The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star before being blacklisted during the Red Scare.
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.
Featuring archival footage and stills, performance clips, interviews, and excerpts from her unpublished memoir, The Disappearance of Miss Scott is the first documentary centering on the jazz virtuoso’s life, detailing her awe-inspiring talents on the piano, how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 proto-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.