Gone with the Wind Reflection: Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel

While lauded by critics as one of the greatest films of all time, Gone with the Wind's racist depictions of African American stereotypes are as clear as glass. However, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar for her performance as the stereotypical "mammy", even beating her white co-star Olivia de Havilland. Hattie McDaniel's story as both a pioneer for black actors and a source for Hollywood stereotypes is one of the most interesting in the film industry.

Hattie McDaniel was born to a family of 13 children in 1893; both of her parents were former slaves. She and her family were performers; her father performed traveling shows with her brothers, and Hattie performed locally with her siblings. Entertainment was a large part of her life, and McDaniel intended to keep it a part of her life.

After working singing gigs and becoming the first black woman to sing on U.S radio, McDaniel moved to Los Angeles where she acted in minor roles in movies. Eventually, McDaniel would score her famous role in Gone with the Wind. Becoming the first African American to win an Oscar was a major achievement for racial progress in Hollywood, but there were detractors.

McDaniel receiving her Oscar

Of course, there were negative reactions simply because McDaniel was black, but there was another reason. Many civil rights activists felt that McDaniel's role as a maid (a type of role that she played more than any other) perpetuated stereotypes of African Americans. They specifically felt that in Gone with the Wind, the role of Mammy helped paint an idealized view of slavery.

Walter White

The president of the NAACP, Walter White, actively worked within Hollywood to discourage producers from having black servant roles in their movies. While these servant roles were the source of McDaniel's critics, they were also her niche and income. A biographer wrote that McDaniel felt that White was trying to "grab the bread right out of her mouth". She also once said, "Hell, I'd rather play a maid than be one".

Once her opportunities in film dried up, McDaniel moved to a successful career in radio. She died in 1952 of breast cancer and was denied burial at the Hollywood Cemetery (one of her last wishes) due to it being whites-only. She was honored with a memorial in the cemetery in 1999. She was also posthumously inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.