Actress, singer-songwriter, and dancer Hattie McDaniel was a triple threat the likes of which Hollywood has rarely seen. Although she is best known for her Oscar winning turn as Mammy in 1939's Gone With the Wind, she was a dynamic performer who successfully conquered the stage, screen, and airwaves over the course of her thirty-eight year career. Her rags to riches success story is the stuff that the American dream is made of and her philanthropic efforts serve as an apt reminder of the difference that one person can make in the world. In honor of her birthday on June 10, I'll be turning the spotlight on her life, career, and legacy.
"I did my best, and God did the rest"-Hattie McDaniel
Born the youngest of thirteen children of former slaves, Hattie McDaniel's beginnings were far from the 'typical' Hollywood success story. In order to escape both racial prejudice and grinding poverty her family moved from Wichita, Kansas to Denver, Colorado when she was five years old. Even in the relatively egalitarian west, however, the family still found themselves struggling to survive as the injuries that her father had suffered while serving in the Civil War significantly limited his employment opportunities. At the mere age of eight McDaniel and her brother took to the stage in an effort to supplement their parents' meager incomes. After nearly ten years of treading the boards in vaudeville she became determined to pursue performing full-time and quit school at age seventeen. She then appeared in a traveling minstrel show where she developed her skills as a singer-songwriter as well as a performer. While touring with the show she began to attain the status of a local celebrity, particularly after a much discussed performance in which she daringly subverted racial stereotypes by performing in "white-face" in what was ordinarily a role performed by white actors in "black-face". In another trailblazing moment she became one of the first African American women to perform with an orchestra on the then cutting edge medium of radio. She even performed under the direction of famed Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld for a brief period until financial constraints forced him to lay her and her cast mates off.
Despite her artistic successes, from the 1910s through the 1930's McDaniel continued to struggle financially. Throughout this period, she continued to work a 'day job' in a series of domestic service positions as a powder room attendant, a laundress, and a maid in order to support herself. In an attempt to supplement her income she joined her siblings in Los Angeles in hopes of obtaining work as an extra in Hollywood while continuing to pursue her stage career. She landed her first major role in 1934 when she sang an on-screen duet with Will Rogers in John Ford's Judge Priest and quickly followed it up with the role of Mom Beck opposite Shirley Temple and Lionel Barrymore in 1935's The Little Colonel. Her portrayal of Queenie in 1936's Showboat brought her to the attention of several prominent directors and lead to her obtaining steady work in a series of roles throughout the remainder of the 1930's.
"Putting a little time aside for clean fun and good humor is very necessary to relieve the tensions of our time"-Hattie McDaniel
By 1939 McDaniel was known for her work throughout Hollywood, but in 1939 she was cast in the role that would ultimately lead to her becoming a cinematic legend. On the recommendation of star (and close personal friend), Clark Gable, she was cast in the coveted role of Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Drawing upon her own personal experiences in domestic work she created a multi-faceted and believable character in her performance. Even before the film's debut, however, she was subject to scrutiny from the NAACP, who claimed that in her numerous roles as domestic workers she played caricatures rather than characters and reinforced racial stereotypes. Gone With the Wind proved to be an instant classic, and led to McDaniel becoming the first African American to win an Oscar. This honor proved bittersweet, however, when she was prohibited from attending the film's premiere in then-segregated Atlanta, and later forced to sit apart from her cast mates at a table in the back of the venue during the Academy Awards Ceremony. Although her win was a cultural as well as personal milestone she continued to be plagued by criticism from African American audiences and even received hate mail from black servicemen during World War II. Little did her critics know, however, that throughout filming she pressured the film's directors (several directors were assigned to the project throughout filming) to rewrite her lines, which were written in dialect, and refused to utter the racial slurs which were included in the original script. When asked by Hollywood Reporter about the polarizing effect of her performance she replied, "I have never apologized for the roles I play. I have been told that I kept alive the stereotype of the Negro servant in the minds of theatergoers. I believe my critics think the public more naive than it actually is".
The criticism of the black community eventually led to a decline in the domestic roles that had formed the basis of McDaniel's film career. Rather than accept defeat she instead reinvented herself once again and starred in the radio comedy Beulah, becoming the first African American woman to star in a radio series. The series, which featured McDaniel portraying a sassy maid, was subject to the same criticism that had followed her throughout her film career. When the NAACP again accused her of reinforcing stereotypes she reminded her critics that the role drew upon her own personal experience and declared, "I'd rather make seven-hundred dollars a week playing a maid than seven dollars a week being one!".
Unbeknownst to many of her critics, McDaniel was devoted to philanthropic efforts within the black community throughout her life. During World War II she organized entertainment for African American troops and acted as chairwoman of the Negro Division of the Hollywood Victory Committee. She also founded her own philanthropic society, les Femmes D'Aujourd'hui, and joined Sigma Gamma Rho, a sorority for women of color devoted to philanthropy and the advancement of equality. She also played a pivotal role in outlawing restrictive racial covenants (which were used to segregate neighborhoods) by organizing her neighbors in West Adams Heights to advocate for change and acting as one of the named defendants in the legal case Tollhurst v. Venerable. She continued to advocate for equality to the end of her days when she requested to be buried at the then segregated Hollywood Forever Cemetery shortly before she died of breast cancer at age 57 in 1952. While her request was denied and she was instead buried in the Rosedale Cemetery a marble memorial was erected in her honor in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 1999.
In a paraphrase of her Academy Awards acceptance speech her gravestone reads "Aunt Hattie, you are a credit to your craft, your race, and to your family", and truer words were rarely written. Today her name appears on two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; a fitting tribute to a star who shined both on screen and off. Over the course of her all too brief life Hattie McDaniel not only overcame poverty and prejudice, but also helped others to do the same. She approached praise and criticism with equal grace and remained true to herself every step of the way. In short, she is exactly the sort of woman whom Rhett Butler would have described as a "great lady".
Hattie McDaniel accepting the 1940 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Monique's touching tribute to McDaniel when she accepted her 2010 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Corruption, fear, and violence are just another day in the life in the crime infested streets of Gotham City. In this city in which law and order are ideals rather than realities a dark figure emerges to ensure that justice prevails and crime does not pay. He may not be the conventional hero that the people of Gotham City want, but Batman is the avenger that they need. In 2008's The Dark Knight Batman is put to the ultimate test in a battle of wills against the anarchistic Joker which eerily mirrors society's ongoing struggle against the forces of chaos.
Holy Oscars Batman!
The film begins with Gotham in a state of relative calm thanks to the efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon. Meanwhile, the arrival of idealistic District Attorney Harvey Dent promises a brighter future for the city and leaves Bruce Wayne wondering if the time has come for Batman to finally hang up his cape and cowl. Just as peace finally seems to be within the city's reach, however, a new threat appears in the form of the Joker. Through his singular pursuit of social anarchy the Joker plunges the city's law abiding citizens and criminals alike into a state of perpetual chaos, and pushes Batman and his allies to the very edge of darkness.
Easily the darkest and most complex entry in the Batman franchise The Dark Knight portrays the utter chaos of a world at war with itself. Through his central struggle against the Joker Batman is forced to confront numerous ethical questions which call his moral code into question. These same questions surrounding law enforcement, citizen surveillance, and vigilante justice particularly resonated with viewers at the time of the film's release during the War on Terror, and have gained even greater relevance in the midst of today's social unrest. In the wake of the tragic murder of unarmed civilian George Floyd at the hands of police cities around the world have seen protesters filling their streets to demand justice. What began as peaceful protests has in many cities, however, descended into violence, destruction, and mayhem. The rioting, looting, and attacks on both law enforcement and civilians does nothing to further racial equality or to ensure that Floyd's killer is brought to justice. What this wanton destruction does do is perpetuate further injustice as it plunges city streets into the same sort of chaos and anarchy that the Joker brings to Gotham. Those responsible for this mayhem, whether they be opportunistic criminals, extremist Antifa militants, or members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground inspired group Black Lives Matter, may claim to be seeking justice, but are in fact only ensuring that the world around them burns. This unrest leaves us grappling with many of the same questions that Batman faces as he struggles to uphold the law even as the forces around him push him ever closer to breaking it himself. These are indeed some of the darkest days in recent memory, but as Harvey Dent assures the citizens of Gotham City "the night is darkest just before dawn", and if we stand together in unity against these agents of chaos and demand that our leaders stand with us against this destruction dawn will come.
Gotham City and its enduring struggle against evil is brilliantly brought to life thanks to the superb work of the film's cast. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a welcome addition to the cast, replacing Katie Holmes as Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes. In Gyllenhaal's capable hands Rachel is transformed from stock love interest to a fully realized heroine in her own right. Aaron Eckhart shines as Gotham's charismatic 'White Knight' Harvey Dent and portrays Harvey's transformation into ruthless vigilante Two-Face with tragic anguish. Gary Oldman perfectly captures Commissioner Gordon's essential honesty and growing world weariness as he struggles to remain morally upright in a world of corruption. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine aptly fill dual roles as both Bruce Wayne's and the films' consciences in their portrayals of Wayne Enterprises' CEO Lucius Fox and Bruce's best friend and butler, Alfred. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger dominate the film in their portrayals of Bruce Wayne/Batman and the Joker. Ledger is nearly unrecognizable as he transforms into the personification of chaos in the form of the Joker. The performance is more than worthy of his posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as he infuses his every gesture with a manic energy and underlying menace. Bale turns in an iconic performance that surpasses any in the Batman franchise and perhaps even in the entire superhero genre as he expertly captures the dark knight's reluctant heroism even as he struggles to battle his inner demons. Together, the two engage in a battle of the wills that is the stuff of cinematic legend.
Tragic, twisted, tumultuous, and ultimately triumphant The Dark Knight is more than just a super hero movie, it is a story for our times. Through its brilliant script and magnetic performances the film breathes fresh life into the Batman franchise while paying apt homage to the films and comic books that came before it. The film's gritty portrayal of the timeless struggles between good and evil and chaos and order make it both timeless and eerily timely in today's current state of unrest. In this uncertain time now more than ever we could all use, "a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight".
