Exclusive: Producer/ Director Nicole London talks American Masters – The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Premiering February 21 on PBS from American Masters is the documentary The Disappearance of Miss Scott, which chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star before being blacklisted during the Red Scare.
The doc was produced and directed by Nicole London, who produced the Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated American Masters film Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool and also worked on American Masters titles Sammy Davis Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me and Marvin Gaye: What's Going On.
Hazel Scott was one of the most revered stars of the early 20th century. Not only was Scott a beloved musical sensation, but she also channeled her talents into Hollywood stardom, becoming the first Black American to host their own television show. Discover her storied life, from her childhood as a musical prodigy in Trinidad to her prolific career on stage and the silver screen in the new documentaryAmerican Masters – The Disappearance of Miss Scott, premiering nationwide Friday, February 21 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App in honor of Black History Month.
Featuring archival footage and stills, performance clips, animation, and interviews, The Disappearance of Miss Scott is the first known documentary centering on the jazz virtuoso’s life, detailing her awe-inspiring talents on the piano, how she used her star power to be an influential voice of the nascent Civil Rights Movement, and her life in Paris after being blacklisted from Hollywood during the 1950s Red Scare. Her career in the US ultimately ended after she defended herself and her colleagues in front of the House Un-American Committee, and her story has been mostly silenced until this film. Excerpts of Scott’s unpublished autobiography are voiced by Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, revealing Scott as a woman who would not compromise on her beliefs, and are complemented by interviews with country star Mickey Guyton, actresses Amanda Seales and Tracie Thoms, jazz musicians Camille Thurman and Jason Moran, and Adam Clayton Powell III, Hazel Scott’s only son.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales talks to Producer/ Director Nicole London on PBS's American Masters – The Disappearance of Miss Scott.