Hattie McDaniel – (Actress)

Since You Went Away(1944)

Hattie McDaniel in Since You Went Away (1944)

Hattie McDaniel, Jennifer Jones, and Claudette Colbert in Since You Went Away 1944

“Starting her own entertainment troupe wasn’t the only thing Hattie did at a young age; she also fell deeply in love. At just 18 years old, the bright-eyed girl tied the knot with her beloved beau, Howard Hickman. Sadly, after four blissful years of marriage, her husband died unexpectedly, leaving Hattie a widow at the age of 22.”

The 1920s Only Got Worse
“By 1922, Hattie was optimistic that her heartache was in the past. She allowed herself to fall in love and walked down the aisle once again with a man named George Langford. As newlyweds, life was good. Hattie was making progress in her career, and the couple discussed having a child. Tragically, in their third year of marriage, her second husband became the victim of a fatal gunshot wound.” Though most frequently happy and easy-going on-screen, Hattie’s personal life was often anything but. Her four marriages were all short, the first ended by the tragic shooting death of her husband in 1922, and the next three ending in divorce. She had no children. Photograph of actress Hattie McDaniel and her husband, Lloyd Crawford, on the couple’s wedding day.
Spouse(s) George Langford (1922–1922) (his death) Howard Hickman (1938–1938) (divorced) James Lloyd Crawford (1941–1945) (divorced) Larry Williams (1949–1950) (divorced)“Hattie McDaniel’s first husband, George Langford, died in 1922, soon after she married him and while her career was on the rise, and her father died the same year. She married Howard Hickman in 1938 but divorced him later that year. In 1941, she married James Lloyd Crawford, a real estate salesman. According to the book, Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams by Donald Bogle, McDaniel happily confided to gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in 1945 that she was pregnant. McDaniel began buying baby clothes and set up a nursery in her house. Her plans were shattered when she suffered a false pregnancy, and McDaniel fell into a depression. She never had any children and divorced Crawford in 1945 after four and a half years of marriage. Crawford had been jealous of her career success, she said, and once threatened to kill her.
“Hattie McDaniel and James Lloyd Crawford were married in a small, elegant chapel in Tucson, Arizona, circa summer 1941, during a brief pause in Hattie’s intense filming schedule following her Academy Award win for Gone with the Wind in 1940. The wedding was intimate and private, attended by close friends and a handful of family, with Hattie donning a satin gown trimmed in lace and a wide-brimmed hat that reflected her timeless taste. Crawford, a longtime friend and interior designer by profession, stood beside her in a tailored suit under the Arizona sun. The couple had first met in Los Angeles around late 1939 during a benefit dinner hosted by the Negro Actors Guild and quickly found shared ground in their love for music, performance, and cultural advancement. Tucson was chosen for its quiet charm and distance from the bustling spotlight of Hollywood, offering them a moment of peace amid Hattie’s rising fame.”
“Following their wedding, Hattie returned to Los Angeles and resumed work on projects with Warner Bros., while James pursued design commissions in Beverly Hills, often collaborating with architects in Westwood and Echo Park. Their residence near Central Avenue in Los Angeles became a haven for artists, writers, and musicians, including regular visits from Ethel Waters and Clarence Muse. During the early 1940s, Hattie also hosted radio programs such as The Beulah Show, while participating in U.S.O. performances throughout California and Nevada. She maintained a rigorous public schedule and continued her advocacy for African-American representation in the film industry, frequently speaking at events held in San Francisco, Pasadena, and San Diego. Despite the pressures of fame, the couple were frequently seen attending fundraisers together, including the NAACP Freedom Fund banquet held at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. circa 1942.”
“Hattie’s grace and resilience during the World War II era made her a fixture in Hollywood history, while her marriage to James Lloyd Crawford was a quiet chapter rooted in companionship and shared values. Their union was often admired for its warmth, evident during community gatherings and Sunday socials hosted in their garden, which overlooked the city lights. By mid-1945, they had contributed significantly to civic causes supporting the Los Angeles Negro Victory Committee and were honored guests at numerous industry tributes. The legacy of their bond continues to echo through vintage press photos and the loving recollections of their peers, reminding audiences of a couple whose devotion shone brightly during a time of cultural transformation in American cinema.”
Then on June 11, 1949, in Yuma, Arizona, she married Larry Williams, an interior decorator, but divorced him in 1950 after testifying that their five months together had been marred by “arguing and fussing”. McDaniel broke down in tears when she testified that her husband tried to provoke dissension in the cast of her radio show and otherwise interfered with her work.
“I haven’t gotten over it yet,” she said. “I got so I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t concentrate on my lines.” (Wikipedia)”
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ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is highly accomplished African American actor, director, producer, and educator with a distinguished career in theatre and academia.

Here's a summary of his background and achievements:

Early Life and Family:
Born on November 4, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio.
His family has a strong musical background; his grandfather and father were founding members of the Shields Brothers Gospel Quartet of Ohio, and his mother was part of the Turner Gospel Singers.
He is a cousin of boxing promoter Don King.
Education:
Graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1970.
Holds both a BFA (1975) and MFA (1995) from Ohio University.

Career and Contributions
Theatre Professional:
Actor: Has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and in regional productions. His television credits include The Cosby Show, Another World, Guiding Light, Saturday Night Live, and the ITV series Special Needs. He has also appeared in commercials and films.
Director and Stage Manager: Has extensive professional credits in these roles, including projects at Lincoln Center, The Henry Street Settlement House (New Federal Theatre), The Negro Ensemble Company, and The Joseph Papp Public Theatre.
Assistant Director: Served as assistant to Lloyd Richards and assistant director for the New Federal Theatre premiere of Ossie Davis's play A Last Dance With Sybil starring Ruby Dee and Earl Hyman.

Educator:
Professor: He is a Professor of Acting, Directing, Black Theatre, Black Studies, and Stage Management. He has taught at various institutions, including Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Susquehanna University (as artist-in-residence), and SUNY Potsdam.
Workshops and Programs: Conducted workshops for Joseph Papp's Playwriting in the Schools Program (PITS) at The Public Theatre for six seasons and represented the United States at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England, in 1988.
Artistic Activist and Historian:

Iforcolor.org: Creator and archivist for the Black History website Iforcolor.org, dedicated to preserving and sharing information about African Americans and artists of color. He also maintains the "Black Theatre/African American Voices" website on Facebook.
Project1VOICE Liaison: Serves as the Project1VOICE Liaison for the state of Ohio, directing "One Play One Day" events in Cleveland since 2011.

Awards and Recognition:
The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award: Recipient in 2017.
Paul Robeson Award: Recipient in 2021 (jointly presented by the Actors' Equity Association and Actors' Equity Foundation).
AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award: Received in 2017.
Tony Award Nominee: Nominated for the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award" in 2015 and 2017.
Ebony Bobcat Network (EBN) Legend Award: Received from Ohio University in 2022.
ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund: Received in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Outstanding Professor Awards: Has received two of these and three "Educational Program of the Year" awards as a university professor.
The HistoryMakers archives: Interviewed and included in The HistoryMakers archives, permanently housed in the Library of Congress.
Dale Ricardo Shields is recognized for his profound impact on the lives of his students and his unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Black theatre history and culture.