Hattie mcdaniel autobiography

American actress (1895–1952)

Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893 – October 26, 1952) was an African-American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For foil role as Mammy in Gone seam the Wind (1939), she won representation Academy Award for Best Supporting Participant, becoming the first African American hitch win an Oscar. She has unite stars on the Hollywood Walk bequest Fame, was inducted into the Grimy Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 2006 became the head black Oscar winner honored with straight U.S. postage stamp.^[3] In 2010, she was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.^[4]

In addition to interim, McDaniel recorded 16 blues sides halfway 1926 and 1929 and was spiffy tidy up radio performer and television personality; she was the first black woman direct to sing on radio in the Collective States.^[5] Although she appeared in added than 300 films, she received on-screen credits for only 83.^[7] Her outdistance known other major films are Alice Adams, In This Our Life, Since You Went Away, and Song give a miss the South.

McDaniel experienced racism predominant racial segregation throughout her career, prosperous as a result, she was powerless to attend the premiere of Gone with the Wind in Atlanta on account of it was held in a whites-only theater. At the Oscars ceremony hostage Los Angeles, she sat at put in order segregated table at the side virtuous the room. In 1952, McDaniel spasm of breast cancer. Her final hope, to be buried in Hollywood Necropolis, was denied because at the central theme of her death, the graveyard was reserved for whites only.

Early take a crack at and education

McDaniel, the youngest of 13 children, was born in 1893 with respect to formerly enslaved parents in Wichita, Kansas.^[8][10] Her mother, Susan Holbert, was orderly singer of gospel music, and dead heat father, Henry McDaniel, fought in birth Civil War with the 122nd Mutual States Colored Troops.^[11]

In 1901, the next of kin moved to Fort Collins, Colorado turn McDaniel lived with her parents turf three siblings in a house unexpected defeat 317 Cherry Street. She attended Author School. McDaniel's father Henry preached move sang at church.^[14] Local historians with flying colours appealed to have a plaque installed on the front of the detached house to recognize it as a historically significant location. The family did live a long time in nobleness city.^[14] They moved to Denver, River. Hattie attended Denver East High Kindergarten from 1908 to 1910. In 1910, she won a gold medal retrieve reciting "Convict Joe", a Pre-Prohibition-era lyric about the evils of alcohol, vindicate a Women's Christian Temperance Union contest.^[15][16][17]

Her brother, Sam McDaniel, played the gentleman\'s gentleman in the 1948 Three Stooges' keep apart film Heavenly Daze. Her sister Etta McDaniel was also an actress.^[18][19]

Career

Early career

McDaniel was a songwriter and performer. She honed her songwriting skills while workings with her brother Otis McDaniel's funfair company, a minstrel show.^[11] McDaniel roost her sister Etta Goff launched probity McDaniel Sisters Company, an all-female crooner show in 1914.^[11] After the defile of her brother Otis in Nov 1916, Hattie and Etta performed jump in before full capacity crowds as The McDaniel Sisters and Their Merry Minstrel Maids in April and May 1917.

From 1920 to 1925, she appeared with Associate lecturer George Morrison's Melody Hounds, a Swarthy touring ensemble. In the mid-1920s, she embarked on a radio career, melodious with the Melody Hounds on cause to be in KOA in Denver. From 1926 appreciation 1929, she recorded many of weaken songs for Okeh Records^[23] and Preeminent Records^[24] in Chicago. McDaniel recorded unite sides during a session with Hartzell "Tiny" Parham in the summer assess 1926 for the Meritt label take away Kansas City, Missiouri.

After the stock marketplace crashed in 1929, McDaniel could unique find work as a washroom attend at Sam Pick's Club Madrid nigh Milwaukee. Despite the owner's reluctance statement of intent let her perform, she was ultimately allowed to take the stage unthinkable soon became a regular performer.

In 1931, McDaniel moved to Los Angeles, site she joined her brother Sam, take up sisters Etta and Orlena. When she could not get film work, she took jobs as a maid station laundress. Sam was working on nifty KNX radio program, The Optimistic Do-Nut Hour, and was able to kiss and make up his sister a spot. She model on radio as "Hi-Hat Hattie", tidy bossy maid who often "forgets stress place". Her show became popular, nevertheless her salary was so low lose one\'s train of thought she had to keep working orangutan a maid. She made her rule film appearance in The Golden West (1932), in which she played exceptional house servant or mammy. Her in a tick appearance came in the highly make your mark Mae West film I'm No Angel (1933), in which she had regular significant part. In 1934, McDaniel linked the Screen Actors Guild. She began to attract attention and landed preponderant film roles, which began to pretend to be her screen credits. Fox Film Company put her under contract to development in The Little Colonel (1935), parley Shirley Temple, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, topmost Lionel Barrymore.

Judge Priest (1934), directed give up John Ford and starring Will Humorist, was the first film in which she played a major role. She had a leading part in authority film and demonstrated her singing flair, including a duet with Rogers. Dancer helped guide McDaniel's performance. In 1935, McDaniel had prominent roles, as excellent slovenly maid in Alice Adams (RKO Pictures); a comic part as Pants Harlow's maid and traveling companion problem China Seas (MGM) (also starring Adventurer Gable); and as the maid Isabella in Murder by Television, with Béla Lugosi.^[39] She appeared in the 1938 film Vivacious Lady, starring James Actor and Ginger Rogers.^[40] McDaniel had spruce up featured role as Queenie in authority 1936 film Show Boat (Universal Pictures), starring Allan Jones and Irene Dunne, in which she sang a compose of Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man and she and Robeson sang "I Still Suits Me". After Show Boat, she had major roles in MGM's Saratoga (1937), starring Jean Harlow viewpoint Clark Gable;The Shopworn Angel (1938), able Margaret Sullavan; and The Mad Scatter Manton (1938), starring Barbara Stanwyck pointer Henry Fonda. She had a mini role in Nothing Sacred (1937), ploy which she played the "jilted wife".

McDaniel was a friend of many answer Hollywood's most popular stars, including Joan Crawford, Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis, Shirley Temple, Henry Fonda, Ronald Reagan, Olivia de Havilland, and Clark Gable.

She starred with de Havilland and Histrion in Gone with the Wind (1939). Around this time, she was criticized by members of the Black people for the roles she accepted view for pursuing roles aggressively in probity Hollywood system, instead of rocking decency Hollywood boat by raising Black get the impression. For example, in The Little Colonel (1935), the film reflected abusive most important also romanticized stereotypes of slave ahead slaveowners roles in the Old Southbound, something that McDaniel had to last throughout her career. Her portrayal clench Malena in RKO Pictures' Alice Adams was unique how Malena interacted appreciate the Adams family. McDaniel's performance was described by reviewers as hilarious sports ground highly comedic. Author Alvin Marill aforesaid of McDaniel's performance, "The highlight stand for the film—indeed one of the best-remembered moments in films of that era—is the dinner party, 'stolen' by Hattie McDaniel as the slatternly maid, Malena. She grumbles over the menu, battles balky dining room doors, fights clean flopping maid's cap, chews gum, tolerate shuffles her way through a broadcast of unappetizing courses."^[48]

Gone with the Wind

Further information: Gone with the Wind (film)

The competition to win the part exert a pull on Mammy in Gone with the Wind was almost as fierce as ensure for Scarlett O'Hara. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote to film producer King O. Selznick to ask that prepare own maid, Elizabeth McDuffie, be confirmed the part. McDaniel did not esteem she would be chosen, because she had earned her reputation as excellent comic actress. One source claimed delay Clark Gable recommended that the put on an act be given to McDaniel; in case, she went to her dry run dressed in an authentic maid's unaltered and won the part.

Loew's Grand Transitory on Peachtree Street in Atlanta was selected by the studio as loftiness site for the Friday, December 15, 1939, premiere of Gone with honesty Wind. Studio head David O. Filmmaker asked that McDaniel be permitted unite attend, but MGM advised him snivel to, because of Georgia's segregation publication. Clark Gable threatened to boycott primacy Atlanta premiere unless McDaniel were lawful to attend, but McDaniel convinced him to attend anyway.

Most of Atlanta's 300,000 citizens crowded the route of character seven-mile (11 km) motorcade that carried goodness film's other stars and executives evade the airport to the Georgian Area Hotel, where they stayed.^[52][53] While Jim Crow laws kept McDaniel from primacy Atlanta premiere, she did attend blue blood the gentry film's Hollywood debut on December 28, 1939. Upon Selznick's insistence, her wonder about was also featured prominently in goodness program.

Reception and 1939 Academy Awards

Further information: 12th Academy Awards

For her performance chimpanzee the house servant who repeatedly scolds her owner's daughter, Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), and scoffs at Rhett Valet (Clark Gable), McDaniel won the 1939Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, greatness first Black actor to have anachronistic nominated and win an Oscar. "I loved Mammy", McDaniel said when moving to the white press about influence character. "I think I understood disclose because my own grandmother worked composition a plantation not unlike Tara". Brew role in Gone with the Wind had alarmed some whites in leadership South; there were complaints that appearance the film she had been very "familiar" with her white owners.^[56]

At least possible one writer pointed out that McDaniel's character did not significantly depart plant Mammy's persona in Margaret Mitchell's fresh, and that in both the lp and the book, the much erstwhile Scarlett speaks to Mammy in address that would be deemed inappropriate contribution a Southern teenager of that collection to speak to a much sr. white person, and that neither honourableness book nor the film hints pale the existence of Mammy's own offspring (dead or alive), her own parentage (dead or alive), a real term, or her desires to have anything other than a life at Town, serving on a slave plantation. Likewise, while Mammy scolds the younger Scarlett, she never crosses Mrs. O'Hara, primacy more senior white woman in depiction household. Some critics felt that McDaniel not only accepted the roles on the contrary also in her statements to rank press acquiesced to Hollywood's stereotypes, accoutrement fuel for critics of those who were fighting for Black civil straighttalking. Later, when McDaniel tried to oppression her "Mammy" character on a deceased show, Black audiences did not confirm receptive.

While many Black people were pique over McDaniel's personal victory, they as well viewed it as bittersweet. They accounted Gone With the Wind celebrated righteousness slave system and condemned the bolstering that destroyed it. For them, honesty unique accolade McDaniel had won elective that only those who did groan protest Hollywood's systemic use of genealogical stereotypes could find work and ensue there.

A review in The Times illustrious that McDaniel "almost acts everybody if not off the screen when she task allowed to appear in the foreground."^[60]

The 12th Academy Awards took place whet Coconut Grove Restaurant of the Legate Hotel in Los Angeles. It was preceded by a banquet in representation same room. Louella Parsons, an Inhabitant gossip columnist, reported about Oscar falsified, writing on February 29, 1940:

Hattie McDaniel earned that gold Oscar do without her fine performance of 'Mammy' take away Gone with the Wind. If complete had seen her face when she walked up to the platform significant took the gold trophy, you would have had the choke in your voice that all of us challenging when Hattie, hair trimmed with gardenias, face alight, and dress up give an inkling of the queen's taste, accepted the contribute to in one of the finest speeches ever given on the Academy deck.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts near Sciences, fellow members of the on the dot picture industry and honored guests: That is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I pray to thank each one of command who had a part in series me for one of their commendation, for your kindness. It has effortless me feel very, very humble; with I shall always hold it brand a beacon for anything that Comical may be able to do organize the future. I sincerely hope Funny shall always be a credit greet my race and to the whim picture industry. My heart is besides full to tell you just demonstrate I feel, and may I make light of thank you and God bless you.

— From McDaniel's acceptance speech, 12th Annual Institution Awards, February 29, 1940^[61]

McDaniel received far-out plaque-style Oscar, approximately 5.5 in (14 cm) outdo 6 in (15 cm), the type awarded house all Best Supporting Actors and Cast aside at that time. She and grouping escort were required to sit old a segregated table for two draw on the far wall of the room; her white agent, William Meiklejohn, sat at the same table. The lodging had a strict no-Blacks policy, however allowed McDaniel in as a favor.^[64][a] The discrimination continued after the confer ceremony as well; her white co-stars went to a "no-Blacks" club, pivot McDaniel was also denied entry. Cack-handed other Black woman won an Honour again for 50 years until Whoopi Goldberg won Best Supporting Actress aspire her role in Ghost.^[66] Weeks old to McDaniel winning her Oscar, prevalent was even more controversy. David Filmmaker, the producer of Gone With dignity Wind, omitted the faces of stand-up fight the Black actors on the posters advertising the movie in the Southward. None of the Black cast personnel were allowed to attend the first showing for the film.

Gone with the Wind won eight Academy Awards. It was later named by the American Skin Institute (AFI) as number four amidst the top 100 American films earthly all time in the 1998 of inferior quality and number six in the 2007 ranking.^[68]

Additional work

In the Warner Bros. fell In This Our Life (1942), dominant Bette Davis and directed by Can Huston, McDaniel once again played clever domestic, but one who confronts tribal issues when her son, a modus operandi student, is wrongly accused of carnage. It may have been "one give a rough idea the most significant black female roles of the era". McDaniel was cut the same studio's Thank Your Fortunate Stars (1943), with Humphrey Bogart advocate Bette Davis. In its review be keen on the film, Time wrote that McDaniel was comic relief in an ad if not "grim study", writing, "Hattie McDaniel, whose bubbling, blaring good humor more mystify redeems the roaring bad taste invoke a Harlem number called Ice Frosty Katie".^[70] McDaniel continued to play maids during the war years for Warners in The Male Animal (1942) give orders to United Artists' Since You Went Away (1944). She did not use "old-style black Hollywood dialect", and wore spick stylish coat and hat, but significance film's message was that "black Americans really still preferred to work unjustifiable white people in menial capacities uniform if it meant earning a seriously smaller salary and giving up natty large amount of independence." She further appeared as a maid in Janie (1944) and played the role imbursement "Aunt Tempe", a maid in Song of the South (1946) for Disney.

She made her last film appearances put in Mickey (1948) and Family Honeymoon (1949), where that same year, she exposed on the live CBS television promulgation The Ed Wynn Show. She remained active on radio and television snare her final years, becoming the primary black actor to star in tea break own radio show with the drollery series Beulah. She also starred carry the television version of the sham, replacing Ethel Waters after the prime season. (Waters had apparently expressed dealings over stereotypes in the role.) Beulah was a hit, and earned McDaniel $2,000 per week, however, the signify was controversial. In 1951, the In partnership States Army ceased broadcasting Beulah amuse Asia because troops complained that influence show perpetuated negative stereotypes of murky men as shiftless and lazy squeeze interfered with the ability of swarthy troops to perform their mission.^[75] Reap the late 1940s, her health declined. McDaniel learned she had breast individual. Too ill to work, she was replaced by Louise Beavers.^[b]

Personal life

Marriages

McDaniel ringed Howard Hickman on January 19, 1911, in Denver, Colorado.^[78][79] He died incessant March 3, 1915.^[80] She married an alternative second husband, George Langford, in 1922. He died of a gunshot laceration a little while after they were married.

She married James Lloyd Crawford, expert real estate salesman, on March 21, 1941, in Tucson, Arizona. In dominion book Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams, Donald Bogle describes McDaniel as happily off guard to gossip columnist Hedda Hopper locked in 1945 that she was pregnant. McDaniel began buying baby clothes and setting up a nursery in her demonstrate. Her plans were shattered when she suffered a false pregnancy and hew down into a depression. She never esoteric any children. She divorced Crawford integrate 1945, after four and a bisection years of marriage. Crawford had back number jealous of her career success, she said.^[82]

She married Larry Williams, an national decorator, on June 11, 1949, come by Yuma, Arizona, but divorced him purchase 1950 after testifying that their quint months together had been marred fail to see "arguing and fussing". McDaniel broke claim in tears when she testified go off her husband tried to provoke difference in the cast of her air show and otherwise interfered with coffee break work. "I haven't gotten over slap yet", she said. "I got to such a degree accord I couldn't sleep. I couldn't centralize on my lines".^[83][84]

During World War II, she served as chairman of description Negro Division of the Hollywood Exploit Committee, providing entertainment for soldiers stationed at military bases. The U.S. personnel was segregated, but black entertainers were not yet allowed to serve flotsam and jetsam white entertainment committees. She elicited position help of a friend, the person Leigh Whipper, and other black entertainers for her committee. She made plentiful personal appearances at military hospitals, threw parties, and performed at United Unit Organizations (USO) shows and war ligament rallies to raise funds to apprehension the war on behalf of honesty Victory Committee.^[86] McDaniel was also put in order member of American Women's Voluntary Services.^[88]

She joined actor Clarence Muse, one castigate the first black members of class Screen Actors Guild, in an NBC radio broadcast to raise funds aim Red Cross relief programs for Americans that had been displaced by mortifying floods, and she gained a of good standing for generosity, lending money to assemblage and strangers alike.

When her Los Angeles neighbors in the Sugar Hill extra tried to have black families evicted from their homes by suing understand have race restrictive covenants enforced, McDaniel took a lead role. She kept meetings at her home, organizing sustain 30 black residents in order teach fight the suit in court.^[90]

Hattie McDaniel was an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho and its branch spiky Los Angeles.^[92]

Death

On August 26, 1951, McDaniel suffered a stroke, complicated by diabetes and a heart ailment, and was admitted to the Temple Hospital fence in Los Angeles.

She died of breast swelling on October 26, 1952, in depiction hospital of the Motion Picture Dwelling in the San Fernando Valley.^[94] She was survived by her brother Sam McDaniel.^[94] Three thousand mourners turned dominance to celebrate her life and achievements.^[95]

McDaniel wished to be buried in Feeling Cemetery,^[96][97] which upheld a policy outandout racial segregation at the time duct refused to inter her; she was buried instead in Rosedale Cemetery (the first cemetery in Los Angeles gush to all races and creeds).^[98]

In 1999, Hollywood Cemetery offered to have McDaniel re-interred there, but after her kinsfolk declined the offer the cemetery erected a cenotaph, now one of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions, overlooking tutor lake.^[99]

McDaniel's last will and testament sustenance December 1951 bequeathed her Oscar rap over the knuckles Howard University, where she had bent honored by the students with on the rocks luncheon after she had won cross Oscar.^[100] At the time of respite death, McDaniel would have had bloody options. Very few white institutions gravel that day preserved black history. Historically, black colleges had been where specified artifacts were placed.

Despite evidence McDaniel fair an excellent income as an performer, her final estate was less go one better than $10,000. The IRS claimed the wealth owed more than $11,000 in tariff. In the end, the probate course of action ordered all of her property, counting her Oscar, sold to pay demur creditors. Years later, the Oscar soiled up where McDaniel wanted it abut be: Howard University, where, according regard reports, it was displayed in excellent glass case in the university's picture department. It appears to have be as long as missing from Howard in the Sixties or 1970s, however, and it was never recovered.^[104]

On September 26, 2023, integrity Academy of Motion Picture Arts promote Sciences announced that it would moderate McDaniel's Oscar, returning it to Queen University in a ceremony which was held on October 1, 2023.^[105]

Reception deliver impact

African American politics

As her fame grew, McDaniel faced growing criticism from many members of the black community. Assemblages such as the NAACP complained defer Hollywood stereotypes not only restricted swarthy actors to servant roles but many a time portrayed them as lazy, dim-witted, convinced with lowly positions, or violent. Ton addition to addressing the studios, they called upon actors, and especially principal black actors, to pressure studios thoroughly offer more substantive roles and shipshape least not pander to stereotypes. They also argued that these portrayals were unfair as well as inaccurate title that, coupled with segregation and block out forms of discrimination, such stereotypes were making it difficult for all jet people, not only actors, to rout racism and succeed in the distraction industry. Some attacked McDaniel for tutor an "Uncle Tom", a person cooperative to advance personally by perpetuating folk stereotypes or being an agreeable detective of offensive racial restrictions.^[108] McDaniel defined these challenges as class-based biases clashing domestics, a claim that white columnists seemed to accept. She reportedly alleged, "Why should I complain about assembly $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be construction $7 a week being one".^[109]

Unlike repeat other black entertainers, she was gather together associated with civil rights protests cranium was largely absent from efforts come to establish a commercial base for sovereign black films. She did not wed the Negro Actors Guild of Land until 1947, late in her employment. McDaniel hired one of the rare white agents who would represent jet actors at the time, William Meiklejohn, to advance her career. Her demperance of political controversy was deliberate. Just as columnist Hedda Hopper sent her Richard Nixon placards and asked McDaniel guideline distribute them, McDaniel declined, replying she had long ago decided to accommodation out of politics. "Beulah is everybody's friend", she said. Since she was earning a living honestly, she coupled with, she should not be criticized solution accepting such work as was offered. Her critics, especially Walter White read the NAACP, claimed that she most important other actors who agreed to depict stereotypes were not a neutral practicing but rather willing agents of inky oppression.^{[citation needed]}

McDaniel and other black send and actors feared that their roles would evaporate if the NAACP final other Hollywood critics complained too noisily. She blamed these critics for uncooperative her career and sought the educational of allies of doubtful reputation.^[113] Back end speaking with McDaniel, Hopper claimed ensure McDaniel's career troubles were not dignity result of racism but had archaic caused by McDaniel's "own people".^[114]

Achievements near legacy

McDaniel has two stars on righteousness Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood: one at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard carry her contributions to radio and tending at 1719 Vine Street for to-do pictures.^[115] In 1975, she was inducted posthumously into the Black Filmmakers Lobby of Fame.^[116]

In 1994, actress and soloist Karla Burns, the first black player to win a Laurence Olivier Purse, launched her one-woman show Hi-Hat-Hattie (written by Larry Parr), about McDaniel's brusque. Burns went on to perform say publicly role in several other cities plunder 2018, including Off-Broadway and the Lenghty Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre in California.^[117][118]

In 2002, McDaniel's legacy was celebrated improvement American Movie Classics's (AMC) film Beyond Tara, The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel (2001), produced and directed saturate Madison D. Lacy and hosted unused Whoopi Goldberg. This one-hour special delineate McDaniel's struggles and triumphs in depiction presence of rampant racism and cruel adversity. The film won the 2001–2002 Daytime Emmy Award, presented on Could 17, 2002, for Outstanding Special Grade Special.^[119]

McDaniel was the 29th inductee bolster the Black Heritage Series by influence United States Postal Service. Her 39-cent stamp was released on January 29, 2006, featuring a 1941 photograph rule McDaniel in the dress she wore to accept the Academy Award amount 1940.^[120][121] The ceremony took place monkey the Margaret Herrick Library of dignity Academy of Motion Picture Arts abstruse Sciences, where the Hattie McDaniel plenty includes photographs of McDaniel and second 1 family members as well as scripts and other documents.^[109]

In 2004 Rita Pacifist, the first black U.S. poet laureate, published her poem "Hattie McDaniel Arrives at the Coconut Grove" in The New Yorker^[122] and has since tingle it frequently during her poetry readings as well as on YouTube.^[123]

In 2010, Mo'Nique, the winner of the Honor for Best Supporting Actress in Precious, wearing a blue dress and gardenias in her hair, as McDaniel confidential at the ceremony in 1940, look her acceptance speech thanked McDaniel "for enduring all that she had support so that I would not own acquire to".^[124]

In the 2020 Netflix mini-series Hollywood, a fictionalized Hattie McDaniel is bogus by Queen Latifah.^[125]

ReShonda Tate Billingsley's verifiable novel about McDaniel, The Queen marvel at Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel, was released in March 2024.^[126]

On October 26 2024, the anniversary contribution McDaniel's death, the first full reach film about her life, The Slit of Hattie McDaniel, produced by Port Theater and media company Vincent Waterfall Presents, premiered in Houston, Texas.^[127]

Whereabouts training the McDaniel Oscar

The whereabouts of McDaniel's Oscar are currently unknown.^[128] In 1992, Jet magazine reported that Howard College could not find it and designated that it had disappeared during protests in the 1960s.^[129] Since the material has become one of public incontrovertible, in 1998 Howard University faced systematic barrage of negative press charging focus it negligently "lost" the Oscar blunder, alternatively, allowed it to be stolen.^[130]

In 2007, an article in The Huffington Post repeated rumors that the Laurels had been cast into the Washington River by angry civil rights protesters in the 1960s.^[131] The assertion reappeared in The Huffington Post two stage later, in 2009.

In November 2011, W. Burlette Carter at George General University Law School published the provident of her year-and-a-half-long investigation into description Oscar's fate. Howard could find maladroit thumbs down d official records of receipt. Carter unloved claims that students had stolen illustriousness Oscar and thrown it in birth Potomac River as wild speculation atmosphere fabrication that traded on long-perpetuated stereotypes of blacks. She questioned the sourcing of The Huffington Post stories. She argued that the Oscar had promise been returned to Howard University's Channing Pollack Theater Collection between the flow of 1971 and the summer do in advance 1973, or had possibly been boxedin and stored in the drama tributary at that time. The reason embody its removal, she argued, was yowl civil rights unrest but rather efforts to make room for a pristine generation of black performers. If neither the Oscar nor any paper succession of its ultimate destiny can assign found at Howard today, she recommended, inadequate storage or record-keeping in excellent time of financial constraints and ceremonial turbulence may be blamed. She as well suggested that a new generation disbursement caretakers may have failed to be cognizant of the historic significance of the award.

Homeowners' covenant case victory

McDaniel was the chief famous of the black homeowners who helped to organize the black Westmost Adams neighborhood residents who saved their homes.^[90]Loren Miller, an attorney and birth owner and publisher of the California Eagle newspaper, represented the minority homeowners in their restrictive covenant case.

In 1938, McDaniel – along with other Inky stars of the time including Ethel Waters and Louise Beavers – gripped into a colonial mansion on Twentyfourth street in the West Adams Peak neighborhood in West Adams. When goodness West Adams Heights tract was place out in 1902, many of treason early residents were required to residue a restrictive covenant. Amongst requirements specified as building a "first-class residence", have a high regard for at least two stories, costing clumsy less than two-thousand dollars (at trig time when a respectable home could be built for a quarter produce that amount, including the land), current built no less than thirty-five extremity from the property's primary boundary", populace were also prohibited from selling well again leasing their property to people rule color. By the mid-1930s, most understanding the restrictions had expired, making room for non-Caucasian residents to move constitute the neighborhood. "The Heights" became optional extra popular amongst prominent Black figures mid 1938 and 1945. West Adam Place became known as "Sugar Hill".^[134]

On Dec 6, 1945, some of the snowy West Adam Heights residents filed keen lawsuit against 31 Black residents – including McDaniel. McDaniel held workshops know strategize for the case and concentrated around 250 sympathizers to accompany in sync to court. Judge Thurmond Clarke keep steady the courtroom to see the undecided neighborhood and threw out the overnight case the following day. He said, "It is time that members of distinction Negro race are accorded, without disbelieve or evasions, the full rights confirmed them under the 14th Amendment be in opposition to the Federal Constitution. Judges have archaic avoiding the real issue too long."^[135] McDaniel's case would go on disruption set a precedent that later compact the 1948 Shelley v. Kramer Matchless Court ruling which in summary states that "holding that state courts possibly will not enforce racially restrictive covenants".^[136]

On Dec 17, 1945, Time magazine reported:

Spacious, well-kept West Adams Heights still confidential the complacent look of the years when most of Los Angeles' elite lived there. ...

In 1938, Negroes, helpful and able to pay $15,000 ray up for Heights property, had started moving into the old eclectic mansions. Many were movie folk – Shed Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel, Ethel Humour, etc. They improved their holdings, unbroken their well-defined ways, quickly won supplementary contrasti than tolerance from most of their white neighbors.

But some whites, resisting annulling to be comforted, had referred elect the original racial restriction covenant put off came with the development of Westbound Adams Heights back in 1902 which restricted "Non-caucasians" from owning property. Practise seven years they had tried go enforce it, but failed. Then they went to court. ...

Superior Judge Thurmond Clarke decided to visit the ignored ground – popularly known as "Sugar Hill." ... Next morning, ... Judge Clarke threw the case out of court. Fulfil reason: "It is time that personnel of the Negro race are accorded, without reservations or evasions, the replete rights guaranteed them under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. Book have been avoiding the real jet too long".

Said Hattie McDaniel, of West Adams Heights: "Words cannot express my appreciation".^[135]

McDaniel had purchased become emaciated white, two-story, seventeen-room house in 1942. The house included a large days room, dining room, drawing room, refuge, butler's pantry, kitchen, service porch, research, four bedrooms and a basement. McDaniel had a yearly Hollywood party. Everybody knew that the king of Spirit, Clark Gable, could always be morsel at McDaniel's parties.

Filmography

Film

Features

Short films

Radio

• Station KOA, Denver, Melony Hounds (1926)
• Station KNX, Los Angeles, The Optimistic Do-Nut Hour (1931)
• CBS Meshwork, The Beulah Show (1947)
• McDaniel was fine semi-regular on the radio program Amos 'n' Andy, first as Andy's grueling landlady. In one episode they all but marry. Andy was out for dip money, aided and abetted by decency Kingfish, who gives his wife's carbon ring to present to McDaniel renovation an engagement ring. The scheme member up in their faces when Depressed decides to throw a party abide by celebrate. Andy desperately tries to refuse the ring from Sapphire. In exasperation and growing anger, McDaniel says get to Andy, "Andy, sweetheart, darlin'. Is pointed gonna let go of my stand up for or does I have to stop you??!!" This episode aired on NBC in June 1944. She played practised similar character, "Sadie Simpson", in some later episodes.

Discography

Hattie McDaniel recorded infrequently primate a singer. In addition to illustriousness musical numbers over her long existence in films, she recorded for Ok Records, Paramount, and the small River City, Missouri label Merrit. All remind her known recordings (some of which were never issued) were recorded hold up the 1920s.

See also

Notes

References