Hattie McDaniel and the Oscar Win That Forever Changed Hollywood
Hattie McDaniel paved the way for herself and other African-American entertainers in Hollywood. With a career that spanned decades and saw her appear in over 300 movies, she broke barriers, but also had to continually fight against the racial ideologies and segregation of the era.
McDaniel's most memorable performance was as Mammy in 1939's Gone with the Wind, for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Keep on reading to learn more about her life and career.
Hattie McDaniel Grew Up In a Large Family
Hattie McDaniel was born to formerly-enslaved parents in Kansas, in June 1893. She was the 13th child of an American Civil War veteran who'd served with the 122nd United States Colored Troops and had sustained significant injuries in combat. Her mother was a gospel singer.
She Was Independent From a Young Age
From an early age, McDaniel was known for being outspoken, witty and fiercely independent. Family members recalled her as someone who could command a room with humor and confidence. This strong personality helped her push through barriers, but also placed her at odds with more traditional expectations placed on women of her era.
She Discovers Her Love for Entertaining
In 1900, McDaniel's family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, before settling in Denver, where the future Academy Award winner discovered her talent as a singer and performer.
In her first year at Denver East High School, McDaniel entered a contest sponsored by the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She won first place for reciting Convict Joe, a pre-Prohibition poem warning about the dangers of alcohol.
She Chose Entertainment Over Education
McDaniel left high school before graduating, choosing the uncertainty of a performing career over formal education. This strained family expectations, particularly at a time when stability was highly valued for Black women navigating a segregated society.
An Unhappy First Marriage
In 1911, McDaniel married her first husband, Howard Hickman, coinciding with the pressures of touring life, financial instability and limited opportunities for Black entertainers. The marriage ended after a short time and was reportedly marked by abuse and instability.
The experience reinforced McDaniel's determination to rely on herself, rather than depend on a partner for security.
The First Woman of African Descent to Sing on Radio
By the time she was in high school, McDaniel was working as a professional singer, dancer and actor with traveling troupes. She often collaborated with her siblings, but branched out following the death of her brother, Otis, in 1916 and wound up becoming the first woman of African descent to sing on the radio.
She Was Left Devastated By Her Second Husband
In 1922, McDaniel married George Langford, a fellow performer. Unlike her first marriage, this relationship appeared to offer companionship and shared understanding of life on the road. Unfortunately, Langford's health soon deteriorated, and McDaniel became his primary financial and emotional support.
He died in 1925, leaving his wife devastated.
Her Work Took a Hit During the Great Depression
In 1924, the Great Depression left performance opportunities pretty thin, so Hattie McDaniel took a job as a ladies' washroom attendant at a club near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The owners heard her singing, and, despite typically only hiring White performers, made an exception for McDaniel.
She performed there regularly for about a year, before deciding she wanted to see if there were greener pastures in Hollywood.
Her Third Husband Was Jealous of Her Success
In 1930, McDaniel married James Lloyd Crawford, a real estate salesman. Initially, the marriage offered the promise of normalcy outside Hollywood’s instability. However, the differences in their ambitions and expectations soon became apparent.
Crawford struggled with jealousy over his wife's growing success and independence. As her career advanced, tensions increased, revealing deep discomfort with her public visibility and financial autonomy.
Third Time Certainly Wasn't the Charm
The strain of resentment and conflict ultimately eroded the marriage. McDaniel refused to lessen her ambitions to preserve their relationship. While the couple wound up divorcing by 1933, the split reinforced her resolve to prioritize independence over companionship.
Hattie McDaniel Found Early Success in Hollywood
When McDaniel got to Los Angeles, California, she quickly landed a part on a radio broadcast called The Optimistic Do-Nuts, which led to additional opportunities. In 1931, she was cast as an extra in a musical. A year later, she secured a role in The Golden West as a housekeeper.
She Was Typecast Because of Her Skin Color
While this was the first role of that type that McDaniel accepted, it was far from the last. The simple truth is there weren’t many roles out there for African-American women, and the majority of them were as characters in service roles. Wanting to continue her life as a performer, she kept accepting roles as a domestic worker.
Collaborating with Some of Hollywood's Brightest
In 1934, Hattie McDaniel landed a role in the film Judge Priest and even sang a duet with Will Rogers. The following year, she acted in The Little Colonel with Lionel Barrymore and Shirley Temple.
This was followed by more prominent roles in the likes of Alice Adams, China Seas and Murder by Television.
Not Everyone Was Happy with the Roles She Accepted
However, not everyone was as enamored with McDaniel's roles as she was.
Despite working steadily in the mostly-White film industry, she received criticism from organizations, such as the NAACP, who believed she was contributing to the perpetuation of negative stereotypes about African Americans.
She'd Rather Play a Maid Than Be One
McDaniel's response to such criticism was simple and straightforward: she would rather play a maid than be one. Even if she was acting in servants’ roles, she often did so in a way that made them anything but subservient. In fact, they were often independent and sassy enough to make some White audiences uncomfortable.
She Tried Once More At Love
In 1936, Hattie married Larry Williams, a laborer. Her friends hoped the relationship might provide stability, but problems emerged almost immediately.
The relationship quickly deteriorated amid allegations of physical abuse, and McDaniels ultimately divorced Williams in 1938, refusing to remain in a dangerous situation.
Hattie McDaniel Scores Her Biggest Role Yet
Of all her roles, one earned Hattie McDaniel an Oscar, making her the first person of African descent to be given an award by the Academy. The part in question: Mammy in Gone with the Wind. While she might not have known it at the time, this role would forever change her life.
1939's Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind follows the headstrong Scarlett O’Hara as she struggles to survive love, loss and dramatic social upheaval during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Set in the South, it centers on her turbulent relationship with the charming but cynical Rhett Butler as the old world she knows collapses around her.
The Highest-Grossing Feature Film of All Time
Gone with the Wind was based on the Margaret Mitchell novel of the same name. One of the biggest movies ever released (it remains the highest-grossing feature film of all time, when adjusted for inflation), it starred the likes of Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and the gorgeous Olivia De Havilland.
She Had the Support of the Film's Leading Man
Despite her talents, McDaniel never believed she'd secure the role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind, given her reputation as a comedic actor.
She shouldn't have doubted herself, as she won the part, with one source claiming she even had the support of Clark Gable - Rhett Butler himself!
The Role Garnered Her Even More Criticism
McDaniel received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mammy, and her acceptance speech netted her even more criticism from the African-American community.
Some thought McDaniel shouldn’t have accepted the role of someone who wasn't just enslaved, but who spoke nostalgically of the Old South.
She Wasn't Allowed to Attend the Premiere
Ironically, despite the fact she won an award for her role, McDaniel and the other Black actors in Gone with the Wind weren't allowed to attend the film's premiere at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, due to the state's segregation laws.
She did, however, attend the Hollywood premiere.
She'd Found Success, But Was Incredibly Lonely
Despite her fame and success, McDaniel was lonely. The combination of demanding work, public scrutiny and her four failed marriages left her emotionally isolated. What's more, she had never had children, something she privately regretted later in life.
Hattie McDaniel's Film Career Begins to Slow Down
Despite her Oscar win, Hattie McDaniel's film career slowly wound down in the 1940s, with her taking roles alongside the likes Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.
Her last big-screen appearances came in 1948 and '49 with Mickey and Family Honeymoon - but that didn't mean her career as an entertainer was over.
She Returned to Radio and Television
McDaniel eventually returned to radio as the star of Beulah, a nationally syndicated program in the United States. She was, again, playing a maid, but did it in a way that went against the stereotypes the NACCP had issues with, earning praise from the organization.
She later reprised her role in the television adaptation of the series, replacing Ethel Waters after the first season. It's reported Waters quit over the negative stereotypes the show pushed - something that would follow Beulah throughout its run.
Supporting the War Effort at Home
During the Second World War, McDaniel was a member of the American Women's Voluntary Service (AWVS) and the Hollywood Victory Committee. As the chairman of one of the latter's divisions, she enlisted several of her friends, performed at USO shows and attended rallies to promote the sale of war bonds.
She Received a Devastating Diagnosis
One of the reason for McDaniel slowing down in the 1940s was her health. She'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, and as her ill-health started to take its toll, she was forced to leave the cast of Beulah to focus on managing her diagnosis.
She was replaced by Louise Beavers.
The Passing of an Academy Award Winner
Hattie McDaniel died of breast cancer on October 26, 1952. While she'd wished to be buried at the Hollywood Cemetery, her request was denied, due to its segregation policy. She was, instead, laid to rest at Rosedale Cemetery.
Some 3,000 mourners turned out to celebrate her life and legacy.
Hattie McDaniel Received Many Posthumous Honors
After her passing, Hattie McDaniel received several honors, including not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was also inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in the 1970s, and the US Postal Service even issued a commemorative stamp in 2006 to honor her legacy.
She Wanted Her Oscar to Be Donated
Prior to her death, McDaniel had stated she wanted her Academy Award to be given to Howard University. However, it would take a while to get there.
Following her passing, the IRS claimed McDaniel owed more than $11,000 in taxes and ordered everything she owned, including her Oscar, be sold to creditors to pay the balance.
The Award Vanished Into Thin Air
Many years later, the award wound up at Howard University, where it was put on display in the drama department. However, it was only there for a short while.
It went missing sometime in the 1960s or '70s, never to be seen again. While several theories popped up as to what happened to the award, no one was ever able to definitively solve the mystery.
'Hattie's Come Home'
In the years that followed, calls were made for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to replace the Oscar, all of which were denied, as doing so goes against the Academy's rules.
However, it was announced in September 2023 that the award would be replaced and given to Howard University, at a ceremony aptly titled "Hattie's Come Home."
