More than a housekeeper: the story of Elizabeth McDuffie

When film producer David O. Selznick embarked on his adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s novel, “Gone With the Wind,” he aspired to present an authentic portrayal of Mitchell’s characters, particularly the main characters.

After 1,400 screen tests, Selznick cast Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, the headstrong and cunning Southern belle whose relentless determination, fierce survival instinct and tumultuous love life shape her journey through time periods. civil war and reconstruction.

For Rhett Butler, the complex, mischievous and cunning anti-hero whose charm, strategic wit and unabashed pursuit of self-interest define him, Selznick opted for his first choice, Clark Gable, the “king of Hollywood.

However, there is little information regarding the casting of Mammy, O’Hara’s slave nanny and governess, a central figure in the novel due to her loyalty, outspoken personality, and strong moral compass.

Although the role ultimately went to Hattie McDaniel, an actress and radio personality who would go on to become the first black woman to win an Academy Award, another woman, Elizabeth “Lizzie” McDuffie, was originally slated for casting. Early reports, such as an article from Washington Heraldsaid Selznick chose McDuffie for the role because of his “size” and “ambition.”

McDuffie, a personal cook, maid, and informal advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, auditioned for the role and was the preferred choice of columnist Walter Winchell. She was also chosen by Margaret Mitchell for the role.

Mitchell and McDuffie became acquainted after Mitchell wrote to McDuffie in July 1937. In her letter, Mitchell asked McDuffie to visit her because she wanted to talk to him about her experience as an actress.

“I was very happy to learn your address from the article about you in this morning’s paper, as I have been wanting to contact you since you called me several days ago,” she said. writing. “Of course I want to see you and hear about your film experiences. Would it be possible for you to come see me this afternoon between four and five o’clock? I’m planning to go to the country for a little vacation tomorrow and may not return until you leave Atlanta.

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While McDuffie’s desire to portray Mammy in 1938 Gone with the windwas not fulfilled, her role as a housekeeper and her close association with the Roosevelts gave her the platform to become an early and successful advocate for equal rights, civil rights, and workers’ rights for African Americans.

Born in Covington, Georgia, in 1881 to parents who were formerly slaves, McDuffie had a passion for theater from an early age. As a youth, she developed programs and wrote plays while attending the Summerhill School in Atlanta. In addition to helping produce religious plays in churches and directing children’s plays, she also took public speaking classes.

After high school, McDuffie earned a bachelor’s degree from Morris Brown College. However, despite her qualifications and experience, the early 20th century South denied her many opportunities as a black woman. Consequently, she found work as a housekeeper for wealthy Atlantans.

Eventually, McDuffie went to work for Edward and Emily Inman and their two children, Hugh and Edward Jr. She served the family for more than three decades.

McDuffie was still working for the Inmans when they moved to a new residence designed by architect Philip Trammell Shutze in 1928, an estate currently known as the Swan House, until 1933, when President Roosevelt offered him a job.

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McDuffie had been introduced to President Roosevelt when her husband, Irvin, became FDR’s valet in 1927.

While in the Roosevelt White House, McDuffie decided to become FDR’s “SASOCPA,” or “self-appointed secretary for colored people’s affairs.” She had lived through the Atlanta racial massacre of 1906, and one of her friends was among the 25 to 40 African Americans killed. This harrowing experience ignited his passion for racial equality and the rights of African American workers.

“My job at the White House has become more than just a job; it became a little crusade, maybe because I remembered that scary march of my people from south Atlanta,” McDuffie said.

As a trusted informal advisor to the president, McDuffie facilitated communication between FDR and black civil rights activists such as Edgar G. Brown of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Mary McLeod Bethune of the National Youth Administration, and Walter White, the leader of the NAACP.

White, a native of Atlanta, had also witnessed the racial massacre of 1906. Through McDuffie’s efforts, White brought to President Roosevelt’s attention the unjust incarceration of three African-American World War I veterans involved in the Houston riots of 1917, which began as a protest against police brutality. McDuffie provided Roosevelt with additional details and context about the riot, which led to the pardon of the three prisoners.

McDuffie also actively campaigned for President Roosevelt in the 1936 and 1940 presidential elections. In 1938, McDuffie expressed support for the thousands of black women who were protesting the limits of New Deal programs, which prohibited them from earning wages decent. She helped organize the United Government Employees – a union representing the lowest paid workers – and served as its secretary.

McDuffie died on November 27, 1966 and was buried in Atlanta’s Southview Cemetery.