Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood

This is a lovely find about an actress who fought hard to bring dignity to her craft. At the time, the movie system was hysterically terrified of the white southern movie goer and thus only offered African American actors the roles that did not disturb southerners' virulent and violent racism. Thus, Ms. McDaniel was relegated to the only roles offered African Americans at that time, the role of the servile, eternally grateful, simple-minded, fussy maid. Ms. Hattie did her best to insert pieces of the humanity missing from such a racist movies. Yet she was excoriated by civil rights groups who felt she was a sell-out because her roles reflected the racism of a white society intent on finding a way to keep African Americans in their place. With slavery a thing of the past, African American performers were relegated to appearances in films that lauded that violent and despicable part of our history. They were maids or butlers, lazy as all sin, unable to express thoughts or opinions intelligibly , and who obeyed their white neo-slave owners without question. After she won her Oscar for the dreadful and racist Gone With The Wind, the dye was cast and she was never allowed to appear in any other roles--not that the system was providing them. The system preferred the romantic falsehood of a gentile south where African Americans knew their place, who never sassed back, and contented themselves in service to their white masters and mistresses. Hollywood history is marred by its refusal to counter the racist southern movie goers who refused and still refuse to be honest about the brutality and slaughter of African Americans. She was even forbidden from attending the premiere of GWTW in Atlanta, so as not to disturb the chimera depicted in that despicable film. Thus, the book reminds me of how things really were and how one woman struggled to survive in a profession that made no room for realistic roles or films about the African American experience. Sadly, she received little support from her own community because they felt she participated in perpetuating the lies told about the disgusting history of slavery in her performances of the maid speaking in language/accents invented by white Hollywood. To me, she should be remembered for her talent, for trying to humanize the drivel of roles she was offered, and for surviving in a cowardly industry who sided with the ugly side of the American psyche--the one we see now rising up once again in the "angry white man/woman" worried about their survival in a world that no longer reflects who they see in the mirror each day. Finally, Ms. Hattie receives the biography she deserves written with insight, facts, and context. I learned not only about Ms. McDaniel, but also about the details of Hollywood's participation in keeping filmdom lilly-white. It's a sad history and beautifully written. Ms. McDaniel can now take her place in Hollywood history as a pioneer, as a woman trying to make a living in a man's world, as a uniquely talented performer who did not get a fair chance in the Dream Factory. Bravo Ms. McDaniel!

I have never liked history, until I started reading books that talk about history, but in the context of an interesting thread. I am now a huge fan of Hattie McDaniel, and she is a terrific thread through our American history, through the lens of an African American. I am white and I have learned a lot about my own family's history and I was fascinated to understand the experience of black families. The Black Lives Matter movement has taught me to listen, and I have now listened to Hattie, who stood so strong despite all the hurdles put in front of her. The author did a great job of telling the story.

Enjoyed reading the history of Black Hollywood. Very sad, as a lot of Black history the things Black Americans had to deal with. The stupidity and audacity of some of white Hollywood moguls trying to create Black people in film the way they thought Black people should be and keep them in their place as subservient to whites. To keep Blacks playing servants over and over and over again and for them to happy about it is absurd.

An exceptional bio of my favorite GWTW actor; she certainly deserved the Oscar she won. It was very eye-opening to learn more about racial inequality in her era although I saw it, too, as I grew up in the South in the 50's and 60's. I am ashamed of the racial inequality that dominated life then. If Hattie were still alive, I would apologize to her. She was definitely ambitious and she showed White Hollywood that skin color does not a star make!

very blunt and truthful story about the racism that exhisted in the film industry for many years

i enjoyed this book about ms. mcdaniel life in hollywood you can see that not much has changed for black actors.

THIS IS NOT JUST A BIOGRAPHY OF A FASCINATING WOMAN, IT IS ALSO A FASCINATING ACCOUNT OF THE PREJUDICE MS MCDANIEL FACED WITHIN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY, AND FROM THE NAACP. A FIRST CLASS ACCOUNT OF A WOMAN I FELT I KNEW PERSONALLY AFTER THE LAST PAGE, AND AN EQUALLY WONDERFUL SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT PREJUDICE AND RACIAL PROBLEMS IN ALL ITS FORMS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT

wow what a life story

Love the history behind the book, and that it is an honest portrayal. Read Vivien Leigh bio and you wouldn't know it was the same 'Gone With the Wind'. Watched the film again just to match it to the part in Hattie's story.

:)