Dorothy Dandridge starred as the young female lead in Duke Ellington's stage musical Jump for Joy, which he called a "Sun-Tanned Revu-sical." Dorothy also received top billing. Jump for Joy was an, "attempt to correct the race situation in the U.S.A. through a form of theatrical propaganda", said Ellington. During rehearsals, Dorothy was filming the movie Sundown. She was able to work out the scheduling conflicts because they really wanted her to be apart of the production. Dorothy performed skits and a variety of numbers including "Brown Skinned Gal in the Calico Gown," "Cindy with the Two Left Feet," "Cymbal Sockin' Sam," "If Life Were All Peaches and Cream," and "Hickory Stick." On July 10, 1941 Jump For Joy opened in Hollywood at the Mayan Theatre. A theatre that could seat 1,600 people. Some of Hollywood's brightest stars came out to support the opening including Langston Hughes, Marlene Dietrich, and Fayard Nicholas. Jump for Joy, ran for only three months and a total of 101 performances. Despite its short run the stage musical helped to project Black Hollywood in a different light. ***Dorothy is pictured above with cast mate and friend Herb Jeffries at rehearsals for Jump for Joy***