Hattie McDaniel's portrayal of a "mammy" figure in Gone with the Wind, a role for which she received an Oscar award in 1940 as best supporting actress, is still regarded as a definitive interpretation. McDaniel (1895-1952) was the first African American to receive an Oscar award.

Hattie McDaniel's 1939 portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind set the screen image of the loyal black maid serving a household of well-to-do white people. Known for her broad smile, ample proportions, and ebullient manner, the actress appeared in over 300 films during the 1930s and 1940s, almost without exception in the character of maid or cook, a role with which she became so identified after the success of Gone with the Wind that many of her fans and friends took to calling her Mammy.

McDaniel enjoyed a long and prosperous career in film and radio drama and in 1940 became the first African...