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Hazel Scott

Hazel Scott

Actor · 1920 – 1981 · Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago

Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, actress, television pioneer, and civil rights advocate. Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she moved to Harlem, New York, as a child and became a celebrated prodigy, studying piano at Juilliard at an unusually young age. Known for her dazzling ability to “swing the classics,” Scott blended classical technique with jazz improvisation and rose to fame at New York’s Café Society. In Hollywood, Scott refused degrading roles and insisted on appearing as herself, using her public image to challenge racist portrayals of Black women. She also refused to perform before segregated audiences and used contract clauses to force venues toward integration. In 1950, she made television history as the first African American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Her career was damaged by Red Scare blacklisting after she challenged accusations before HUAC. Scott later lived and performed in Paris before returning to the United States. She died in Manhattan on October 2, 1981. Her legacy endures as a pioneering artist who fused virtuosity, representation, and activism.

Movies10

  • Movie6.2

    Le Désordre et la Nuit

    The Night Affair

    1958 · 46 votes

  • Movie6.6

    Rhapsody in Blue

    1945 · 18 votes

  • Movie8.3
  • Movie5.1

    I Dood It

    1943 · 8 votes

  • Movie1.0
  • Movie6.3

    Broadway Rhythm

    1944 · 3 votes

  • Movie6.5
  • Movie5.0

    Trial Run

    1969 · 2 votes

  • Movie4.8

    The Heat's On

    1943 · 7 votes

  • Movie5.4

    Une balle dans le canon

    A Bullet in the Gun Barrel

    1958 · 11 votes

Series7

  • TV5.8

    The Mike Douglas Show

    1961 · 11 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Merv Griffin Show

    1962 · 12 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Dick Cavett Show

    1968 · 22 votes

  • TV6.8

    The Ed Sullivan Show

    1948 · 23 votes

  • TV7.0

    CBS Playhouse

    1966 · 2 votes

  • TV5.0

    Reflets de Cannes

    1954 · 2 votes

  • TV10.0

    The Hazel Scott Show

    1950 · 1 votes