Dorothy Van Engle

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Dorothy Van Engle
Harlem, New York, US
DiedMay 10, 2004(2004-05-10) (aged 93)
Ocala, Florida, US
Other namesDonessa Dorothy Hollon
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
  • seamstress
Years active1932–1939
EmployerOscar Micheaux
Known forStarring in Murder in Harlem and Swing!
SpouseHerbert Hollon
Children2

Dorothy Van Engle (August 14, 1910 – May 10, 2004) was an American actress who performed throughout the 1930s. She starred in Oscar Micheaux films, including Murder in Harlem and Swing!.[1] Beautiful and sophisticated, she wore fashionable "updos" in her films.[2]

History

Early life

Born Donessa Dorothy Van Engle in

Harlem, New York, on August 14, 1910,[3] she grew up with her mother and stepfather, being influenced by the latter's band and show business activities. It was through these acquaintances that she first met Oscar Micheaux and began starring in his films. Before that point, she had been working as a model and it was through these jobs that she made money, as Micheaux's low budget films never had the money to properly pay the actors. But, in her own words, she stated that she acted for fun and enjoyed the "adventure" such roles gave her. Also working as a seamstress, she made her own costumes for her film roles.[1]

Film career

Cast as the main female lead in the 1935 film Murder in Harlem, Engle acted as a

race films that were the sole source of positive representation of black Americans in media during the early half of the 20th century.[1]

Personal life

She married Herbert Hollon and left her acting career behind to start a family as Donessa Dorothy Hollon. She had two sons and several grandchildren.[5] She lived with her husband, a building superintendent, in New York and New Jersey before moving to Florida in 1978.[1] She lived in Port Charlotte and worked at a library after her husband's death in 1992. She spent her final months in Ocala and died at the age of 93.[5]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mclellan, Dennis (May 14, 2004). "Dorothy Van Engle, 87; African American Star of 'Race Films' in '30s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Women Who Became Hair Icons During the Harlem Renaissance". May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Boyd, Herb (August 23, 2018). "Dorothy Van Engle, a gorgeous and talented actress". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  4. ISBN 978-0-8203-2752-5
    .
  5. ^
    Star–Banner. Archived from the original
    on June 6, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  6. The Pittsburgh Courier
    . April 27, 1935. Retrieved April 23, 2022.

Further reading

External links
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