Movies most famous sarong wearer is not Asian, but the lovely Dorothy Lamour. With her long dark hair, full lips and sleepy eyes, she became the Hollywood South Sea babe.
Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana on 10th December 1914, with a dream to become a professional songstress. As a teen, she won a beauty contest as "Miss New Orleans" in 1931 and headed to Chigago to pursue her dreams as a singer. She worked as an elevator operator in a department store for a time. She auditioned to sing with the Herbie Kaye Orchestra. Not only she got the job, but also Herbie Kaye for a husband for four years.
She was given an uncredited role in James 
Cagney-Joan Blondell-Ruby Keeler-William Powell's big budgeted musical, "Footlight Parade" (1933). Spotted by a Paramount executive in a club, she was screen tested and signed a contract with the studio. Derived her acting name name "Dorothy Lamour" from her step-father, whose surname was "Lambour"). She was given a part as a coed in "College Holiday" (1936), before landing the part that epitomized South Sea glamour, by wrapping herself in a colour batik print in "The Jungle Princess" as the native Ulah who wins the heart of British hunter, Ray Milland in the Malaya (yes, pre-Malays
ia), singing "Moonlight and Shadows" and cavorting with her pet chimp Bogo (they did not know there were no chimpanzees in Malaya!!!). Dorothy stole the show in her wrap-around sarong and the film was a tremendous moneymaker.
"Swing High, Swing Low" and "High, Wide And Handsome" (both 1937) gave her supporting parts in these musical drama. She was back in her more familiar ground and sarong in "The Hurricane" (1937) starring opposite Jon Hall (also in "Aloma Of The South Seas" in 1941) and "Her Jungle Love" (1938) again with Ray Milland as her leading man. In between these, she made "The Big Broadcast Of 1938" (1938), "Tropic Holiday" (1938) and "Spawn Of The North" (1938). She was in Jack Benny's "Man About Town" (1939), "St. Louis Blues" (1939) and "Disputed Passage" (1939).
Cagney-Joan Blondell-Ruby Keeler-William Powell's big budgeted musical, "Footlight Parade" (1933). Spotted by a Paramount executive in a club, she was screen tested and signed a contract with the studio. Derived her acting name name "Dorothy Lamour" from her step-father, whose surname was "Lambour"). She was given a part as a coed in "College Holiday" (1936), before landing the part that epitomized South Sea glamour, by wrapping herself in a colour batik print in "The Jungle Princess" as the native Ulah who wins the heart of British hunter, Ray Milland in the Malaya (yes, pre-Malays
ia), singing "Moonlight and Shadows" and cavorting with her pet chimp Bogo (they did not know there were no chimpanzees in Malaya!!!). Dorothy stole the show in her wrap-around sarong and the film was a tremendous moneymaker.
"Swing High, Swing Low" and "High, Wide And Handsome" (both 1937) gave her supporting parts in these musical drama. She was back in her more familiar ground and sarong in "The Hurricane" (1937) starring opposite Jon Hall (also in "Aloma Of The South Seas" in 1941) and "Her Jungle Love" (1938) again with Ray Milland as her leading man. In between these, she made "The Big Broadcast Of 1938" (1938), "Tropic Holiday" (1938) and "Spawn Of The North" (1938). She was in Jack Benny's "Man About Town" (1939), "St. Louis Blues" (1939) and "Disputed Passage" (1939).
Dorothy was Tyrone Power's leading lady in "Johnny Appollo" (1940). She was cast to the South Seas in her now famous sarong again, this time with Robert Preston in 1940's "Typhoon" and "Moon Over Burma".
The start of a very long journey with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in their very first teaming as a trio begins with "Road To Singapore"(1940). They took the "Road To Zanzibar" in 1941, "Road To Morocco" in 1942, "Road To Utopia" in 1946, then journeyed to "Road To Rio" in 1947
, "Road To Bali" 1951 and finally ended with "Road To Hong Kong" in 1962 (by this time, Dorothy was given a guest appearance role. The leading lady was Joan Collins). A final "Road" picture, "Road to the Fountain of Youth" was in the works in 1977, until Bing Crosby's sudden death.
The start of a very long journey with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in their very first teaming as a trio begins with "Road To Singapore"(1940). They took the "Road To Zanzibar" in 1941, "Road To Morocco" in 1942, "Road To Utopia" in 1946, then journeyed to "Road To Rio" in 1947
, "Road To Bali" 1951 and finally ended with "Road To Hong Kong" in 1962 (by this time, Dorothy was given a guest appearance role. The leading lady was Joan Collins). A final "Road" picture, "Road to the Fountain of Youth" was in the works in 1977, until Bing Crosby's sudden death. Along the roads, she displayed her dramatic and comedic abilities in "Caught in The Draf
t (1941 - opposite Bob Hope); "The Fleet's In" (1942 although the movie was stolen by the great dynamite, Betty Hutton); the south "Dixie" (1943 - opposite Bing Cr
osby); "And The Angels Sing" (1944); "A Medal For Benny" (1945) and "My Favourite Brunette" (1947).
t (1941 - opposite Bob Hope); "The Fleet's In" (1942 although the movie was stolen by the great dynamite, Betty Hutton); the south "Dixie" (1943 - opposite Bing Cr
osby); "And The Angels Sing" (1944); "A Medal For Benny" (1945) and "My Favourite Brunette" (1947)."On Our Merry Way" (1948) gave Dorothy a good role although not a good comedy drama (starring Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray). She was now in a supporting part to Betty Hutton in one of the best Cecil B. DeMille's blockbuster - "The Greatest Show On Earth" as a tough circus aerialist whose speciality it is to hang by her teeth in midair.
The remainder of her movie roles were not much bigger and she went back to the South Seas one last time playing a saronged madam in John Wayne's "Donovan's Reef" (1963). She was seen belting out a song in a dress shop in 
the inane teen romp "Pajama Party" (1964) and walk-ons in the cameo-studded oddities "The Phynx" (1970) and "Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood" (1976). He last movie appearance was in "Creepshow 2" (1987) where she played a housewife who gets murdered. On the small screen, she guest starred in "Love Boat"(1980), "Hart To Hart" 
(1984) and "Murder, She Wrote" (1987).
the inane teen romp "Pajama Party" (1964) and walk-ons in the cameo-studded oddities "The Phynx" (1970) and "Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood" (1976). He last movie appearance was in "Creepshow 2" (1987) where she played a housewife who gets murdered. On the small screen, she guest starred in "Love Boat"(1980), "Hart To Hart" 
(1984) and "Murder, She Wrote" (1987).Dorothy died at 81 of heart attack on September 22, 1996 in Los Angeles, California and interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills).
Everytime a moon shines in the South Seas, we hear her singing to the strains of "The Moon Of Manakoora" from her 1937's "The Hurricane" which is her signature song. Aloha, Dottie...
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