Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel

by Carlton Jackson

Hattie McDaniel was the first black to ever win an Oscar. She was also the first black woman to ever sing on American radio. In this fresh assessment of her life and career, Carlton Jackson tells the inside story of her working relationships, her personal life, and the many obstacles she faced as a black performer in the white world of show business during the first half of the twentieth century.

Genres: Biography

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 1989

Reviews

[Sheena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay. I learned a lot about Hattie and I had no idea she was born in Kansas. But what I felt lacked in this book was a real story about her. It was basically like reading the timeline at the end of the book. I would have liked to have read more about her in Hollywood or her beginning career than reading about all the names of people she knew. I felt like when she was fighting with Walter White it just kept giving a bunch of names and the back and forth of what they went through but I didn't really feel like I understood the whole story. I felt like there were so many names but not enough about them and their connection to Hattie. Then the ending it was basically she got sick and then died. I would have liked to have seen more about how she was feeling beyond a couple paragraphs saying she was depressed and that's it. I knew of her from Gone With the Wind but nothing other than that so I had no idea she was the first African American to do so much and how much she did fight for her community even though they sometimes felt like she didn't. I would be interested in reading more about her but again I felt like this wasn't the best biography about her.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun biography to read! I learned so many wonderful things about Hattie McDaniel and how she opened so many doors for other African-Americans who followed in her footsteps. Hattie McDaniel is often disrespected because of the role, Mammy, she played in "Gone With the Wind," but when people disrespect her, they forget that she is the first African-American woman who sang on the radio and the first to win an Oscar, among many other influential moments. Jackson, the author, was a college history professor who specialized in the social history of the U.S. and has won several prestigious awards. He did a fabulous job researching for this biography and telling Hattie's story! The bibliography in the back is impressive, and I really like his perspective as he told Hattie's story. After reading this book, I truly feel that, if I had the chance to meet Hattie McDaniel in person, I would love having her as a personal friend. She was truly a great woman with a powerful influence for good, and she didn't even realize the extent to which she influenced many others and still does to this day. I highly recommend this book, especially for classic movie fans who like to know about the classic actors and actresses from the early days of movies.

[Trina Dubya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, but a bit dry. I appreciate knowing what Ms. McDaniel went through and the pressures put on her from Hollywood and organizations to promote Black people.

[Graceann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-intentioned biography of Hattie McDaniel, covering her life and her years in Hollywood. I don't have any overriding complaints about this one, but I did actually prefer "Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood" by Jill Watts.

[Sandee Belden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a eye opening book about a Hattie McDaniel. She was an amazing woman that opened doors to black actors that came after her.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just started it. Good so far.

[Rachel Menter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hattie McDaniel was an amazing woman and I learned so much about her that I did not know before.

[Bella Brehm]

#1. On June 10th 1895 Hattie McDaniel was born in Wichita Kansas. In 1910 at the young age of fifteen Hattie was awarded the gold medal from the Women's Christian Temperance Union for her reading of "Convict Joe". She then dropped out of high school in 1911 and spent many years traveling around with different performance groups that then lead her to marrying George Langford and being the first person of color to preform on the radio station. In 1931 she then moved to Hollywood where she started her appearances in many different movies. She had a divorce with her first husband and ended up getting married again, but sadly that ended in another divorce. After that divorce she played Mammy in Gone With The Wind, leading her to be the first African American to win an academy award, the Oscar. Once this movie was over she married for a third time, but that one also took a turning end into divorce. She continued to act in movies and skits up until she fell ill in 1951 that lead to her death on October 26 1952, ending off her career because you can not perform when you are dead.
#2. Hattie impacted America by being the first African America to win an academy award, go live on the radio, and be buried in what used to be an all white Grave yard. This gave many other young African Americans hope that they didn't have to settle because of skin color and could be just as good as the whites.
#3. The theme would be uplifting, yes Hattie went through many struggles but yet she still did it, even when others said she couldn't.
#4. I would not recommend this text because it was the absolute most boring book I've ever had to read.