Hollywood: Was Hattie McDaniel Allowed to Attend the Oscars?

Hollywood on Netflix presents an alternative version of old Hollywood, but with some real facts, such as how Hattie McDaniel was treated when she was nominated for an Oscar in 1940. The version of the show's events shows that McDaniel stays out of the ceremony at which her white counterparts sit, even though they are a candidate (and ultimately a winner). What really happened to McDaniel at the Oscars?

Did Hattie McDaniel attend the Oscars?

According to The Hollywood ReporterMcDaniel was barely even allowed to attend the Oscars, where she would win her historic victory, even though a list of winners had already been leaked, which she determined to be the winner. During this time, the Oscars were not held in a large theater or auditorium. In 1940 they took place in the Cocoanut Grove night club, which was part of the Ambassador Hotel. The ambassador was a hotel only for whites, which was only to be integrated in 1959. That is why producer David O. Selznick had to claim a favor so that McDaniel could even take part in the ceremony where she wanted to make history.

Although she was allowed to take a seat, she was not allowed to sit Blown by the wind Table with Selznick and her nominated white co-stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Olivia de Havilland. Instead, she sat together with her escort F.P. at a smaller, isolated table far from the room. Yober (a black man) and her (white) agent William Meiklejohn. Nevertheless, her victory was greeted with emotional cheers and her acceptance speech went down in Oscar history. "I will always consider it a beacon for everything I can do in the future. I sincerely hope that I will always honor my race and the film industry," she said memorably when she held her award.

How did Hattie McDaniel advance her own Oscar campaign?

Ironically, McDaniel had to be the driving force behind her own Oscar nomination. in the THRFrom the narrative of her nomination and winning, it appears that the studio hadn't originally planned to submit her for an Oscar exam. McDaniel has reportedly taken matters into his own hands. Armed with a stack of reviews that praised her – including reviews from major outlets with white critics – she went to Selznick's office and put the entire stack on his desk. Selznick submitted her for the exam and, together with de Havilland, she was nominated in the category of supporting actresses.

Did Hattie McDaniel's victory lead to big changes in Hollywood?

On HollywoodThe pioneering work of McDaniel and other characters ultimately leads to real and lasting changes in the film industry. However, the reality was much less friendly to her. She has worked continuously throughout a long career, but she couldn't avoid being typed in "Mammy" roles, with about 75% of her credited roles being domestic. She was criticized by black activists, including the NAACP, for maintaining stereotypes, but could not be cast as any other character type. Even her historic Oscar itself had an unworthy ending: after her death, it was classified as worthless, eventually went to Howard University and was missing in the early 1970s to never be seen again.

McDaniel's victory also did not result in more and better roles for non-white actors, as stereotypes continued to exist and colored actors were still excluded from Oscar-y roles. Until 1963, when Sidney Poitier won as the best actor, no black actor or black actress would win an Oscar in any category again. Since McDaniel's victory, seven black women have won the same award for best supporting actress: Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Mo & # 39; Nique, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong & # 39; o, Viola Davis and Regina King; There was a 51-year gap between McDaniel's win and the next win (Goldberg & # 39; s). However, none of this can affect their exceptional performance.