
“A woman’s gifts will make room for her.”
“I’d rather make $700 a week playing a maid than earn $7 a day being a maid.”
“My desire for the part of Mammy was not dominated by selfishness for Hollywood has been good to me and I am grateful.”
“I don’t belong on this earth. I always feel out of place – like a visitor.”
“I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race, and to the motion picture industry.”
“I’ve played everything but a harp.”
“In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book.”
“Faith is the black person’s federal reserve system.”
“Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Eddie Cantor… help us keep our balance.”
“It sure looks good to see an honest-to-goodness audience after looking at you all for so long from the silver screen.”
“You can best fight any existing evil from the inside.”
“The only choice permitted us is either to be servants for $7 a week or to portray them for $700 per week.”
“I’m letting no man handle my bank account.”
“When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that Mother forget to teach me how to stop using them!”
“Putting a little time aside for clean fun and good humor is very necessary to relieve the tensions of our time.”
“Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests: This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble; and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you.”
“Always remember this: There are only eighteen inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rump.”
“As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I’ll take roast chicken and dumplings.”
“When I was 8 years old, I knew what I was going to be—an actress.”
“Every actor and actress is possessed of the absorbing passion to create something distinctive and unique.”
See Also: Hattie McDaniel Facts
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