What's After the Movie
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893 – October 26, 1952) was an African‑American actress, singer‑songwriter, and comedian whose career spanned the transition from vaudeville to Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born in Wichita, Kansas to formerly enslaved parents, she was the youngest of thirteen children and grew up in Colorado after her family moved to Fort Collins and later Denver, where she attended Denver East High School and won a gold‑medal recitation prize in 1910. McDaniel began her professional life performing in minstrel and touring ensembles with her siblings, later turning to radio in the 1920s and recording sixteen blues sides for Okeh and Paramount. After a brief stint as a maid and laundress in Los Angeles, her breakthrough came with a credited role in The Golden West (1932) and a supporting turn in Mae West’s I’m No Angel (1933). By the mid‑1930s she was a regular contract player for Fox and Warner Bros., appearing in films such as Judge Priest (1934), Show Boat (1936), and Saratoga (1937). Her most iconic performance was as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Black performer to receive an Oscar. Despite the honor, she faced segregation at the ceremony and was barred from the Atlanta premiere, illustrating the pervasive racism of the era.
Beyond the screen, McDaniel was a pioneering radio personality, hosting the first Black‑led comedy series Beulah, and later transitioning to television, where she broke further ground as the show’s lead. She served as chairman of the Negro Division of the Hollywood Victory Committee during World II, raised funds for war bonds, and fought housing discrimination in Los Angeles, helping to overturn restrictive covenants in the landmark West Adams case. McDaniel died of breast cancer in 1952 at age 59; she was interred in Angelus‑Rosedale Cemetery because Hollywood Cemetery would not accept her. Her legacy endures through two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, posthumous inductions into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and a 2006 U.S. postage stamp honoring her historic Oscar victory.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Hattie McDaniel, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Hattie McDaniel rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Hattie McDaniel
Born: Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Citizenship: American
Birthday: June 10, 1893
Occupations: Actress, Singer-songwriter, Comedian
Years Active: 1920-1952
Spouses: Howard Hickman, George Langford, James Lloyd Crawford, Larry Williams
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Awards and Nominations Received by Hattie McDaniel
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Movies Featuring Hattie McDaniel
Song of the South
Show Boat
And the Oscar Goes To…
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Janie
Blonde Venus
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Babbitt
Since You Went Away
Maryland
Hello, Sister!
The Impatient Maiden
Johnny Come Lately
I’m No Angel
Another Face
Judge Priest
Imitation of Life
The Shopworn Angel
The Mad Miss Manton
The Big Wheel
King Kelly of the U.S.A.
Good-bye Love
Libeled Lady
Affectionately Yours
In This Our Life
Postal Inspector
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
Arbor Day
The Crime Nobody Saw
Carefree
The Male Animal
Don’t Tell the Wife
Murder by Television
Traveling Saleslady
Over the Goal
1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year
Vivacious Lady
Family Honeymoon
Janie Gets Married
Zenobia
Lost in the Stratosphere
George Washington Slept Here
Alice Adams
Merry Wives of Reno
The Great Lie
The Singing Kid
Racing Lady
The Washington Masquerade
The Chases of Pimple Street
Are You Listening?
The Shining Hour
The Flame
Anniversary Trouble
Music Is Magic
The Little Colonel
Sky Racket
Operator 13
Saratoga
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
China Seas
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Hattie McDaniel, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
1938
The Shopworn Angel
Martha
The Mad Miss Manton
Hilda
Carefree
Hattie (uncredited)
Vivacious Lady
Hattie - Maid at Prom Dance (uncredited)
The Shining Hour
Belvedere
1937
The Crime Nobody Saw
Ambrosia
Don’t Tell the Wife
Mamie (uncredited)
Over the Goal
Hannah
Racing Lady
Abby
Sky Racket
Jenny
Saratoga
Rosetta
1936
Show Boat
Libeled Lady
Scrubwoman in Grand Plaza Hall (uncredited)
Postal Inspector
Deborah
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
Ellen Belle
Arbor Day
Buckwheat's Mother (uncredited)
The Singing Kid
Maid (uncredited)
1935
Another Face
Nellie (uncredited)
Murder by Television
Isabella
Traveling Saleslady
Martha Smith (uncredited)
Alice Adams
Malena Burns - Maid Serving Dinner
Anniversary Trouble
Maid
Music Is Magic
Hattie (Amanda in credits)
The Little Colonel
Becky "Mom Beck" Porter
China Seas
Isabel McCarthy, Dolly's Maid (uncredited)
1934
Babbitt
Rosalie (uncredited)
Judge Priest
Aunt Dilsey
Imitation of Life
Woman at Funeral (uncredited)
King Kelly of the U.S.A.
Mop Buyer
Lost in the Stratosphere
Ida Johnson
Merry Wives of Reno
Bunny's Maid (uncredited)
The Chases of Pimple Street
Hattie - Gertrude's Maid (uncredited)
Operator 13
Annie (uncredited)
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