because you are Leslie Uggams. But seriously, I will say the experiences I am aware of with her were after her time on "A Different World." In fact, yesterday a friend who worked with her in wardrobe/make-up about 10 years ago remembered her as being "lovely" in her disposition toward her and others.

A year or so ago wasn't she hired to be in a Broadway show and let go because she couldn't remember lines, which had people thinkng she was in first stages of dementia?

[quote] When Marilyn sang "Happy Bithday" to JFK at MSG in 1962, there was an after party at the home of Mathilde and Arthur Krim and Diahann performed for their guests, which included JFK, RFK, Marilyn and many others.

Useless without the visual.

R132 her mama didn't know how to spell Diane, so she guessed at it.

Thanks R162. Sweet Marilyn looks like the one most entranced with Diahann. Peter Lawford looks exhausted. Kennedy sisters and Ethel a little aloof. I don't see the Kennedy brothers, probably didn't want to be in the picture?

Were Lena Horne and Pearl Bailey so insecure and so threatened by the rise of a talented, beautiful and younger Black woman that they both hated Diahann Carroll?

R165, I think they were envious of her obtaining opportunities that had always been denied to them. Despite the importance of black entertainers supporting and encouraging each other, especially the younger members, human feelings of jealously still occurred, especially when those opportunities were limited for blacks during that time. I'm sure the competition for black roles and gigs was quite rife back then.

Better question, R165, did Diahann have a dutiful gay husband like Lena did, who handled all of the unpleasant stuff?

[quote] I had recently interviewed Diahann (in 2006) about her greatest inspiration and template, Lena Horne. Even though she did not like admitting how much she'd borrowed from Lena, she revealed that Lena didn't like her. I think it was hard to be Diahann Carroll. I felt enormous tension from her. She had inherited Lena's responsibility of being a symbol, impeccable at all times - especially in the 1960s.

Interesting, thanks for sharing this. I was always curious how he got Diahann to speak about Lena, a subject she hated.

Firstly, EVERYONE borrowed something from Lena Horne -- Dorothy Dandridge, Diahann, Barbra Streisand, Eartha Kitt -- but few of ever acknowledged it and some like Diahann only did later.

Secondly, Lena Horne "disliked" every female who was younger and enjoyed acclaim, especially the black ones. It was not easy for her to watch Carroll and others win Tonys and get TV shows -- all the stuff she'd wanted. She only softened in her latter years.

Carroll may have played coy with Horne's biographer but she was as cold to her peers -- Barbara McNair, Leslie Uggams, Nichelle Nichols -- as Horne was to her. She was especially envious of Diana Ross and was mortified that Ross got an Oscar nomination. However, she thawed out when her career began its ebb in the mid-70s. Her longevity in the business was attributable to this mid-life change of heart. She was encouraging and generous to later generations of females entertainers like Lynn Whitfield, Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams, Audra McDonald and such.

[quote] [R132] her mama didn't know how to spell Diane, so she guessed at it.

Mama got it right. Her birth name is "Carol DIANE Johnson." However, in her teenage years, she was mentored by an older white gay man who convinced her that if she truly wanted to be shaded for all eternity by wretched old white gays she had to change the spelling to "DIAHANN."

I wonder if she and Leslie Uggams actually got together afterwards.

Lena Horne wasn't affected?! Give me a fucking break. ALL old Hollywood stars were. White and black.

[quote][R132] her mama didn't know how to spell Diane, so she guessed at it.

My mama knew how to spell it, but I changed it anyway.

[Quote]She was especially envious of Diana Ross and was mortified that Ross got an Oscar nomination.

R168, how do you know that?

It's interesting how charges of affectation are being linked to her blackness (in a white showbiz structure). I've been watching interviews with Carroll the past couple of days and when speaking, she reminds me somewhat of DL fave Dolores Gray.

Nah. Diahann envious of bug eyes ross? Nah. I don't believe it. Carroll is so much more beautiful and classier. Better singing voice too. Everything. I don't see that.

R153, are you Cree Summer? If you are, I loved you as Freddie! If you're Charnele Brown or Darryl Bell, I'm still impressed, but less so

[Quote] Nah. Diahann envious of bug eyes ross? Nah. I don't believe it. Carroll is so much more beautiful and classier. Better singing voice too. Everything. I don't see that.

Are you trolling? Ross got an Oscar nomination before Carroll did (and it was Ross' first movie). Ross got more leading roles in A-pictures (even if those movies didn't work out) after her nomination. Carroll didn't. Ross had a hugely successful recording career. Ross toured the world as a concert performer in big venues. The list goes on and on... Diahann Carroll didn't have the infrastructure around her career that Ross had. If you don't see how that might have pissed off Carroll, well...

This is horrible, horrible news! She should have been nominated for - and won - Academy Awards for so many of her performances, but especially for "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," "Deathtrap," "Heaven Can Wait" and my personal favorite, "The Last of Sheila."

What about me??? I replaced her in No Strings. Oh, and I got to do Pajama Game opposite Mr. Hal Linden on Broadway!

One more. This is sensational finale for the show. Her nuanced line reading her final reaction with her very weird make up makes it magnificent moment.

Carroll's standby in "No Strings" was Filipino.

R177 Ummm, listen up dearie, I would NEVER be envious of someone uglier than me. Especially if I, too, am successful. I don't care how much success they have. Carroll doesn't seem the type. You can keep trolling though. You won't change my mind. 💋 And Diana Ross is a complete weirdo. I'm not even jealous of her and I'm not Diahann Carroll! haha.

[Quote] I'm not Diahann Carroll! haha.

Pithy.

Diahann was the original choice to play Billie Holliday in a biopic before Berry and Motown got their hands on the project.

She seems to have been well regarded by her peers. Barbra personally asked her to perform the songs from Yentl at the Golden Globes. And she was the only female peer whom Aretha had something nice to say about in her book.

R183 haha! You tried it.

[quote]r185 Diahann was the original choice to play Billie Holliday in a biopic before Berry and Motown got their hands on the project.

She would have been awful. Much too ladylike. I mean, the Motown version was whitewashed, but Ross at least got a [italic]earthy[/italic] in parts of it.

Regardless of her she viewed her OWN range, Diahann Carroll wasn't really going to pull out all the stops playing a heroin addict from honky tonks, often down on her luck.

[quote] What about me??? I replaced her in No Strings. Oh, and I got to do Pajama Game opposite Mr. Hal Linden on Broadway!

[quote] -- Miss Babs McNair

Darling, I know that YOU know exactly how I felt about you.

R171, take a pill and a nap, this discussion was way over your stupid head. Lena, the LENA HORNE we know of from the height of her career was from night clubs, not "Hollywood." Great post, R168.

Barbara McNair and Diahann Carroll makes me think. As singers they were both nice looking boring, nothing NEAR Lena Horne as singers or performers. But Diahann pushed and pushed it - with the attitude affectation and clothes. Diahann wins, though not as good as Lena even on her worst day.

[quote]he was especially envious of Diana Ross and was mortified that Ross got an Oscar nomination.

Mortified, you say? Well it must not have lasted long as she was nominated herself for "Claudine" the next year.

[quote]A year or so ago wasn't she hired to be in a Broadway show and let go because she couldn't remember lines, which had people thinkng she was in first stages of dementia?

She was announced for "On Golden Pond" reuniting her with James Earl Jones at The Kennedy Center. Leslie Uggams replaced her. Carroll was forced to withdraw from the production when she suffered an injury that aggravated a previous condition, leaving her with a herniated disk and severe muscle strain. Then the gossip started.

[quote]r190 Lena, the LENA HORNE we know of from the height of her career, was from night clubs, not "Hollywood."

How can we "know" (or remember) what we didn't see?

R192 = in the dunce corner

[quote] She was announced for "On Golden Pond" reuniting her with James Earl Jones at The Kennedy Center. Leslie Uggams replaced her. Carroll was forced to withdraw from the production when she suffered an injury that aggravated a previous condition, leaving her with a herniated disk and severe muscle strain. Then the gossip started.

Carroll also had to withdraw from the 2014 production of "A Raisin In The Sun." She would have co-starred with Denzel Washington. She was replaced by LaTanya Richardson.

[quote] Barbara McNair and Diahann Carroll makes me think. As singers they were both nice looking boring, nothing NEAR Lena Horne as singers or performers. But Diahann pushed and pushed it - with the attitude affectation and clothes. Diahann wins, though not as good as Lena even on her worst day.

I don't think that's a fair assessment of Carroll. She had a beautiful voice that recorded well. She was a thrilling live performer, and a figure of glamour and sophistication. Also, Carroll was a good actress and a compelling presence onscreen. She would not have had the career she had if she was not uniquely talented.

"Not as good as Lena" is an opinion you'd have had in common with the great Miss Horne herself. If Lena were here, she would be gracious and pretend to be genuinely appreciative of your solicitude -- and then she'd laugh at you behind your back.

R190 haha. Oh pease! Anyone can get a look at all your posts and see who the bitter, old, stupid head really is. You're probably ugly too. I can tell by the way you type. I get plenty of rest and take no pills. I'm still young and beautiful so it must really bother you. You hate Diahann Carroll because she wasn't black enough for you. haha. Typical negro. Where you allowed in the front door of the nightclubs back then? What was it like in the really old days? Was Lena Horne as ugly in person as she was on tv? Please share all this wisdom you have.

I didn't like even one of these performances but I'd put Lola last nevertheless.

I loved her until I waited on her like I said, she was a raving drunken LOON, and MEAN! I'm certain these qualities don't just happen to be one-offs!

Gawd, these black celebrities are acting like Rosa Parks just died! They probably barely even knew Diahann, but loved having her represent them on tv and Broadway because she was very pretty and seemed classy, and I think it's fair to add light-skinned as well.

Believe what you want, DIAHANN CARROLL was a nightmare, ask around!

LOL R198

She did come a little close to white cosplay in this pic. I wonder if this is what MJ saw when he looked in a mirror.

To be fair. Diahann Carroll was one of the last of a dying breed R198. She was one of the last remaining links to a bygone era and she did break down barriers. I think that's the reason for Black Hollywood's reaction.

r198

Was she at your club/restaurant alone?

No, she often came in with Eartha Kitt (but then they had a falling out), and Miles Davis' first wife Frances Davis, who had no money and was just along for the free food and booze. Frances Davis was a wreck of a woman to look at, but like Eartha, quite nice!

R197, you have to put that in context. All of those woman had to share a stage with Whitney Houston. They were rattled, unsettled and outdone...

You are a LYAH!

Her marriage to Vic Damone was puzzling. He was a known abuser, used to beat the shit out of his former wife, Pier Angeli, regularly.

[quote]From his Instagram, it sounds as if she was good to Matt Bomer. On Twitter he linked to this with lots of hearts.

Besides being on his show for years, I believe she even spoke about him & introduced him at the event where he came out publicly.

[quote]She was one of the last remaining links to a bygone era and she did break down barriers. I think that's the reason for Black Hollywood's reaction.

Thank you for saying this R201. I've heard people, who I've never even heard so much as talk about her in the past and who don't seem to care much about entertainment, immediately spit out how important "Julia" was to them or to black people. It was a long time between Julia in 1968 & Get Christie Love in 1975 until a black woman was cast as the solo lead on a major network TV series when Scandal appeared in 2012.

R169 Wikipedia shows birth spelling as Diahann.

Spoiler alert: Wikipedia isn't the final word on anything.

[quote] [R169] Wikipedia shows birth spelling as Diahann.

Wikipedia? Oh, dear...

Please read my wonderful, out-of-print autobiography "Diahann!" for the real story.

R196 = DEFINITELY off the meds

"Her marriage to Vic Damone was puzzling. He was a known abuser..."

He was a big Streisand fan...I thought for a moment Damone was gay.

Vic Damone reportedly had a huge Italian cock.

R211, James Dean was heartbroken when Pier Angeli ended their affair and wed Vic Damone. Legend has it that he watched them emerge from the church as he sat on his motorcycle across the street.

So reminiscent of Stella Dallas!

[quote] Vic Damone reportedly had a huge Italian cock.

He had a huge Italian ego. He was threatened by any success she had as a performer that was not shared.

Diahann worried about him visiting her in Toronto during the run of "Sunset Boulevard" because there were large billboards around the city touting the show. She thought if he saw one of then he'd be enraged and run off to screw some other chick.

Tyler Perry dedicated the Diahann Carroll soundstage last night at the gala opening of his new studio in Atlanta. Oprah AND Beyonce were in attendance.

r216 Oprah, Beyoncé and Tyler? So THREE queens.

Well, all that glamour and glitter may not be paradise, but....

Who helps Diahann Carroll stay this glamorous?

I wonder if her name was pronounced "Die-ya-han" .... kind of like the Dyatlov Pass (?)

At any rate, Bob Mackie wrote she could wear absolutely anything ... that there was nothing he could design she couldn't carry.

Which is nice.

What really was her lineage? I always thought she looked mixed-ish.

You can see a still of her parents at r114.

R221 Probably white, black and native american like most light-skinned black american women.

[quote]Mama got it right. Her birth name is "Carol DIANE Johnson." However, in her teenage years, she was mentored by an older white gay man who convinced her that if she truly wanted to be shaded for all eternity by wretched old white gays she had to change the spelling to "DIAHANN."

I know this is a joke but I found it interesting that her birth name was actually Carol Diahann Johnson.

Her friend Elissa Oppenheim, at the age of 15, came up with Diahann Carroll when the two were thinking of names for themselves.

[quote]Probably white, black and native american like most light-skinned black american women.

Seems like both of her parents were black but her mother was lighter than her so there's likely something in her lineage.

Carroll mentioned that Oppenheimer changed her own name to Lisa Collins. Did "Collins" make any waves?

[quote]Tyler Perry dedicated the Diahann Carroll soundstage last night at the gala opening of his new studio in Atlanta. Oprah AND Beyonce were in attendance.

Lovely, lovelier if had done while she was alive to see it.

Make sure you watch the clip at R180 several times and learn you bitches.

Nothing's wrong with being 50. Unless you're acting 20.

[quote] Her marriage to Vic Damone was puzzling. He was a known abuser, used to beat the shit out of his former wife, Pier Angeli, regularly.

Hey that's part of our Eye-talian culture. How else are our women gonna know we love 'em??

She was sort of acting 20 with bra look.

R219 I loved that commercial. The only thing missing from that inventory of glamorous accessories is a steaming hot cup of High Point.

[R221] Probably white, black and native american like most light-skinned black american women.

Most black American women do not have Native American ancestry. Some do but most are some combination of African and European ancestry. Tina Turner was told and believed she had Cherokee ancestry her whole life. When her DNA was tested she had no Native American and was 1/3 European. I would guess Carroll, whose parents were from the South, has similar ancestry.

R229, I wonder if she ever got to sample Rex Smith's huge cock.

Years ago, when Diahann was a guest on The Mike Douglas Show, he asked her how she stayed so thin and she replied that she never ate sweets and hadn't had an ice cream sundae in about 20 years. During a commercial break, some staffer went out and brought back a hot fudge sundae and Mike proceeded to tease Diahann with it. She held it and then put it down, refusing to even taste it.

R169 From New York Times Obit ..

Carol Diann Johnson was born in the Bronx on July 17, 1935, to John and Mabel (Faulk) Johnson and grew up in Harlem. Her mother was a nurse, her father a New York City subway conductor.

(Though Ms. Carroll sometimes stated publicly that her middle name was originally spelled “Diahann,” she confirmed through her publicist in 2017 that she had adopted that spelling as a teenager, when she began entering TV talent competitions.)

Will Broadway dim for Tony winner Diahann?

They better.

[quote] "I'm really sad. She was someone who was very special to me. When I did my 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge' movie, she was with me a lot on that and consulted. I wanted to get it right. She was there to help and we forged our friendship from that moment. She was the first black woman I ever saw on television as a little kid. I was raised by my white mother. My father wasn't in the home. And seeing an image of a black woman, a beautiful black woman. She was a nurse. She wasn't a maid. She was well-spoken. It gave me hope that I, too, could do the same thing"

- Halle Berry, Oscar Winner

Fellow industry trailblazer Cicely Tyson told FOX 5's Marissa Mitchell she had known Carroll for more than five decades and visited the ailing actress last Sunday at her Los Angeles home.

[quote] "I knew that I wouldn't see her again," Tyson tearfully shared. "And while I was there ... Lenny Kravitz, who's my godson, showed up because he was on his way to Japan. She was not well but I didn't expect her to go so fast. But she was in a lot of pain so she is out of that. She and her daughter made up, so I think she left feeling good about that."

Shouldn't Broadway lights have dimmed on Friday or Saturday? Her memoriam was on the Apollo Theatre marquee by Friday afternoon with hours of the announcement.

Nice tribute from Tyler Perry.

I certainly hope these folks remember that Diahann was not the ONLY special, strong, beautiful, powerful black woman on the planet.

How long were Diahann and her daughter on the outs?

[quote] Carol Diann Johnson was born in the Bronx on July 17, 1935, to John and Mabel (Faulk) Johnson and grew up in Harlem. Her mother was a nurse, her father a New York City subway conductor.

Yes, I stand corrected. I once again reviewed my wonderful, out-of-print autobiography "Diahann!" and was surprised to find that my middle name was spelled "Diann" on my alleged birth certificate...which, regrettably, had to be destroyed due to an egregious discrepancy relating to my date of birth.

mlop filled out Diann's birth certificate.

[quote] How long were Diahann and her daughter on the outs?

They always had a difficult relationship -- there was discontent and disappointment on both sides. Varying degrees of estrangement for most of Suzanne's adult life until Diahann's grandchildren came into the picture. Then Diahann made a real effort and worked very hard to reconnect and make amends with Suzanne. V

It was one of the finest performances of her career.

[quote] How long were Diahann and her daughter on the outs?

They always had a difficult relationship -- there was discontent and disappointment on both sides. Varying degrees of estrangement for most of Suzanne's adult life until Diahann's grandchildren came into the picture. Then Diahann made a real effort and worked very hard to reconnect and make amends with Suzanne. V

It was one of the finest performances of her career.

lol, r243

[quote]Years ago, when Diahann was a guest on The Mike Douglas Show, he asked her how she stayed so thin and she replied that she never ate sweets and hadn't had an ice cream sundae in about 20 years. During a commercial break, some staffer went out and brought back a hot fudge sundae and Mike proceeded to tease Diahann with it. She held it and then put it down, refusing to even taste it.

Mike could be an asshole at times. Once he had Carol Channing on the show, and she was talking about her health food regimen. Mike kept interrupting Carol and saying things like, "But wouldn't you really love a chocolate brownie?" She clearly became very annoyed at his taunting. Mike was sort of . . . limited.

R113

Very good friend of mine was at one time a concierge at a hotel. She'd give me the scoop on various celebs when they stayed there. Carroll and her then husband Vic Damone were guests. My friend said that Damone was alright but like you said, the general opinion of the hotel staff was that Miss Carroll was a bitch on wheels.

Nice words from Cicely Tyson upthread. She's another beloved black female trailblazer who'll also get a heroine's farewell when she departs this Earth. It's amazing all the history these people have seen. Cicely will be 95 this December and she's STILL working!!!!

R239 That Apollo marquee celebrating Ms. Carroll is awesome. I grew up in Harlem but don't live there anymore. I'd love to see it in person though.

I saw Cicely Tyson in "Trip to Bountiful" and she was AMAZING.

I saw Cicely in "Trip To Bountiful" as well. I think it was Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Williams and Condola Rashad. Cicely was the best thing about it.

[quote]r241 How long were Diahann and her daughter on the outs?

In the Scavullo book entry shown at r184, Carroll talks (amongst other things) about how it upsets her to see her daughter eating BBQ ribs. I'm not kidding.

I can only surmise that over the years, darling daughter ate one too many ribs in front of Mommie.

R233, that's why those moments should be seen rather than conveyed because I had a totally different take on it. After Diahann refused the hot fudge sundae, co-host Totie Fields grabbed it and tried to eat it, only to have Diahann try to stop her. It was obviously unsuccessful.

R254, Totie was severely diabetic and should not have been even thinking of eating hot fudge sundaes.

A touching tribute from her TV son on "Julia", Marc Copage.

She was a Queen. Beeeautiful. Had a crush on her as a child in the 60s watching Julia. Why did it take two husbands before little old lesbian me woke up?! Thank you for your class and, beauty, Ms. Carroll.

That was a lovely story by her TV son, r256. I laughed when he said she didn't approve of his attire in this photo. She had high standards, and apparently expected better of him.

Shouldn't Broadway have dimmed by now if it's to happen?

[quote]Cicely will be 95 this December and she's STILL working!!!!

I cant believe Cicely Tyson and Harry Belafonte are still kicking in their 90s too. It seems like they have been around for an eternity.

Wow, I really enjoyed Marc Copage's article. Ms. Carroll sounds like such a wonderful person and mother figure. It's really cool that she never treated Marc as less than her even thought he was no longer "A List" or whatever. That proves she wasn't some stuck-up diva but a loving, caring person. What a loss.

R260, Harry is such a fucking DIVA, that in itself is probably keeping his old ass going.

What is that photo from, r260?

Incredible! 263 posts and not one mention of her long relationship with David Frost??!! They were a gorgeous international couple and the media loved them.

How can any couple containing David Forst be gorgeous?

[quote] Incredible! 263 posts and not one mention of her long relationship with David Frost??!! They were a gorgeous international couple and the media loved them.

Were they loved? Why didn't they marry?

R266, She guested on his afternoon talk show and they began dating, just like Marlo and Phil.

Diahann and Frost became engaged, but ended the engagement in 1973. She abruptly wed a Las Vegas boutique owner, but the marriage only lasted four months.

Diahann at The Pines in Fire Island.

[quote]Mike could be an asshole at times. Once he had Carol Channing on the show, and she was talking about her health food regimen. Mike kept interrupting Carol and saying things like, "But wouldn't you really love a chocolate brownie?" She clearly became very annoyed at his taunting. Mike was sort of . . . limited.

Mike was sort of . . . limited. Ha, so was Carol Channing...in talent.

David Frost was an annoying, fugly, pasty white Brit. I lost all respect for Diahann when she went with him in 1971. He's disgusting looking and acting. Later on, a self-admitted homophobe. I wasn't surprised.

I had the impression that the coupling of Frost and Carroll was very high-profile and not well-received by the public. I thought it was called off because neither wanted to risk the negative impact to their careers.

I had the impression that the coupling of Frost and Carroll was very high-profile and not well-received by the public. I thought it was called off because neither wanted to risk the negative impact to their careers.

I never heard anything like that, R272, it was 1971 not 1951. Frost still had his syndicated talk show, Diahann was singing on what was left of TV variety shows, and in nightclubs. I think they split up because - 1. Diahann was a piece of work, and just coming off a LT and difficult relationship with Sidney Poitier. 2. Frost probably wanted her to stop working or work less. Typical husband stuff. Did I mention he's gross?

Forget pic:

No one mentioned Frost when Carol Lynley died last month -- and she was another of Frost's affairs.

Yeah, R275, I am pretty familiar with Carroll's story and I was aware of the Frost affair but don't know details and never considered it a major part of her history. I would only expect it to be noted at DL in an exhaustive (and deserved) forensic audit and reappraisal of every aspect of her personal and professional life.

Carry on...

[quote]r275 No one mentioned Frost when Carol Lynley died last month -- and she was another of Frost's affairs.

Maybe he only dated those named Carol/Carroll?

And/or interviewed them, r277.

^^ bitter?

"Then in the fall of 2017, Ms. Carroll and I signed photographs next to each other at an autograph show near LAX airport. When I got there, one of the organizers informed me Diahann was suffering from DEMENTIA. This was the first I’d heard of it. There were no apparent signs as far as I could tell."

I was just looking at an archive New York Times Sunday June 20, 1971 and in the TV section there is a huge photo and the caption says..."Follies Girls" Dorothy Collins, Yvonne DeCarlo and Alexis Smith are among the guests when The David Frost Show devotes it's entire 90 minutes to the hit musical, Wednesday at 8:30 0n channel 5.

So Diahann Carroll has six degrees of separation with "Follies!"

[quote] As a child, I remember watching Diahann Carol’s tv series JULIA, and being mesmerized by her exquisite beauty, talent & grace. I was a huge fan from that point on. RIP to an extraordinary trailblazer.

- Marg Helgenberger

[quote] We never deserved Diahann Caroll. An icon.

- Robin Thede

[Quote] Professional virgin.

- Sammy Davis, Jr.

[quote] The first Black Bitch on TV...and off

- Lena Horne

[quote] Diahann was the first Black Bitch on TV...and off

- Lena Horne

Diahann stole all the Light Egyptian that night.

Light Egyptian made you darker, R287, not lighter. Lena is certainly wearing her custom darker make-up in that 1981 pic, and it wasn't called Light Egyptian.

Oh, how I'll miss you #DiahannCarroll We shared so much in our LA and Vegas days. What a joy to play opposite you in BLUE years ago. I will cherish my fond memories of one of the most talented and elegant people I've ever known. Rest in Power and Peace, dear one. 💔

- Leslie Uggams, Tony and (Daytime) Emmy Winner

"Diahann was the first Black Bitch on TV...and off"

Watch it sucka

From Horne's biography, regarding the Broadway engagement of her legendary comeback "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music"

[quote] Though nearsighted, Horne could spot almost any familiar face from the stage. If a star failed to pay respects afterward, Horne was offended. One night, recalled Frazier, she saw Diana Ross in the audience. “Later on she said, ‘That bitch didn't come back?!’ She was very annoyed.”

[quote] Not all who ventured backstage, of course, received the warmest welcome. Diahann Carroll, whom Horne had always treated curtly, saw the show repeatedly; she always went to the dressing room.

[quote] “And waited forty-five, fifty-five minutes each time, while she changed and showered,” said Carroll.

[quote] Then Horne would glance her way. “You’re here again?”

[quote] “Yes, and I may be here again!”

She must have been sick for some time. I don't think she had dementia but I saw something on YT that was as late as 2018, ("How The Five Heart Beats Was Made"--Ridiculous! The movie wasn't that great), and she appeared at some audience participation premiere of the documentary. She was in good voice but it seemed as if she had some difficulty with her walking.

I'm also surprised that her screen credits were so little. But, I guess that's about being Black in Hollywood. She was mostly a saloon singer.

(her entrance is at the 13:00 min mark)

r288=Max Factor

Thanks for the link, r280. It might come with a MARY! warning as I teared up while reading it.

She comes off as a commanding star, but also a genuine and caring human being.

Okay, it's official. I really need to see The Five Heartbeats. I was 11 when it came out and til this day, I still haven' seen at. I had no idea Diahann Carroll was in it until I read this thread, lol.

Article @R280, the kid from Julia says Diahann criticized his clothes and told him to go on a diet!

I didn't know she was such a belter of a singer! I thought she had one of those quiet Janet Jackson type voices. I'm so glad to learn otherwise.

"I don't think she had dementia"

R292, how would you know? Having dementia could mean you're forgetful and need help with names, places and taking care of yourself. It doesn't mean you forgot your name and what planet you live on.

You should see it, R295. It's an engaging film BUT it really isn't all of that. I'm surprised that Robert Townsend made a documentary about it. I mean... the film employed Black actors... and, that is a GOOD thing! It's enjoyable and have since become some sort of cult piece but I'm missing all of the brouhaha over the work.

Budget: $280,000 (estimated) : The film grossed approximately $8,500,000 after being released in 862 theaters throughout North America. However, despite the film's moderate success, it was not well received by a majority of critics.

Given the film's budget and what it grossed I would say that it was a hit. But....

She and her wig also did a duet with Stevie Wonder. I'm very impressed. She also looks absolutely stunning here.

I don't know, R298. I'm just going on my own personal experiences with my family members who unfortunately developed dementia.

I watched most of the clip of Diahann's appearance at R292. That event was less than a year ago, and she certainly doesn't sound like someone who has severe dementia -- just has a few brief moments of forgetfulness, which is totally understandable. So what is the source for people who are insisting she had severe dementia for years?

Dinah....

This is nice;

Broadway League to Dim Marquee Lights in Memory of Tony-Winning Star Diahann Carroll

The Broadway League has announced the dimming of many main-stem marquee lights in memory of Tony-winning actress Diahann Carroll, who died on October 4. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of the American Airlines, Broadhurst, Helen Hayes, Hudson, Marquis, New Amsterdam, Vivian Beaumont, Samuel J. Friedman and St. James Theatres for one minute on October 16 at exactly 7:45pm.

[quote]She must have been sick for some time.

I wrote that because her last credit appears to have been in 2016

WHET Robert Townsend, by the way?

Here's his Wiki page....

[quote]I thought she had one of those quiet Janet Jackson type voices.

Diahann would have been less than thrilled to be compared to non-singer Janet Jackson.

She can't sit down....

Thanks R299. Yeah, I didn't think it was a masterpiece either, but I've noticed over the years how it's become a sort of modern black classic for many people so that peaked my interest. It's loosely based on the The Temptations, right?

Count me in as another person who didn't know Diahann had such an outstanding voice (going to hide in the corner now ....)

Yes, R309. Another "Dream Girls," so to speak. So, it's not like the story was new and different. I suppose we must always remember and never forget to keep the film in the context of its time. I read somewhere that Townsend auditioned nearly 10K people for the film. There really weren't many opportunities for Black actors... and, for such roles. So, I guess that is why the film is so important now. Also, I guess that is how Townsend got Miss Carroll to sign on for the project. What else was she going to do? Anyway, it surely is a bona fide classic! I'm surprised MOTOWN never had an issue with it--especially, since a stage play, (yes, really), is or was in the works to bring it to Broadway. However, I think MOTOWN beat them to the punch with the "The Temptations" stage play.

Porgy.....

MMPH... no one here has really commented about Miss Carroll's performance in the role of Norma Desmond. I thought that to be a groundbreaking performance too. I don't know anything about her performance or the reviews though. For some reason I've always envisioned Diana Ross doing that part but I don't think she has the vocal chords or stamina for such a project.

Ummm I loved The Five Heartbeats and many love it, not just black people.

314 replies but no one mentioned her being VR Porn during the Star Wars Holiday Special?

[quote]that peaked my interest. I

Oh, dear!

Oh shit, thanks for catching that R316. My writing has been shit today, lol.

FYI, there's a "Julia" marathon beginning at 8:00 AM Saturday on the Aspire channel.

[quote]I didn't know she was such a belter of a singer! I thought she had one of those quiet Janet Jackson type voices. I'm so glad to learn otherwise.

Broadway doesn't go for those quiet Janet Jackson type voices. You have to hit the back of the balcony, Baby. And that was one broad who could do it.

Thanks for the heads up, r318

SHIT! I hate those pic where you can see up her nostrils into her brain.

R321, I beg your pardon?

^^^I got your number, Hussy.

Diahann was my dear friend, I am still grieving and I will drag a b*tch...

^^^I got your number, Hussy.

Diahann was my dear friend, I am still grieving and I will drag a b*tch...

OMG. I keep double posting because this thread doesn't update.

What was it with black celebrities serving greyface in the 80s?

Broadway lights will dim on October 16, 2019 at 7:45pm

R326 there was very little makeup that worked for their complexions. That’s why now so many make so many colors, so you can find the one that fits your complexion

I'm a Nuclear Winter, r328.....

Watching the "Julia" marathon on Aspire. It was a lovely little show. She was basically the straight woman and the downstairs neighbor, Laurene Tuttle and Lloyd Nolan were genuinely funny.

From All In the Family:

Archie: So how did you like the Julia show last night?

Louise: Fine, how did you like Doris Day?

Some of Miss Carroll's scenes from "Sunset Boulevard"

R330, Back in 1968, critics questioned how a single working mother could afford the extensive wardrobe that Julia had, so the writers had a sewing machine prominently placed in her apartment.

And I noticed she definitely wore the same blue dress in a few episodes.

Notice "the critics" never asked the same questions about other sitcom characters, if they even did about Diahann Carroll's, I'd like to see a link. Most notably how these middle class families had live-in maids such as Hazel, and later on The Bradys - never mentioned.

R335 . . .

"Carroll’s portrayal of Julia Baker was generally praised for its poise and warmth. For the role, she received an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe Award.

But the show as a whole was criticized on several fronts. One was the fact that Julia’s elegant apartment, magnificent wardrobe and saintly, unruffled temperament were surely unrepresentative of the life of any single working mother of a young child.

More serious charges concerned issues of race. Though the show’s scripts dealt with various slights of racism — or “discrimination,” as it was called then — in a gentle, homiletic manner, many critics felt that “Julia” painted a far rosier picture of American racial amity than actually existed in 1968."

Hmm . . .

So the only authentic representation of a single Black woman with a child even in 1968-69 was to have her live in the hood, work as a maid for a rich white woman and cry about how "the man" was keeping her down? I'd like to know how many of these critics were white men. I am reminded of a white music critic who once claimed that Aretha Franklin was the only authentically Black female singing star of the 60s because "Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross sing white music for white people". He clearly didn't know about Aretha's life-long fondness for straight pop music and that there was more than one way to be "authentically Black". (A lesson that the Black idiots who booed poor Whitney at the Soul Train Awards would also have done well to learn.)

So the only authentic representation of a single Black woman with a child even in 1968-69 was to have her live in the hood, work as a maid for a rich white woman and cry about how "the man" was keeping her down? I'd like to know how many of these critics were white men. I am reminded of a white music critic who once claimed that Aretha Franklin was the only authentically Black female singing star of the 60s because "Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross sing white music for white people". He clearly didn't know about Aretha's life-long fondness for straight pop music and that there was more than one way to be "authentically Black". (A lesson that the Black idiots who booed poor Whitney at the Soul Train Awards would also have done well to learn.)

Nice try, R336/337, but no cigar.

R340, It was just the link where the text from R336 was found.

So, you can take that cigar and shove it up your shit crusted ass.

R341, you're at the right place. The DL is for snarling bitches!

Indeed, r342. Particularly for heated discourse about the Dead Divas and ancient social mores.

I have spent a bit of time listening to Miss Carroll's interviews from maybe the last two years prior to her death. She probably knew that she was dying. The interviews are so reflective, honest, and thought provoking. What a wonderful woman.

It wasn't that great of an apartment, it was only one bedroom which she gave her son and she slept on a sofa bed in the living room.

R345, And she slept in full makeup, mascara, eye shadow and false eyelashes. She awoke with every hair in place, camera ready.

I know what you mean, R346.

Paris Blues.

1961

It's utterly amazing how bad "Paris Blues" is.

R349

They totally changed the plot.

In fact, in the original Harold Flender book. The couple was interracial.

They did not want that in the movie.

She was kind of central a few times in her life (which is more than most of us, so good for her) but it's not like she was a revolutionary talent.

I mean, her biggest hit was DYNASTY for god's sake.

R351, Wrong. "Julia" was her biggest hit.

Julia got higher ratings than Dynasty?

"Julia" made her a household name. It was a groundbreaking hit show for NBC and Diahann was proud of it.

You would call that a personal triumph. I am not stating what did or did not make her a name, I am saying her biggest hit was a tacky nighttime soap opera.

What part of "biggest hit" do you not understand?

R355, I'm not suggesting that she was some sort of transcendent talent, but how many great roles were even available to Black actresses in the 60s, 70s and 80s? Diana, a much bigger star, got "Lady Sings the Blues", and Cicely, probably the best actress of them all, did the Jane Pittman TV film. Even if Carroll had been a rare talent, she wouldn't have have had even a tenth of the opportunities that a Liza Minnelli or Jane Fonda or Barbra Streisand were given.

R355, Diahann was the star of "Julia", it was her show and a hit series.

On "Dynasty", she was just a supporting player and not until it had been on the air for several seasons.

Her obits mentioned "Julia" before "Dynasty".

[quote]Julia got higher ratings than Dynasty?

There were only three networks at the time. Use common sense.

Julia Baker, Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher), and probably others cannot think of were all attractive young women who *had* to be widows because even by late 1960's networks felt audiences weren't ready for a divorced mother, and unmarried was just out of the question.

In any other series there would have been obvious romantic tension building between Joe Mannix and his secretary. Dr. Norton Chegley while obvious not insensitive to the beautiful and elegant young nurse Baker, was safely cast too old for anything serious to be a question regardless of race.

Julia certainly did break down barriers on many levels.

Civil Rights Act was barely five years old when Julia began airing (IIRC),but many hospitals, doctors offices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities didn't read that memo. Places actively discriminated against hiring AA nurses in large part because certain patients didn't want to be cared for by a "black" nurse or doctor for that matter.

On another note bet Diahann Carroll and other AA actresses were happy when theatrical and other cosmetic lines began making shades suitable for themselves.

Looking at Ms. Carroll in linked picture she looks beige .

"Julia" made her a household name."

FYI, Diahann Carroll was all over TV in variety and talk shows - she was already a household name. Julia was just another step forward. I thought the show was mediocre, but still watched it. I was twelve in '68 and we had no TV remote.

"Julia" made her a household name. It was a show on a major network that brought her into the homes of those who were unfamiliar with her from appearances on talk shows, at the Persian Room, or in Vegas. Julia brought her mainstream acclaim.

But didn't Carroll appearon, and even host, shows like The Hollywood Palace? People knew her already.

Yeah R362, perhaps you are unaware of Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Danny Kaye, Garry Moore, Hollywood Palace, Kraft Music Hall and later Smothers Brothers, Tom Jones, Flip Wilson and Glen Campbell were weekly VARIETY SHOWS that people who didn't not go to the Persian Room watched. Not to mention Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, Virginia Graham, Della Reese - all DAILY talk shows. Julia may have put Diahann Carroll on the map as an actress, but the mainstream masses already knew her as a singer. Perhaps you weren't around at the time.

I meant that for R361, you are 100% correct R362.

SHE WAS A SALOON SINGER!

I made her known throughout the world.

R363, On the majority of the shows you listed, Diahann appeared after "Julia" debuted in September of 1968.

Many of them didn't even exist prior to 1968.

No, darling. Most of them were gone by 1968. This is 1965:

R367, Sweetie, I just counted 7 from your list that were still in the idea stage in 1968.

Stop embarrassing yourself.

[quote]You would call that a personal triumph. I am not stating what did or did not make her a name, I am saying her biggest hit was a tacky nighttime soap opera. What part of "biggest hit" do you not understand?

What part of "You are a flaming asshole" do you not understand?

Only seven out of 20+ R368? Was Diahann on Sonny & Cher? You have no case!

I had Diahann on MY tv show, which was CHIC and stylish!

What a beautiful tribute!

Cicely Tyson Says She Visited Her Friend Diahann Carroll Days Before Her Death--Carroll died of cancer on October 4.

Legendary Hollywood star Diahann Carroll died at age 84 from cancer on October 4. And as the first-ever Black actress to appear as a non-servant character in her role in Julia, Carroll was admired—and mourned by many—including her friend and fellow iconic A-lister, Cicely Tyson.

While appearing on the red carpet for the grand opening of Tyler Perry's new 330-acre Atlanta studios on October 5, Tyson opened up to FOX 5 Atlanta's Marissa Mitchell about Carroll. Through tears, the How to Get Away With Murder star revealed that she visited Carroll just days before her death.

"I've known Diahann for 50 years, and I went to see her Sunday because we talked on the phone, and when I would go to California I would visit," Tyson said. "We always wanted to go to lunch but we didn't go because she knew that she could not. And so I called the house, and said I was coming out to see her. And I went and I visited her Sunday, and it was um... I knew that I wouldn't see her again."

Tyson also told Mitchell: "She was not well but I didn't expect her to go so fast. But she was in a lot of pain so she is out of that."

Our thoughts are with Carroll's family and friends.

And a doll, r361....she got a DOLL out of it!

That's impressive, R374. That was probably the first black Barbie doll based on a TV character.

It wouldn't be the last, r375.......

The more episodes I watched of the "Julia" marathon on Aspire, the sillier the show got.

What a beautiful memory. This was GOOD television!

Don;t know if this has been posted, above. But Carroll's been dead a long time now (three weeks), and I can't weed through the whole thing.

Broadway lights dimmed for the legendary Diahann Carroll.

But Diane Ross got the last laugh as the bonehead correspondent referred to her as "Diana Carroll ." Shameful.

What a wonderful tribute to Miss Carroll and the character Dominique Deveraux . I think she would have LOVED it!

Tamron Hall Is Dominique Deveraux For Halloween!

Been listening to the Audiobook of her memoir. Lots of good dish, she eviscerates Sidney Poitier.

Her first autobiography was dishier. She said mean things about Dorothy Dandridge, Otto Preminger, Pearl Bailey and others.

R384, Yet, she has complimentary things to say about Dandridge and Preminger in the second book.

Sidney Poitier dumped her, she's not going to write kindly about him and no one really cares. If he was dead when her book was written, it would have been a much different picture believe me. Lena Horne loathed Diahann, and there was always a lot of tension there, but since Lena is depicted as a saint in the media, I doubt Diahann told the real story.

[quote] [R384], Yet, she has complimentary things to say about Dandridge and Preminger in the second book.

In the first book she says Dandridge was only an actress because she was beautiful and there was nothing else for her to do. It was a low-key shade. Dandridge was a singer and actress just like Carroll but Carroll had little regard for Dandridge's talent. She also discussed a conversation they had before Dandridge married her 2nd husband that was disparaging as to Dandridge's values and mindset.

^^^Also, Dandridge was long-dead and forgotten when she wrote the first book. Since then Dandridge has been resurrected and mythologized as the "First Black" this, Phenomenal Women that. So she had to change her tune regarding Dandridge.

^^^Also, Dandridge was long-dead and forgotten when she wrote the first book. Since then Dandridge has been resurrected and mythologized as the "First Black" this, Phenomenal Women that. So she had to change her tune regarding Dandridge.

Oh, God...

I had to say it three times because once was not enough for Muriel.

Oh, God...

I had to say it three times because once was not enough for Muriel.

Lena despised Dandridge too. She destroyed a dressing room throwing a rage when she found out Dandridge got a gig at the Waldorf before her. LH's gay husband only fixed her another martini.

Dorothy Dandridge took huge risk appearing at WA, and it paid off not just for her, but other AA performers to follow including LH.

How would the great LH have felt if she had gone first and reception had been frosty to even hostile?

R394, Lena was first and foremost a SINGER, and a top headliner on the night club circuit. Dorothy was an actress who could barely sing. Additionally, Lena was a New York favorite for almost ten years before her debut at the Empire Room.

^ that was meant for R393.

R395

As above VF piece makes clear LH did not have a very high opinion of night club gigs prior to landing WA. She famously referred to such places as "toilets" IIRC. It was only after landing at WA and subsequent chi-chi white clubs that her views (slightly) changed.

Darling, R396, EVERYONE called night clubs toilets, even Lainie Kazan (ten years later). Lena was already working the Copa, Latin Casino, the Sands in Las Vegas and others - all white - and she was a hit in all before the Waldorf. The author of that article is a hack writer who did her biography, and he had a massive agenda.

The night club circuit is a rough business even to this day The women mentioned above didn't want to sing. They wanted to act! Acting was their passion. But, there were only very few roles available to the colored, and even less options for the colored women. I would think that many Asian American actors could identify with the feelings that these women had--and, probably worse. What Asian have you seen doing night clubs?

It's understandable that Dandridge, Carroll, and Horne, had a dislike for each other. They competed against each other for the few single roles offered to Vanity Fair beautiful black women. Sure! Pearl Bailey would get more work and Ethel Waters too. They're reminiscent of the traditional mammy roles that were mostly written for Black women at that time. But, for Black women who were ingenue type? I guess you should marry well.

True, R398, but by the 1950s, Lena knew what her calling was, and it wasn't acting.

Why...the...fuck...are...you...talking...about...Lena f*cking Horne?!

This is MY thread.

I am dead.

When Whitney Houston would get all dolled up and looked like a true dive, especially for the Clive Davis Grammy parties every year. Shed always remind me of Diahann Carroll, and how she carried herself. She's what I always thought of whitney as.

And Diahann knew she was getting a studio named after her at Tyler Perry studio's. He told her a year in advance that she was going to be one of the ones who get a sound stage named after her. Tyler said Diahann said if she's alive, she be there.

Sadly, she died the day before she sound stage dedication happened. That's really wild.

Yes, too sad. Carroll never received a Kennedy Center Honors, or a lifetime achievement Grammy or Oscar. She was consistently underrated as a performer because she was beautiful and had so few outlets for her unique talent in the days before contemporary music took over.

Yes, too sad. Carroll never received a Kennedy Center Honors, or a lifetime achievement Grammy or Oscar. She was consistently underrated as a performer because she was beautiful and had so few outlets for her unique talent in the days before contemporary music took over.

White women get all the lucky breaks in showbiz.

Pia zadora anyone? Golden globe brought and paid for by her wealthy sugar daddy husband.

Disgusting.

"When Whitney Houston would get all dolled up and looked like a true dive . . ."

BWAH-HAH-HAH! Truer words were never typed, R401! Even under buckets of shellac, poor Nippy was always poor Nippy.

R403

True, all true.

Miss. Diahann Carroll was the total package; beauty, grace, elegance, class and talent. But she had the misfortune of being in wrong place at wrong time.

But she did earn a Tony for her role in Broadway musical "No Strings" and an Oscar nomination for film "Claudine", that is something anyway.

R406, Diahann got "Claudine" by default.

"Third World Cinema also co-produced the major motion picture "Claudine", in which Diana Sands had originally signed to play the title role before pancreatic cancer claimed her life in 1973 at the age of 39."

Ironically, Diana had played Diahann's cousin on several episodes of "Julia".

It was a project developed for Diana Sands. Sands was the only "Diana" that Carroll liked. According to Carroll, it was Diana Sands' dying wish that she (Carroll) play the title role in "Claudine."

^ Yeah...I'm sure that's true.

^^^ IT IS TRUE!!!!

Carroll has said that herself, R409. They were very good friends and would recommend each other for roles. I believe I saw somewhere that Carroll wasn't even the first choice for "Julia" The first choice was Sands. This would sort of make sense to me because of all of the Black actresses of that time it was Sands that was well-known and who had a decent film resume. When they needed an actress to play Julia's cousin it was Carroll who recommended Sands.

Just take a look at her IMDB. Carroll really doesn't have many film credits at all--especially in the 50's and 60's

Is Diahann creole? She kinda looks like it. She also looks like she could be related to beyonce and jada pinkett Smith.

Both women are part creole.

R407

Thanks for that, have loved watching "Raisin In The Sun" and wondered WEHT Diana Sands.

DC just seemed to get locked into/stereotyped or whatever as a "diva" it seems.

Both she and Diana Sands were classmates at Music and Arts HS in NYC, their education and professional paths afterwards were slightly different. DC found her "home" mostly on television, while Ms. Sands (graduate of Actor's Studio)

The diva roles truly suited Diahann. I loved seeing her well dressed and put together.

Richard Rodgers was a notorious womanizer. Every ingenue on Broadway knew better than to ever allow herself to be in a room alone with him.

I have to wonder if he ever hit on Diahann when he cast her in No Strings.

Although it is a private matter I'm very surprised that Carroll's family were so closed mouth about her funeral and her burial. To this day I don't think that anyone knows anything about her funeral, or her burial or cremation. Reportedly she left an estate valued at $20MM.

I believe her last residence was Sierra Towers in LA

Actress/singer DIAHANN CARROLL, who played Norma Desmond in the Toronto production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” until earlier this year, has purchased a two-bedroom condo in a high-rise just outside of Beverly Hills for $450,000, sources say. Carroll, 61, has starred in a number of TV series, including “Dynasty” and “Julia.” She will appear with Samuel L. Jackson in the movie “Eve’s Bayou,” due to be released in October. She was married, until recently, to singer Vic Damone for many years. She sold her Beverly Hills home of 20 years in the last year for slightly more than $1 million, sources have said. Her condo is about 1,800 square feet and has city and mountain views.

(Photo from Feb 17, 2017)

R386, Despite Lena's loathing of Diahann, she attended her funeral.

For a photo op, R417, just like Dionne and several others who barely knew Lena.

R413, Diana Sands on "Julia".

I have no doubt that Richard Rodgers was inappropriate with Carroll. She endured more than her fair share of #metoo sh*t.

[quote]I believe her last residence was Sierra Towers in LA

OMG -- was she Liza's neighbor?

R416

You are correct, it is a private matter for within the family. Had they or perhaps Ms. Carroll's final wishes wanted to include a general broadcast, it would have been done.

It isn't uncommon nowadays when someone passes after a lengthy mortal illness to just get on with things as it were, but quietly without a lot of fuss. Later there maybe some sort of memorial service or gathering to celebrate the deceased life, not mourn their death.

By all accounts Ms. Carroll in life the same class act she often portrayed on screen; thus she'd likely be appalled by her funeral turning into some sort of PR spectacle.

If you wish however can leave flowers or write something at Ms. Carroll's Legacy page.

[quote] For a photo op, [R417], just like Dionne and several others who barely knew Lena.

Ha! Some photo-op...

There was little media coverage. The youngest person there was 50. And it was almost exclusively black celebrities and dignitaries. Diahann Carroll's presence did more for Lena than Diahann. She was one of only 2 or 3 "legends" -- as officially designated by Oprah -- in attendance.

Besides, no one ever "knew" Lena. She spent her life shielding herself from others. All of her true friends predeceased her by decades. She wasn't friends with that clique of white folks who thought they were her friends -- she was just pretending and using them.

As towering a presence as Lena was in showbusiness, no white diva ever publicly claimed to have been inspired by her or her artistry -- even though Streisand, Liza, Lainie Kazan, Eydie Gorme and countless lesser stars borrowed liberally from her.

To their credit, the black divas always held her up. Dionne, Nancy Wilson, Diana Ross, Leslie Uggams, Freda Payne, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Audra McDonald and Whitney Houston, among others, always spoke reverentially and glowingly about Lena even though she'd been out of the public eye for years -- and they had less in common with her artistically than some of those white girls. In the latter years, even Diahann, Shirley Bassey and Eartha Kitt had complimentary things to say about Lena. So if it wasn't for the acknowledgement and praise she received from black stars there would have been none at all.

I was really proud of Diahann Carroll for going to Lena's funeral. She even had kind words when she was interviewed at the funeral. Diahann was the model of propriety and decorum. She could have been at home watching Oprah but instead she went to the funeral of an old woman she didn't even like.

There's something to be said for longevity. Just take a moment and think about the numerous Black actresses who were very good but no one can really name them. I was thinking, (and, this is not to take anything away from Miss Carroll), what did her body of work truly entail that would justify her as being a great actress? Someone up thread mentioned about her never receiving a Kennedy Honors award. Well... did her body of work really justify one?

I don't think that anyone would doubt that she was a trailblazer. Just watching that clip of "Julia" reminded me how monumental that role was in how women--especially Black women, were viewed and perceived. But, other than "Dynasty" (which left an indelible mark) what other work of hers was so very dynamic? There are many people who are unfamiliar with the movie "Claudine." But, most people know and have seen "Lady Sings the Blues" and Diana Ross who she competed with for that year's OSCAR. Carroll's singing career wasn't stellar. I guess it really all comes down to marketing and a fantastic publicist. Bottom line... she was a working actress.

Actually, Diana Ross was Oscar nominated the previous year, losing to Liza.

These were the Best Actress nominees at the 1975 ceremony.

BEST ACTRESS

WINNER

ELLEN BURSTYN

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

NOMINEES

DIAHANN CARROLL

Claudine

FAYE DUNAWAY

Chinatown

VALERIE PERRINE

Lenny

GENA ROWLANDS

A Woman under the Influence

Here ya go, R424 . . .

[quote]Just take a moment and think about the numerous Black actresses who were very good but no one can really name them.

Rosalind Cash, December 31, 1938 – October 31, 1995

I always thought her to be the better actress. But, she wasn't the classical beauty and her career consisted mostly television since she was very selective in the roles that she would take. But, just at a glance, it seems as if she worked more than Carroll.

Another one

Janet MacLachlan, August 27, 1933 – October 11, 2010

She's had more film credits than Miss Carroll.

If she had wanted to work more in musicals in the sixties/seventies what roles would have been right for her? The Lee Remick role in Anyone Can Whistle? Phyllis in Follies?

R423, in New York there was loads of media coverage. If you expected something like Whitney's, no. I have no doubt that Lena's funeral was staged for the cameras, that we saw Diahann Carroll and Leslie Uggams, who also spoke, not Lauren Bacall and Liz Smith. And Bacall was a long time good friend. There was also promotion of Lena's difficult second marriage, he was pictured with her on the funeral program. There were rumors to squelch even after her death.

"no white diva ever publicly claimed to have been inspired by her or her artistry -- even though Streisand, Liza, Lainie Kazan, Eydie Gorme and countless lesser stars borrowed liberally from her."

Lainie Kazan always claimed Lena as a singing idol, along with Garland and Ella Fitzgerald. And Lena and Lainie were friendly acquaintances too - Lena gave her a quote for the back of one of her 1990s CDs - extremely rare for Lena, who made a point of attaching herself only to black entertainers, in public, that is.

Besides, no one ever "knew" Lena? That sounds like bullshit from James Gavin's book. Sure she outlived most of her friends, and there was a period when she was rejecting long time friends and associates. She used her white husband, yes, but Lena had many real white friends, many gay and white. In private, Lena had no aversion to whites when she was an adult.

I take nothing away from Diahann Carroll for attending Lena's funeral because of who she was rather than a friendship that never existed. I do however wonder why former friend and New York resident Harry Belafonte couldn't get his ass in gear and attend. As for what you said, R423, about Lena's definite influence on Streisand, she was in town that week and did not attend Lena's funeral.

R430, Former grandson-in-law Bobby Cannavale was there.

Yes, he was the with his son - Lena's great grandson.

God what an awesome group of performances for Best Actress, R425. For those who weren't around then, these were the years when the media was going on and on about the lack of good roles for women.

Wait a minute... Bobby Cannavale, (whom I adore), is related to the Horne? How is this?

Bobby Cannavale was married to Lena's granddaughter Jenny Lumet for a few years, They have a son who is now 24 and an actor too.

[quote] Lainie Kazan always claimed Lena as a singing idol, along with Garland and Ella Fitzgerald. And Lena and Lainie were friendly acquaintances too - Lena gave her a quote for the back of one of her 1990s CDs - extremely rare for Lena, who made a point of attaching herself only to black entertainers, in public, that is.

R430, Lainie has never uttered a word about Lena. I have seen her 3 or 4 times and recall that in her act she spoke rapturously, repeatedly, about Judy Garland. Never a word about Lena. Not even in interviews.

...and she wasnt at the funeral.

[quote] I have no doubt that Lena's funeral was staged for the cameras, that we saw Diahann Carroll and Leslie Uggams, who also spoke, not Lauren Bacall and Liz Smith. And Bacall was a long time good friend. There was also promotion of Lena's difficult second marriage, he was pictured with her on the funeral program. There were rumors to squelch even after her death.

Bacall and Horne were not friends -- they have overlapping mythologies. Horne's daughter is fond of telling a story about how Bogart set some bigoted neighbors straight when Horne lived in Hollywood. However, it sounds like pure bullsh*t and I doubt in happened in the way it has been recounted. Liz Smith was a gossip columnist who loved Lena -- hopefully from a respectable distance. Her presence was nothing special.

The only thing Gavin got right was that no one "knew" Lena. She was strategic in all of her relationships. She was a deeply traumatized women. Her friendships were opportunistic and she was accustomed to changing personas to fit her surroundings. All of her gay and white friends were inevitably disappointed to learn at some point that they were not her friends.

Streisand was not alone. Liza didn't attend. Shirley Bassey was in NYC at the time and didn't bother with the funeral. Belafonte, Poitier, Bill Cosby -- none bothered. Yeah, so Diahann, Uggams and Cicely Tyson being there was a big deal. A show of respect.

Any word on Diahanns funeral and who attended?

I'm not going to take you on point by point, R436, because it's exhausting. A few things -

The Bogart thing in Hollywood was before he was married or involved with Bacall. Whether true or not, it comes from Lena's autobiography, maybe her first one in 1950. I'd have to check. Daughter Gail Lumet is full of it most of the time simply because she wasn't there and is treated like a Horne spokesperson. Btw, Lauren Bacall was a good friend New York of both Lena and Gail's that's a fact that had nothing to do with Bogart or the Bogart story.

As for Lainie, I've read her credit Lena, I've heard her in interviews credit Lena. How would you explain Lena providing a compliment for the back of her CD?

"She was strategic in all of her relationships."

Do you perhaps know one of these unfortunates? One of the female fans Lena invited to her room and cast aside? Lena was a loner, not a clingy needy type. For a show business type, it's hardly indicates being "deeply traumatized." Her incompetent later manager Sherman Sneed, who isolated Lena from many friends, deserves a lot of credit.

I will say something nice about daughter Gail's coming up with the truth as she saw it first hand. In her last of the never ending Horne books, Gail finally confirms the gay rumors around Lena and white husband Lennie Hayton as early as the 1950s, and that they slept in separate bedrooms.

For fun, text of a handwritten letter to Lena from Bacall on the occasion of the former's 80th birthday celebration for charity:

Dearest Lena,

Happy-happy birthday to the most beautiful, talented, gutsy and exciting woman and performer it has been my privilege to know -

You are a true treasure - and I love you - and I celebrate you for every day, for every year, for always -

XXXXX Betty B

You mean.... they.... they were.... they were...

HOMOSEXUAL?

[quote]Streisand was not alone. Liza didn't attend. Shirley Bassey was in NYC at the time and didn't bother with the funeral. Belafonte, Poitier, Bill Cosby -- none bothered.

I WAS THERE! Maybe high as a kite but I was there!

[quote]Horne died on May 9, 2010. Her funeral took place at St. Ignatius Loyola Church on Park Avenue in New York. Thousands gathered and attendees included Leontyne Price, Dionne Warwick, Liza Minnelli, Jessye Norman, Chita Rivera, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Leslie Uggams, Lauren Bacall, Robert Osborne, Audra McDonald, and Vanessa Williams. After the service, her remains were cremated.

Liza could have been there - they must have held her down and gagged her to keep her from hogging the cameras. Btw, I doubt Lena was cremated, her body exited Frank Campbells in a coffin not an urn. Cremated or in one piece, she's probably at the Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn with her grandparents. Someone should check.

Bobby Cannavale, btw, was a good friend of Lena's, and may have remained so after he divorced her granddaughter. His words, in print.

R437, this could be an interesting discussion in a Lena Horne thread. Maybe you'll start one.

All this talk about her in this thread is an insult to Diahann Carroll

[quote] Any word on Diahanns funeral and who attended?

Her funeral service was private. I have heard from a semi-reliable source that a public memorial service is in the works.

Well since we've gone down that road already; dirt on LH and her family in particular the grandchildren and great....

Bobby Cannavale also attended LH's funeral, not that this would be shocking news....

We know. R444, you haven't read this thread.

Thank you, r426! I've never seen that clip of Diahann on Oscar night. She attended with her mother. I don't think she expected to win but she certainly didn't expect to lose to Burstyn. Neither did Dunaway or Rowlands. LOL.

R48

Don't believe Dynasty was any sort of "step down" or that DC was "reduced" to something below her level by appearing on that show. Was Rock Hudson, Joan Collins, John Forsythe, Kate O'Mara, Ali McGraw, Billie Dee Williams and countless others some how reduced or demeaned so?

Episode television going back to the 1960's long became a haven for actors/entertainers both veterans of the business or just starting out.

Besides earning money, appearing on television gave actors a chance to keep themselves before public eye.

Dominique Deveraux exposed DC to a new younger generation who otherwise might not have known her, it certainly IMHO was a better role than Marion Gilbert (A Different World) which had DC playing some uptight sidity diva.

R446, Faye was totally deglammed on that Oscar clip, not even a hint of makeup and her gown looked frumpy.

In her second memoir, Diahann writes of her dilemma when husband Vic Damone was scheduled to visit her in Toronto during the run of Sunset Blvd. He always had to have the upper hand in their marriage and Diahann was fearful that the billboards throughout the city advertising the show and praising her performance would ignite his Italian temper. Removing the billboards while he was visiting was briefly considered, but they remained in place.

What was the project discussed called?

R383, In her book, Diahann writes of the photo session for the cover. A number of outfits were at the photo shoot, but she was experiencing severe bloating and none of them would fit. She asked the photographer to remove his black shirt and that is what she's wearing in the cover photo.

[quote]r387 In the first book she says Dandridge was only an actress because she was beautiful and there was nothing else for her to do.

Carroll had a tiny part in CARMEN JONES, and talks about trying to ingratiate herself to director Otto Preminger, getting him to teach her about camera set-ups, etc. between scenes. Dandridge probably didn't take kindly to Carroll's tactics, as the star was already sleeping with the director, herself.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dandridge gave Carroll a talking to about staying in her lane ... and that's what the rift was about.

Diahann had a healthy ego. She worked with Dandridge's arranger, Phil Moore, and knew she was a better singer. She, and others, regarded Dandridge as marginally talented, fragile and insecure but completely self-absorbed and obsessed with her appearance. Which was all true.

[quote]r453 Diahann had a healthy ego.

Well, if you choose that spelling of your name, I'd guess so.

Yeah, Diahann wasn't intimidated by anyone, and she pushed her age back a few years so she'd have the advantage of youth. She knew she was cute but not beautiful according to the prevailing eurocentric standard like Dandridge (or Lena). So she worked hard on her craft. She remade herself into a glamorous chanteuse and made her Waldorf debut in 1956. She developed a reputation for being a talented, hard worker who was smart, professional and wellspoken. Significantly, she was not needy and fragile or prickly and unpredictable like her older competition.

DC had the advantage of growing up in a stable and loving home. OTOH DD's childhood and youth was anything but, this included being mentally (and likely sexually) abused by her mother's lesbian lover. Nor did DC have to cope with a disabled child as DD did mostly on her own.

Where Diahann Carroll completed a perfectly normal primary and secondary education (including attending Music and Arts HS), DD was basically yanked out of school and was "tutored" (if you could call it that), by either her mother or the lover.

People pulled the same shyt on Marilyn Monroe, calling her a mentally unbalanced slut; but these were always those whose lives hadn't a tenth of what MM had to grow up with.

Both Diahann Carroll and Lena Horn deserve recognition for their efforts, but both of them throwing shade when they themselves were jumped up bougie and sidity is a bit rich.

[quote] Both Diahann Carroll and Lena Horn deserve recognition for their efforts, but both of them throwing shade when they themselves were jumped up bougie and sidity is a bit rich.t

Unfair. DC and LH were both traumatized in their youth by being sent away to live with others in the Jim Crow South

LH's mother was an "actress" in travelling shows which in those days was like being a prostitute. She left LH in the care of "friends" in the South while she was away *acting " Horrible things like!y happened to LH during that time. She later made it back to Brooklyn to the care of her stern paternal grandmother. Grandmother died when she was a teenager and she went to work as a chorine at the Cotton Club -- also like being a prostitute. So bougie is a stretch.

DC was left with southern relatives for years until she began school. I suspect something bad happened to her during this period of separation from her parents. She cried when she recalled it. Her upbringing was working-class at best

Dandridge had it easier in LA. Her mother, Ruby Dandridge, was an actual film actress. Dandridge herself started in showbusiness as a teenager. Her molestation by a rough bulldagger is tragic.

None had easy lives, that's why they all went into showbusiness. Otherwise they would have been teachers -- or wives.

I'm sure you didn't mean that Diahann made her debit at the Waldorf in 1956, R455. That was Dorothy.

"She worked with Dandridge's arranger, Phil Moore"

Phil was Lena's right hand man for years. When they split and he taught Dorothy to sing in her style, Lena hit the ceiling and cut Phil Moore out of her biography. Everyone wanted to/was taught to sing and perform like Lena in clubs. Phil Moore was also a vocal coach for film stars like Marilyn Monroe. Lena, however, liked Marilyn.

[quote] I'm sure you didn't mean that Diahann made her debit at the Waldorf in 1956, [R455]. That was Dorothy.

Diahann played the Waldorf in 1956. Dandridge played in Spring 1955 -- tremendously famous after her Oscar nomination of early 1955. Lena played the Waldorf shortly after DD and was followed by Diahann a few months later. The photo of an elegantly gowned Diahann in front of an orchestra in her wonderful, out-of-print autobiography ("Diahann!") is just captioned "at the Waldorf in 1956", so I am assuming it was the Empire Room.

What is known is the swiftness of Diahann's ascent in upscale venues, stage and screen blew LH's and DD's wigs back. She was a decade younger than DD and even moreso for LH. However, Diahann had the voice and the look. They could pay her a fraction of what LH and DD made, and she came with no "black b*tch" diva drama (at that point). She also played the Persian Room at the Plaza.

Carroll was a real singer, Dandridge was not.

I think it had more with DC strategically sleeping with the "right" (replace the "R" with a "W", it you'd like) person to move up. With all of this going on, no one seems to remember Hazel Scott the first black American to host her own TV show. She was a pianist, actress, singer, etc. FYI: She was married to Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for a spell. All of these women were cut throat because there were only so many opportunities.

What does that mean? Dandridge was a perfectly professional singer, and a good performer.

It isn't necessary to tear one artist down to make another appear better, but just for the record, I don't find anything particularly special about Diahann Carroll singing - though her speaking voice was lovely.

^^ sorry. that was in response to

[quote]R460 Carroll was a real singer, Dandridge was not.

If you can forgive that upper range with goat vibrato on display in Dandridge's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," that's your prerogative. I find her singing amateurish.

I don't think Carroll had a first class instrument but at her best, she was very good.

It's not "tearing down" to give your opinion of a performer. I think Dandridge was more winning in that Zoot Suit short. Sweetly sexy. Not much voice. Not much of a mover.

You tell 'em!

For those who never saw actress Ruby Dandridge, you may have just didn't know who she was at the time.

Here's a clip with Mattie McDaniel from the Beulah Show.

RD's nickname in Hollywood was "Squeak" because of her voice IIRC.

R457

All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men.

Vivian Dandridge.

Even older sister Vivian had a better voice than DD. So DD exiled her to Canada.

Diahann could certainly sing rings around DD.

Even older sister Vivian had a better voice than DD. So DD exiled her to Canada.

Diahann could certainly sing rings around DD.

[quote]And she slept in full makeup, mascara, eye shadow and false eyelashes. She awoke with every hair in place, camera ready.

As did every other female TV series star of the era.

Earl J. Waggedorn sends his regrets. Talented lady.

R471, Lucy had no problem with looking disheveled when necessary.

Neither did Jeanette Nolan, R473.

[quote] Don't believe Dynasty was any sort of "step down" or that DC was "reduced" to something below her level by appearing on that show. Was Rock Hudson, Joan Collins, John Forsythe, Kate O'Mara, Ali McGraw, Billie Dee Williams and countless others some how reduced or demeaned so?

Completely agree. Dynasty was hugely popular and made the career of Joan Collins -- who was strictly C-list prior to it.

It gave Diahann the broadest exposure of her career -- after "Julia" -- and enabled her to launch the second act of her career. The character of Dominique was like nothing anyone had seen on TV prior to that time. An impeccably groomed black woman in fur and jewels berating a white woman over burned champagne and caviar (!) The fact that angry white viewers wrote the network to complain about the character was validation that it was groundbreaking.

Dynasty was a high-point for Diahann and all involved.

[quote] Don't believe Dynasty was any sort of "step down" or that DC was "reduced" to something below her level by appearing on that show. Was Rock Hudson, Joan Collins, John Forsythe, Kate O'Mara, Ali McGraw, Billie Dee Williams and countless others some how reduced or demeaned so?

Completely agree. Dynasty was hugely popular and made the career of Joan Collins -- who was strictly C-list prior to it.

It gave Diahann the broadest exposure of her career -- after "Julia" -- and enabled her to launch the second act of her career. The character of Dominique was like nothing anyone had seen on TV prior to that time. An impeccably groomed black woman in fur and jewels berating a white woman over burned champagne and caviar (!) The fact that angry white viewers wrote the network to complain about the character was validation that it was groundbreaking.

Dynasty was a high-point for Diahann and all involved.

[quote]The fact that angry white viewers wrote the network to complain about the character was validation that it was groundbreaking.

That's interesting. Does anyone know anymore information about that?

[quote]It gave Diahann the broadest exposure of her career -- after "Julia"

I would say even more exposure that "Julia." "Dynasty" was an international hit! DC, read that one right and kudos to her for going after the part--basically creating it, because there were no AA's even being thought about as becoming a part of the show. The only thing that I can think of that was similar was when Whoopi Goldberg aggressively went after "Star Trek" and the producers created a role for her too.

[quote]Dynasty was a high-point for Diahann and all involved.

It sure was! It probably was the most exposure and money that any of them ever had and money made.

I found the following quickly on the internet...

"Appearing in the final two episodes of the fourth season, Carroll's estimated salary was $35,000 an episode, and she was contracted for at least 17 of season five's 29 shows."

So, close to $600K/year. Then you have to add on to that her other engagements ie singing, appearances, etc. Again, according to the internet, her net worth falls between $20-28MM. Not bad.

[quote] Any word on Diahanns funeral and who attended?

DC's memorial was in November 2019. Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Williams, Lynn Whitfield, Jasmine Guy and others were in attendance.

When Kay went through her mother’s belongings after the entertainer’s death last month, she found a piece of paper with her mother’s handwriting on it that read: “The world is better because of me, an American black woman, and most assuredly because I am woman.”

“Some people might think that’s arrogance,” Kay said. “I don’t think so. I think she always understood her value, our value, and she carried that with her, and I think that’s why we all are here, that’s why people loved her,” Kay said.