Katharine Hepburn (1909 - 2003)
Katharine Hepburn was probably the
greatest actress in the history of American cinema. She was also one of
the longest lasting from the early Thirties to the Eighties. In her
early films she was ahead of her time in her support of women's
liberation but she was canny enough to periodically change her image in
subtle ways to fit the times. Her love affair with Spencer Tracy
softened her in middle age and was interestingly never scandalous even
though Tracy was married, together they were one of the greatest
Hollywood couples.
Hepburn made an impact right away when she made her screen debut opposite matinee idol John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932). Her early success was confirmed by her first of four Oscars for Best Actress for Morning Glory (1933). She continued appearing in good films including Little Women (1933) and Alice Adams (1934) but in the mid Thirties a series of poorer films turned her into box office poison even good performances in Holiday (1938) and Bringing Up Baby (1938) both with Cary Grant couldn't reverse this.
Appearing in The Philadephia Story onstage Hepburn cannily got control of the property and sold it to MGM with the proviso that she starred in the movie with Cary Grant and James Stewart. The film's success reversed Hepburn's career decline and re-established her power in Hollywood. She asked for Spencer Tracy to co-star in her next film Woman of the Year (1942), it was the beginning of one of the great Hollywood love affairs both on and offscreen. They starred together in two excellent comedies : Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952).
In the Fifties and Sixties Hepburn worked less as she nursed the ailing Tracy, her most memorable performances during this period were with Bogart in The African Queen (1951) and in David Lean's Summertime (1955).
Hepburn made one last film with Tracy : Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) and won another Oscar for Best Actress as if to console her after his death. The following year she won again for her performance as Eleanor of Acquataine opposite Peter O' Toole's Henry II in The Lion In Winter (1968). She won her fourth and final acting Oscar for On Golden Pond (1982), her co-star was Henry Fonda in his last film.
Hepburn made an impact right away when she made her screen debut opposite matinee idol John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932). Her early success was confirmed by her first of four Oscars for Best Actress for Morning Glory (1933). She continued appearing in good films including Little Women (1933) and Alice Adams (1934) but in the mid Thirties a series of poorer films turned her into box office poison even good performances in Holiday (1938) and Bringing Up Baby (1938) both with Cary Grant couldn't reverse this.
Appearing in The Philadephia Story onstage Hepburn cannily got control of the property and sold it to MGM with the proviso that she starred in the movie with Cary Grant and James Stewart. The film's success reversed Hepburn's career decline and re-established her power in Hollywood. She asked for Spencer Tracy to co-star in her next film Woman of the Year (1942), it was the beginning of one of the great Hollywood love affairs both on and offscreen. They starred together in two excellent comedies : Adam's Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952).
In the Fifties and Sixties Hepburn worked less as she nursed the ailing Tracy, her most memorable performances during this period were with Bogart in The African Queen (1951) and in David Lean's Summertime (1955).
Hepburn made one last film with Tracy : Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) and won another Oscar for Best Actress as if to console her after his death. The following year she won again for her performance as Eleanor of Acquataine opposite Peter O' Toole's Henry II in The Lion In Winter (1968). She won her fourth and final acting Oscar for On Golden Pond (1982), her co-star was Henry Fonda in his last film.
Written content copyright Derek McLellan,2005.
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Katharine Hepburn image from
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