logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
22m 37s

The Legacy of an Oscar

The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios
About this episode

February 11, 1940. Hattie McDaniel becomes the first-ever African American to be nominated for, and then win, an Oscar. Her legacy is complicated. And the Oscar itself has been missing, mysteriously, for almost fifty years. What did it take for McDaniel to win? And, 80 Oscar ceremonies later, how do we understand her legacy today?


Thank you to our guest, Professor Emeritus of Law, W. Burlette Carter. You can read her article about searching for the missing Oscar here: https://bit.ly/2OF5cts

Thank you also to Hattie McDaniel's biographer, Jill Watts for speaking with us for this episode.


To our listeners, thank you for subscribing to History This Week. We want to hear your feedback: https://bit.ly/3a4FGqJ


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 7
Superman Takes Flight
July 7, 1938. Superman has the villain in his grasp. They soar through the air, then slam into the ground. This villain wants to start a war. Our hero won’t let that happen. At this point, Superman only has two comic book appearances. And yet, his legend is already beginning to g ... Show More
39m 14s
Jun 30
The Colosseum Becomes a Wonder | A Conversation with Barry Strauss & Alison Futrell
July 7, 2007. In a dramatic ceremony featuring pop stars, fireworks, and smoke cannons, the Colosseum is named one of the seven new wonders of the world. It’s an appropriately over-the-top blowout for an arena which, centuries before, was home to its own lavish events. How did sp ... Show More
37m 23s
Jun 23
The Forgotten Mentor Who Inspired Louis Armstrong
June 28, 1928. Louis Armstrong is in the studio recording what he hopes will be another hit. His career is on the rise, but he’s not a household name yet. But he’s about to lay down a track – “West End Blues” – that won’t just change his career, but the entire genre of jazz. But ... Show More
39m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
"And the Nominees Are..." We Break Down the Oscar Nods!
Well, the nominations for the 95th Annual Academy Awards are out! This year’s ceremony will see a lot of fresh faces - 16 out of the 20 acting nods went to first-time nominees. Among the newbies are movie veterans Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh. Michelle also made history as ... Show More
11m 32s
Mar 2024
Revisiting: The Surprising, Queer History of the 1974 Oscars Streaker
With the 96th Academy Awards this Sunday, we wanted to revisit this episode from last year. The Oscars seems to be cursed with a series of chaotic live television gaffes. But one moment in Academy Award history takes the cake. In 1974, a scrawny white man named Robert Opel ran ac ... Show More
38m 18s
Feb 2017
Oscars So Black...At Least, In Documentaries
A filmmaker of color is almost certain to win this year's Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. In fact, for the first time, African-American documentarians made up most of the nominees. We talk with Ava DuVernay, whose movie "13th," made her the first black female director to be n ... Show More
24m 26s
Mar 2022
Oscars 2022 Recap: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly
The 2022 Oscars telecast will go down in history! For the Season 1 finale of Close Up, host Kelley Carter checks in with two Hollywood Reporter pals – ABC News Radio Entertainment correspondent, Jason Nathanson, and Entertainment Director at "The Grio” Cortney Wills to discuss Wi ... Show More
30m 8s
May 2022
Ava DuVernay is Triumphant
Before Ava DuVernay became the first Black woman director to win Sundance and get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, she was a publicist with a little hobby, a big dream, and a lot of patience. Adam talks to Ava about how she turned her side gig of filmmaking into a brilli ... Show More
34m 57s
Feb 2023
Women in Hollywood: Oscar nominees
Kim Chakanetsa is in Hollywood to meet two award winning women who’ve made it onto this year’s Oscar nominees list. Lesley Paterson co-wrote the screenplay for All Quiet on the Western Front, which is nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Les ... Show More
27m 47s
Mar 2023
Books About the Oscars
The 95th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday evening in Hollywood, with top contenders including “Tár,” “Women Talking” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” For readers, it’s a perfect excuse to revisit two recent books about the Oscars.On this week’s episode, the host ... Show More
20m 1s
Apr 2023
Jamie Lee Curtis: On Her Oscar Journey and Career Triumphs
Get ready for an incredible episode of The Conversation Podcast! Today, my dear friend and iconic actress Jamie Lee Curtis joins me to discuss the announcement of the Oscar nominees, all the way to her eventual win for Best Supporting Actress in the film Everything Everywhere All ... Show More
29m 42s
Mar 2024
The Oscars are Sunday. Here’s what to catch up on.
Today, we talk about the movies that have been nominated for best picture at the Oscars; what to see, what to skip and what we loved, ahead of the awards Sunday night. Read more: There are 10 films nominated this year for an Academy Award for best picture. From big blockbusters t ... Show More
40m 16s