Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel [Paperback]

Carlton Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 1993

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

McDaniel is remembered as the first black to win an Academy Award, but her lengthy career also included work in theater, radio, and television. Jackson has done extensive research on her career, but goes beyond straight biography when he uses her story to illustrate the struggles of black entertainers and the pressure they must have felt at being caught between the need to work and the increasing demands of black activists that they reject available but stereotyped roles. Although the bare facts of McDaniel's life and career make a relatively slim book, the occasional broader perspective provides some interesting insights.
- Barbara E. Kemp, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Madison Books (April 14, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568330049
• ISBN-13: 978-1568330044
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening&respectful bio of an overlooked entertainer, March 1, 2000

By 

Lori Lakin Hutcherson "wordmaven" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel (Paperback)

Carlton Jackson has done a concise, literate job delving into the life and work of Hattie McDaniel. Not only do you get a clear sense of who she was and her talent as a performer, but also of the context and times in which she lived. Jackson sheds much-needed light on a seldom-seen side of Hollywood - the black side - as well as the struggles between commerce & equality that still exist today. Reading about the NAACP protests against Hollywood vis a vis lack of opportunities for blacks is like reading today's headlines. But more importantly, getting a proper sense of who Hattie McDaniel was and her professional legacy are the primary reasons to read this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Scissors and paste job full of errors, June 24, 2005

By 

City Of Evanston "djpauly" (EVANSTON, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel (Paperback)

The author uses lots of footnotes to impress the reader. This
book is full of errors like saying Lilian Randolph played Beulah
and that Hattie did not film any episodes of the TV series (when
there are 3 available on video). One wonders, too, if the author
saw any of her films other than GONE WITH THE WIND and THE GREAT
LIE. This book was slapped together to coincide with one of the
re-release dates of GONE WITH THE WIND. It is a pity because Hattie paved the way for all the African-American stars of today and deserves a real biography instead of this piece of crap.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book with a couple of glitches, January 27, 2005

By 

Emberweave - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel (Paperback)

Considering how important Hattie McDaniel is to American movie history both for her talents and achievements, I've been surprised there are not more books about her. I was glad to discover Carlton Jackson's book. I'll mention the glitches first since I want to end on a positive note. Mr. Jackson mentions the constant confusion between Hattie, Louise Beavers, and Ethel Waters and this seems to extend to the copy editor and even Mr. Jackson himself. On Page 34 (paperback)it says "It is our intention to publicize her name as Hattie McDaniel, instead of 'the colored woman who was in Imitation of Life'....We have a feeling that Louise Beavers, cast in important pictures, can do much to enhance their entertainment value." I had to read this a few times before I realized the editor was confused and it should read "...publicize her name as Louise Beavers", since Hattie was not in that movie. This happens a few times throughout the book. And at the end, Mr. Jackson compares Hattie's funeral to a scene from Imitation of Life, but Hattie was NEVER in that movie, so it muddles things again. A factual mistake occurs on page 113 when mentioning James Baskett, who played Uncle Remus in Song of the South. Mr. Jackson states that he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Not true. Harold Russell won for The Best Years of Our Lives. Mr. Baskett was not nominated for an Oscar. He was, however, presented with a special Oscar for his performance as Uncle Remus. It's a minor thing, but does raise concerns about accuracy, since that is such an easy thing to check out. Anyway, glitches aside, I found this book to be very enjoyable and informative about Hattie McDaniel's life and career. The pages of pictures are a treat as well. The picture of her at age 15 is just beautiful. The book was worth the price and is a great read and should satisfy the reader until someone does a more in-depth and longer biography of this wonderful woman.