TAMARA DOBSON

Standing at a statuesque 6'2, Tamara Dobson was, and remains, one of the tallest leading ladies to ever feature in film. Starring in just a handful of motion pictures, Dobson immortalized herself in pop-culture consciousness as the unforgettable Cleopatra Jones in 1972's Cleopatra Jones. A fierce action heroine and fashion icon, Jones is dedicated to bringing down the predatory drug-dowager Mommy (Shelley Winters), protecting her community and delivering some sweet '70s justice. In contrast to many other films of the day, Dobson's Cleopatra was not handing down justice as a rogue vigilante, but as a US Special Agent in the CIA.

Dobson’s characterization as a highly-competent agent working within the system of established authority is still a revolutionary one. Both ancient history and modern-lore are filled with charismatic rebel women, rising up and reigning down vengeance on those that have wronged them or their people. From the Trung Sisters, to Boadicea, to Phoolan Devi, to Coffy, when just retribution is delivered from a lady's hands, Lady Vengeance is overwhelmingly represented. A Black woman amongst the ranks of organized authority is a radical representation, suggesting that those most oppressed by the system can come to matter within it and wield its powers to protect and serve others who have been similarly marginalized and oppressed.

The visual iconography of Dobson's Cleopatra in both Cleopatra Jones and its sequel Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975) juxtaposes sleek and chic Giorgio St. Angelo pantsuits with flamboyant wide-brimmed hats and big fur-trimmed coats, constructing a heroine who is rugged yet feminine, and stylish and desirable without being overtly sexualized. Dobson, who did her own make up and provided considerable input on the aesthetic creation of her character, refused to do nude scenes. Refusing to appear nude has helped distinguish her image from that of some of her contemporaries, and further established her reputation as a star in a genre where fame often came and disappeared quickly. That audiences never see Cleopatra Jones in the buff further cements her character as occupying a position of power, authority, and agency; Jones is never nude and nigh invulnerable.




Though Cleopatra Jones is oft considered to be the defining role of Dobson's career, her first credited role was in Fuzz (1972), an action crime comedy picture that starred Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds. Like many other foxy ladies she worked in modeling before she worked in acting, gracing the pages of Vogue, the covers of LIFE and Redbook as well as television commercials for Chanel, Revlon and Farbrege. Before her modeling career, Dobson earned a degree in fashion illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art. After Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold Dobson starred in Norman...Is That You? (1976) and Chained Heat (1983). She also worked in television, playing a series regular on Jason of Star Command (1979-1981), and making guest appearances on series such as Sanford and Son (1977) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century(1980). Her final role was starring in 1984's Amazons, a made-for-TV movie about... Amazons.

In 1976, JET magazine reported that Dobson was writing some screen plays as well working on a record for MCA. Unfortunately, none of these projects came to be and Dobson continued working as a model, becoming the face of Farbrege's Tigress fragrance at the end of the 1970s. Some time in the mid-1980s, Tamara seemed to disappear from the radar screen as well as the cinema and television screens. Little is published on her life and career post-1985 outside of the fact that she spent most of her life in New York City. Shortly after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she returned to her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. A few years later in 2006, Dobson passed away from complications of pneumonia and multiple sclerosis; she was 59.

Though her acting career was relatively brief, Dobson established herself as a star and a cultural touchstone of the '70s. Forty years after Cleopatra Jones, she remains a fashion icon and inspiration to many, having introduced some of the most elegant fashions of the decade. Her star-image and the characters she played have caught the interest of many film and cultural studies academics writing on representations of race, gender, and sexuality; her career is celebrated by a variety of movie geeks and cinephiles. A woman of multiple accomplishments, Tamara Dobson's memory lives on in film, fashion and fierceness.

Recommended Reading:

Brody, Jennifer Devere. "The Returns of 'Cleopatra Jones'", Signs 25:1 (1999): 91-121.
Dunn, Stephanie. Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas: Black power action films. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2004.
Sims, Yvonne Women of Blaxploitation: How the Black Action Film Heroine Changed American Popular Culture. Jefferson: McFarland and Company, Inc., 2006.

NICHELLE NICHOLS

Born Grace Nichols on December 28th near Chicago in the early 1930s, Nichelle Nichols was an accomplished singer and dancer on the stage long before she became a television icon as Star Trek's Lieutenant Uhura. Touring early on in her career with such illustrious names in entertainment like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, Nichols' resume also included roles in several big-city musical productions by the time she reached the bridge on the Enterprise.



Before Star Trek, her television acting experiences were largely confined to guest roles on series such as Peyton Place and Tarzan. However, one television role can often lead to another. In 1963 Nichelle Nichols had a part in a series called The Lieutenant. It was working on this project that she met Gene Roddenberry, who, three years later would cast Nichols in the best remembered role of her career: Lieutenant Nyota Uhura.

While by today's standards, Uhura may not look like much more than a telephone operator or office manager in space, the role was considered quite groundbreaking at the time. As the head communications officer, Uhura was just as educated and similarly accomplished as the rest of the crew on the bridge. Like them, she was an officer and many times in the series she demonstrated that she was a highly qualified, capable if under-utilized member of the USS Enterprise's crew. Despite her lines often getting cut to little more than "Hailing frequencies open" or "Incoming transmission", Nichols was always a professional, and always committed to her character. Co-star Leonard Nimoy in his book I Am Spock noted: "... Though she was often not given many lines... she nevertheless was totally present and made an emotional investment in whatever was happening in the scene".

Despite often being regulated to such a minor role in most episodes, she was given a few moments in the sun. The most famous being: first, in The Trouble with Tribbles, as the crew member to bring the furry critters aboard the Enterprise and second, as being one-half of the first interracial-kiss in a scripted television series in Plato's Stepchildren. While NBC execs initially feared controversy, the reception to her on-screen kiss with William Shatner was overwhelmingly positive.

After TOS wrapped in 1969, Nichols experienced the frustrations of being thought of as Uhura first and Nichelle second. Still, despite her understandable grievance with this type-casting, she never deserted the franchise or her fans and continued to appear regularly at Star Trek conventions over past several the years. Nichelle has also attended many NASA events and helped the organization to recruit women and minorities for the space program. According to Great Images in NASA (GRIN), some of her recruits include Sally Ride, and Guion Bluford.

Though Star Trek and outer space activity remain a part of her life, Nichols has been involved with a wide variety of projects over the past four decades. In 1974, she appeared in Truck Turner as the successful, fierce and foul-mouthed Madam, Dorinda. Dorinda may not be the most progressive role ever written for a Black woman, but the intensity and commitment with which she plays the character that is the very antithesis of the distinguished space officer she for which she is known is impressive. It would have been easy to reject the role entirely as another unflattering exploitation stereotype, but Nichols plays Gator's wicked woman with such a fire and flair that you don't question her decision to have accepted it.

More recently, Nichelle Nichols has done some voice work for several animated series. In addition to having recurring roles on Gargoyles and Spider Man, she also guest starred twice on highly acclaimed prime-time series, Futurama. Voicing herself on both occasions, she and most of the rest of the core cast of Star Trek: TOS appear in a full episode with Fry, Leela, and Bender for an adventure in outwitting the Trek-obsessed energy being Melllvar. This episode threw a shout-out to her and Shatner's historic on-screen kiss with the following dialog:

Nimoy: Hey! We've done heroic things too.

Nichols: Yeah! In the third season I kissed Shatner!

Other current activity includes: a recurring role the TV series Heroes in 2007, starring in and producing 2008's Lady Magdalene's and roasting William Shatner on Comedy Central (2006).

Suggestions for additional viewing and further reading:

Lady Magdalene's Offical Site, complete with trailer, photo gallery and videos.
A collection of some of Nichols' scenes from Truck Turner.
Nichelle Nichols at IMDB.com
GRIN's profile on Nichols further detailing her work with the space program.
Nichols, Nichelle (1995). Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. New York: Boulevard Books.