HATTIE MCDANIEL Black Ambition, White Hollywood

California State University professor Jill Watts's newest effort offers a highly politically and socially focused examination of actor Hattie McDaniel's life and career. McDaniel is best known for her Oscar-winning role in the iconic film GONE WITH THE WIND. Bahni Turpin's heartfelt, evocative narration is remarkable as she tries her best to provide some enthusiasm and lightness of spirit to a relatively dry historical treatise, which listeners may find too professorial. On the other hand, the audiobook enlightens listeners with respect to the prejudices that worked against Black actors in the early era of Hollywood's major studios and McDaniel's assertive efforts to help broaden the scope of potential roles for them. Despite some frustrating aspects, overall, this is an illuminating biography of a noteworthy individual. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]