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Katharine Hepburn

from Stage Door Canteen (1943)
Born Katharine Houghton Hepburn
May 12, 1907(1907-05-12)
Hartford, Connecticut
Died June 29, 2003 (aged 96)
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Years active 1928-1994
Spouse(s) Ludlow Ogden Smith
(1928–1941)

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic American actress of film, television and stage. Stage Door Canteen ( 1943) is a Musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Ludlow Ogden Smith ( February 6 1899, Pennsylvania &ndash July 13 1979, New Canaan Connecticut) was a Philadelphia Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. For other uses of the term see Icon (disambiguation. For a list of icons for use on Wikipedia see WikipediaIcons. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

A screen legend, Hepburn holds the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins with four, from 12 nominations (Meryl Streep currently holds the record for most overall acting nominations with 14). Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an award-winning American Actress who has worked in Theatre, Hepburn won an Emmy Award in 1976 for her lead role in Love Among the Ruins, and was nominated for four other Emmys and two Tony Awards during the course of her more than 70-year acting career. For other uses of this title see the Love Among the Ruins disambiguation page The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Hepburn as the greatest female star in the history of American cinema. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Stars is a list of the top 50 stars of American cinema [1] Hepburn wrote an autobiography titled Me.

Contents

Biography

Early years

Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Katharine Houghton Hepburn (née Houghton) and Dr. The Houghton Family is a prominent New England and Upstate New York Business Family. Thomas Horval Hepburn, who was a successful urologist from Virginia with Maryland roots. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state She is of English ancestry from both sides of her family. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English

Hepburn's father insisted the girls do swimming, riding, golf and tennis. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Hepburn, eager to please her father, won a bronze medal for figure skating from the Madison Square Garden skating club, shot golf in the low eighties and reached the semifinal of the Connecticut Young Women's Golf Championship. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. Hepburn especially enjoyed swimming, and regularly took dips in the frigid waters that fronted her bayfront Connecticut home, generally believing that "the bitterer the medicine, the better it was for you. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. " She continued her brisk swims well into her 80s. Hepburn would come to be recognized for her athletic physicality—she fearlessly performed her own pratfalls in films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), which is now held up as an exemplar of screwball comedy. Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 Screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. The screwball comedy is a subgenre of the comedy Film genre. It has proven to be one of the most popular and enduring film genres

On April 3, 1921, while visiting friends in Greenwich Village, Hepburn found her older brother Tom (born November 8, 1905), whom she idolized, hanging from the rafters of the attic by a rope, dead of an apparent suicide. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Greenwich Village (ˌgrɛnɪtʃ ˈvɪlɪdʒ often simply called the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern Manhattan Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Her family denied it was self-inflicted, arguing he had been a happy boy. They insisted it must have been an experimentation gone awry. It has been speculated he was trying to carry out a trick he saw in a play with Katharine. Hepburn was devastated and sank into a depression. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression She shied away from other children and was mostly home-schooled. For many years she used Tom's birthday (November 8) as her own. It was not until she wrote her autobiography, Me: Stories of my Life, that Hepburn revealed her true birth date.

Hepburn was educated at the Kingswood-Oxford School before going on to attend Bryn Mawr College. Bryn Mawr College ( brin-mar is a highly selective women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion While at Bryn Mawr, Hepburn was suspended for breaking curfew and smoking, which at that time was particularly not encouraged for women. Smoking is a practice where a substance most commonly Tobacco, is burned and the Smoke tasted or inhaled Decades later, Hepburn also confirmed that after dark, she would go swimming naked in the college's "Cloisters" fountain (see Bryn Mawr College). Bryn Mawr College ( brin-mar is a highly selective women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion She received a degree in history and philosophy in 1928 [2], the same year she had her debut on Broadway after landing a bit part in Night Hostess. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Night Hostess is a play written by Philip Dunning that premiered on Broadway on September 12, 1928 at the Martin Beck Theatre.

A banner year for Hepburn, 1928 also marked her marriage to socialite businessman Ludlow ("Luddy") Ogden Smith, whom she met while attending Bryn Mawr and married after a short engagement. A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable Society because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant Ludlow Ogden Smith ( February 6 1899, Pennsylvania &ndash July 13 1979, New Canaan Connecticut) was a Philadelphia Hepburn and Smith's marriage was rocky from the start—she insisted he change his name to S. Ogden Ludlow so she would not be confused with well-known rotund singer Kate Smith. Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith ( May 1, 1907 &ndash June 17, 1986) was an American Singer, best known for her rendition They were divorced in Mexico in 1934. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Fearing that the Mexican divorce was not legal, Ludlow got a second divorce in the United States in 1942 and a few days later he remarried. Katharine Hepburn often expressed her gratitude toward Ludlow for his financial and moral support in the early days of her career. "Luddy" continued to be a lifelong friend to her and the Hepburn family.

On September 21, 1938, Hepburn was staying in her Old Saybrook, Connecticut home when the 1938 New England Hurricane struck and destroyed her house. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane or Long Island Express or simply The Great Hurricane of 1938) was the first major Hepburn narrowly escaped before the home was washed away.

Career

Stage

Hepburn cut her acting teeth in plays at Bryn Mawr and later in revues staged by stock companies. Bryn Mawr College ( brin-mar is a highly selective women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion During her last years at Bryn Mawr, Hepburn met a young producer with a stock company in Baltimore, Maryland, who cast her in several small roles, including a production of The Czarina and The Cradle Snatchers.

Hepburn's first leading role was in a production of The Big Pond, which opened in Great Neck, New York. The Big Pond is a Romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A Great Neck is a Village in Nassau County, New York, in the US The producer had fired the play's original leading lady at the last minute, and asked Hepburn to assume the role. Terror stricken at the unexpected change, Hepburn arrived late and, once on stage, flubbed her lines, tripped over her feet and spoke so rapidly she was almost incomprehensible. She was fired, but continued to work in small stock company roles and as an understudy.

Later, Hepburn was cast in a speaking part in the Broadway play Art and Mrs. Bottle. Hepburn was fired from this role as well, though she was eventually rehired when the director could not find anyone to replace her. After another summer of stock companies, in 1932, Hepburn landed the role of Antiope the Amazon princess in The Warrior's Husband (an update of Lysistrata), which required her to wear a very short costume and debuted to excellent reviews. Antiope ( ˈtaɪ o pe is a figure from Greek mythology. She was the only Amazon known to have married The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical Lysistrata ( Attic Greek: Λυσιστράτη Lysistratê, Doric Greek: Λυσιστράτα Lysistrata) loosely translated to "she Hepburn became the talk of New York City, and began getting noticed by Hollywood. The City of New York

In the play, Hepburn entered the stage by jumping over a flight of steps while carrying a large stag on her shoulders—an RKO scout (Leland Hayward, whom she would later romance) was so impressed by this display of physicality that he asked her to do a screen test for the studio's next vehicle, A Bill of Divorcement, which starred John Barrymore and Billie Burke. Leland Hayward ( September 13, 1902 – March 18, 1971) was a popular powerful and wealthy Hollywood and Broadway A Bill of Divorcement is a British play written by Clemence Dane that debuted in 1921 in London. John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke ( August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an Oscar -nominated American

In true Hepburn fashion, she demanded an outlandish $1,500 per week for film work (at the time she was earning between $80 and $100 per week). After seeing her screen test, RKO agreed to her demands and cast her. At 5 feet, 7 inches (1. 71 m), Hepburn was one of the tallest leading ladies of her time. [3] Her film career was launched alongside legendary actor John Barrymore and director George Cukor, who would become a lifetime friend and colleague. John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest George Dewey Cukor ( July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director. Barrymore pinched Kate's behind on the set in one of his many attempts to seduce her. She said, "If you do that again I'm going to stop acting. " Barrymore replied, "I wasn't aware that you'd started, my dear. "

Film

After the audience reaction to A Bill of Divorcement, RKO signed Hepburn to a new contract. But her nonconformist, anti-Hollywood behavior offscreen made studio executives fret she would never become a superstar. The following year (1933), Hepburn won her first Oscar for best actress in Morning Glory, playing a young actress who rejects romance in favor of her career. Morning Glory is a 1933 Pre-Code American Drama film which tells the story of an eager but unstable would-be actress whose good looks draw more That same year, Hepburn played Jo in the screen adaptation of Little Women, which broke box-office records. Little Women is a monochrome (b&w with sound 1933 film made by RKO and directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Sarah Y Little Women or Meg Jo Beth and Amy is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832&ndash1888

Intoxicated by her success, Hepburn felt it was time to return to the theater. She chose The Lake, but was unable to obtain a release from RKO and instead went back to Hollywood to film the forgettable Spitfire. The Lake is also a novel by Yasunari Kawabata For other uses see Lake (disambiguation. Spitfire is a 1934 Drama film based on the play Trigger by Lula Vollmer. Having satisfied RKO, Hepburn went immediately back to Manhattan to begin the play, in which she played an English girl unhappy with her overbearing mother and wimpy father. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The play was generally considered a flop, and Hepburn's performance elicited Dorothy Parker's famous quip that the actress "ran the gamut of emotions from A to B. Dorothy Parker (August 22 1893&ndashJune 7 1967 was an American writer and poet best known for her caustic Wit, wisecracks and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles "

In 1935, in the title role of the film Alice Adams, Hepburn earned her second Oscar nomination. Alice Adams, also known as Booth Tarkington's Alice Adams, is a 1935 Romantic film Remake made by RKO. By 1938, Hepburn was a bona fide star, and her forays into comedy with the films Bringing Up Baby and Stage Door were well-received critically. Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 Screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Stage Door ( 1937) is a RKO film adapted from the play by the same name that tells the story of several would-be actresses who live together in a boarding But audience response to the two films was tepid, and the good reviews from the critics were not enough to rescue her from an earlier string of flops (The Little Minister, Spitfire, Break of Hearts, Sylvia Scarlett, A Woman Rebels, Mary of Scotland, Quality Street). The Little Minister is a 1934 American Drama film directed by Richard Wallace. Break of Hearts is a 1935 RKO film starring Katharine Hepburn and Charles Boyer. Sylvia Scarlett is a 1935 Romantic comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, based on a novel by A Woman Rebels is a 1936 RKO film adapted from the novel Portrait of a Rebel by Netta Syrett and starring Katharine Mary of Scotland is a 1936 RKO film starring Katharine Hepburn as the 16th century ruler Mary I of Scotland. Quality Street is a 1937 Hollywood movie made by RKO, directed by George Stevens and produced by Pandro S As a result, Hepburn's movie career began to decline.

Katharine Hepburn would often come to interviews dressed in men's suits, saying that it was comfortable, and not meaning to, made a fashion statement, and women who admired her started wearing trousers, which wasn't encouraged at the time.

"Box office poison"

Some of what has made Hepburn greatly beloved today—her unconventional, straightforward, anti-Hollywood attitude—at the time began to turn audiences sour. Outspoken and intellectual with an acerbic tongue, she defied the era's "blonde bombshell" stereotypes, preferring to wear pantsuits and disdaining makeup. She also had a famously difficult relationship with the press, turning down most interviews, which did not help her exposure to the public. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public On her first outing with the Hollywood press corps after the success of A Bill of Divorcement, Hepburn talked with reporters who had invaded her and her husband's cabin aboard the ship City of Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city A reporter asked if they were really married; Hepburn responded, "I don't remember". Following up, another reporter asked if they had any children; Hepburn's answer: "Two white and three colored. " Hepburn's aversion to media attention did not thaw until 1973, when she appeared on The Dick Cavett Show for an extended two-day interview. The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several Talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various Television networks including

Hepburn could also be prickly with fans; though she relented as she aged, early in her career Hepburn often denied requests for autographs. An autograph is a Document written entirely in the handwriting of its Author, as opposed to a typeset document or However, on movie sets, she was eager to learn the ways of the stage and camera crews and befriended many of them. Even so, her refusal to sign autographs and answer personal questions earned her the nickname "Katharine of Arrogance" (an allusion to Catherine of Aragon). Catherine of Aragon (16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536 also known as Catharine, Katherine or Katharine ( Castilian Infanta Catalina [4] Soon, audiences began to stay away from her movies.

Hepburn was already reeling from a devastating series of flops when, in 1938, she -- along with Fred Astaire, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, and others -- was voted "box office poison" in a poll taken by motion picture exhibitors. Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; ( March 23, 1905 - May 10, 1977) Crawford was signed to a motion picture Marlene Dietrich maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtrɪç (December 27 &ndashMay 6) was a German -born American Actress, Singer and Entertainer [5] In 1939, Hepburn was going to do producer David O. Selznick a favor and play the role of Scarlett O'Hara because he did not yet have anyone else signed for the role. David O Selznick, born David Selznick ( May 10, 1902 &ndash June 22, 1965) was one of the iconic Hollywood producers Scarlett O'Hara (full name Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler) is the Protagonist in Margaret Mitchell 's 1936 novel Gone with Hepburn insisted that she did not have the lustful sexual appeal that the part demanded and told Selznick that his studio needed to find the woman who did. Hepburn rehearsed the lines thoroughly just in case. The night before the deadline, Selznick finally cast Vivien Leigh. Vivien Leigh Lady Olivier (5 November 1913 &ndash 8 July 1967 was an English actress. Unbeknownst to Hepburn and the rest of Hollywood, Leigh was favored for the role early on, but as a British actress, she was deemed unsuitable for the part. In addition, her affair with Laurence Olivier, while he was in the middle of a divorce, made her a controversial choice. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron The vast "search for Scarlett" was orchestrated to make it seem as if no other actress could be found, thus limiting the shock of Vivien Leigh landing the role. Hepburn was later the maid of honor at Leigh and Olivier's wedding in 1940. [6] Hepburn remained a close friend of Vivien Leigh until Leigh's death in 1967. Vivien Leigh Lady Olivier (5 November 1913 &ndash 8 July 1967 was an English actress.

Yearning for a comeback on the stage, Hepburn returned to her roots on Broadway, appearing in The Philadelphia Story, a play written especially for her by Philip Barry, a year after Hepburn had starred in the film version of his play Holiday. The Philadelphia Story is a romantic Comedy film starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart, and directed by Philip Jerome Quinn Barry ( June 18, 1896 - December 3, 1949) was an American playwright Holiday is a 1938 Remake of the 1930 film of the same name &mdash a Romantic comedy which tells the story of a man who She played spoiled socialite Tracy Lord to rave reviews. With the help of ex-lover Howard Hughes, she purchased the film rights to the play and sold them to MGM, which adapted the play into one of the biggest hits of 1940. Howard Robard Hughes Jr (December 24 1905 – April 5 1976 was an American Aviator, Industrialist, Film producer / director, Philanthropist As part of her deal with MGM, Hepburn got to choose the director—George Cukor—and her costars—Cary Grant and James Stewart. George Dewey Cukor ( July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director. James Maitland Stewart (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997 popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American Film and stage Actor She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work. Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to Her career was revived almost overnight.

Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

Tracy and Hepburn from the trailer for the film Adam's Rib (1949)
Tracy and Hepburn from the trailer for the film Adam's Rib (1949)

Hepburn made her first appearance opposite Spencer Tracy in Woman of the Year (1942), directed by George Stevens. Adam's Rib is a 1949 film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and directed by George Cukor. Spencer Tracy ( April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was a two-time Academy Award -winning Actor of stage and George Stevens ( December 18, 1904 - March 8, 1975) was an Academy Award -winning American motion picture Behind the scenes the pair fell in love, beginning what would become one of the silver screen's most famous romances, despite Tracy's marriage to another woman.

Hepburn and Tracy became one of Hollywood's most recognizable pairs both on-screen and off. Hepburn, with her agile mind and distinctive New England accent, complemented Tracy's easy working-class machismo. When Joseph Mankiewicz introduced the two, Hepburn, who was wearing special heels that added several inches to her lanky frame, said, "I'm afraid I'm too tall for you, Mr. Joseph Leo Mankiewicz ( February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American Academy Award -winning director Tracy. " Mankiewicz retorted, "Don't worry, he'll soon cut you down to size. " As the Daily Telegraph observed in Hepburn's obituary, "Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were at their most seductive when their verbal fencing was sharpest: it was hard to say whether they delighted more in the battle or in each other. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. "

Most of the films with Hepburn and Tracy together stress the sparks that can fly when a couple try to find an equable balance of power. The sexy sparring over power and control is almost always resolved in an agreement to share and share alike. They appeared in a total of nine movies together, including Keeper of the Flame (1942), Adam's Rib (1949), Pat and Mike (1952), Desk Set (1957), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), for which Hepburn won her second Academy Award for Best Actress. Adam's Rib is a 1949 film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and directed by George Cukor. Pat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Desk Set (or His Other Woman in the UK is a 1957 Romantic comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Spencer Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine

Hepburn and Tracy carefully hid their affair from the public, using back entrances to studios and hotels and assiduously avoiding the press. They were undeniably a couple for decades, but did not live together regularly until the last few years of Tracy's life. Even then, they maintained separate homes to keep up appearances. Their relationship was complex and there were often periods of estrangements. Tracy, a Roman Catholic, had been married to the former Louise Treadwell since 1923, and remained so until his death. Louise Treadwell Tracy ( July 31, 1896 – November 13, 1983) wife of Actor Spencer Tracy, was born Louise Treadwell in

Some biographers have speculated that Hepburn's devotion to Tracy was in part due to her family history of depression, including the suicide of her brother, which made her determined to "save" Tracy. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression

Hepburn had had several prior liaisons, most notably with her agent Leland Hayward and Howard Hughes. Leland Hayward ( September 13, 1902 – March 18, 1971) was a popular powerful and wealthy Hollywood and Broadway Howard Robard Hughes Jr (December 24 1905 – April 5 1976 was an American Aviator, Industrialist, Film producer / director, Philanthropist Tracy, however, seems to have been her true love. Tracy had several affairs while estranged from Hepburn, notably while filming the Plymouth Adventure with his co-star Gene Tierney. Plymouth Adventure is a 1952 motion picture drama made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Gene Tierney ( November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress. Hepburn took five years off after Long Day's Journey Into Night to care for Tracy while he was in failing health. Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1962 film adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play Out of consideration for Tracy's family, Hepburn did not attend his funeral. She described herself as too heartbroken to ever watch Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, saying it evoked memories of Tracy that were too painful.

The African Queen

Hepburn in The African Queen
Hepburn in The African Queen

One of Hepburn's best performances came as she played Rose Sayer in The African Queen (1951), for which she received her fifth Best Actress nomination, losing to Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire. The African Queen is a Drama film directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel (billed as "S Vivien Leigh Lady Olivier (5 November 1913 &ndash 8 July 1967 was an English actress. A Streetcar Named Desire is a film adaptation of the play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. She played a prim spinster missionary in Africa, who convinces Humphrey Bogart's character, a hard-drinking riverboat captain, to use his boat to attack a German ship. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

The African Queen was filmed mostly on location in Africa, where almost all the cast and crew suffered from malaria and dysentery—except director John Huston and Bogart, neither of whom ever drank any water. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is an infection of the digestive system that results in severe Diarrhea containing mucus and blood John Marcellus Huston ( August 5 1906 &ndash August 28 1987) was an American Film director and Actor. Hepburn, ever the urologist's daughter, disapproved of the two men's drinking and piously drank gallons of water each day to spite them. She wound up so sick with dysentery that, even months after she returned home, the famously vigorous actress was still ill. The trip and the movie made such an impact on her that later in life she wrote a book about filming the movie: The Making of The African Queen: Or, How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind, which made her a best-selling author at the age of 77.

In an interview in Playboy, Huston spoke of how on their days off, he and Bogart would go hunting for big game, and how one day Hepburn asked to go along. Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy He described her as a "Diana of the Hunt" - utterly fearless - and able to shoot with the best of them. In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, being associated with wild animals and woodland and also of the Moon.

Later film career

Following The African Queen, Hepburn often played spinsters, most notably in her Oscar-nominated performances for Summertime (1955) and The Rainmaker (1956), although at 49 some considered her too old for the role. Summertime is a 1955 Film directed by David Lean and starring Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. The Rainmaker is a 1956 film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N She also received nominations for her performances in films adapted from stage dramas, namely as Mrs. Venable in Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer (1959) and as Mary Tyrone in the 1962 version of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26 1911 &ndash February 25 1983 better known as Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright who received many of the top theatrical Suddenly Last Summer is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams. Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16 1888–November 27 1953 was a Nobel -prize winning American playwright Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1962 film adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play

Hepburn received her second Best Actress Oscar for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine She always said she believed the award was meant to honor Spencer Tracy, who died shortly after filming was completed. The following year, she won a record-breaking third Oscar for her role as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter, an award shared that year with Barbra Streisand for her performance in Funny Girl. For other Eleanors of England see Eleanor of England (disambiguation Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine (1122&ndash1 April 1204 The Lion in Winter is a 1968 historical Costume drama made by Avco Embassy Pictures, based on the Broadway play by Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress Funny Girl is a Musical film based on the stage musical of the same name. Peter O'Toole, her co-star in The Lion in Winter, has said in many interviews, including with host Charlie Rose, that Hepburn was his favorite actor to work with. Peter O'Toole (born 2 August 1932) is an Irish and British actor who achieved instant stardom in 1962 playing T Charlie Rose (born Charles Peete Rose Jr, on January 5, 1942) is an American TV interviewer and journalist He and Hepburn remained great friends until her death.

Hepburn continued to do filmed stage dramas, including The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), The Trojan Women (1971) by Euripides, and Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance (1973). The Madwoman of Chaillot is a 1969 satirical comedy-drama film made by Commonwealth United Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros The Trojan Women (in Τρωάδες Trōades) is a Tragedy by the Greek Playwright Euripides. Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus Edward Franklin Albee III ( "AWL-bee" born March 12 1928 is a three time Pulitzer Prize winning American playwright known for works including A Delicate Balance is a 1973 film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Scofield and Kate Reid In 1973, she first appeared in an original television production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie is a play by Tennessee Williams that was originally written as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted

Two years later, Hepburn received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program (Drama or Comedy) for Love Among the Ruins, which co-starred friend Sir Laurence Olivier and was directed by George Cukor. For other uses of this title see the Love Among the Ruins disambiguation page Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron George Dewey Cukor ( July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director. Hepburn also appeared with John Wayne in Rooster Cogburn, which was essentially The African Queen done as a western. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American Rooster Cogburn (also Rooster Cogburn ( and the Lady) is a 1975 sequel to the 1969 western film, True Grit The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Hepburn won her fourth Oscar for On Golden Pond (1981), opposite Henry Fonda. On Golden Pond is a 1981 American Drama film directed by Mark Rydell. Henry Jaynes Fonda ( May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American Academy Award -winning Film and In 1994, Hepburn gave her final three movie performances—One Christmas, based on a short story by Truman Capote, as Ginny in the remake of Love Affair; and This Can't Be Love, directed by one of her close friends, Anthony Harvey (The Lion in Winter). Truman Capote (ˈtruːmən kəˈpoʊti ( 30 September, 1924, New Orleans Louisiana – 25 August, 1984, Los Angeles

Personal life

On June 29, 2003, Hepburn died of natural causes at Fenwick, the Hepburn family home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. In Medicine, death by natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by Coroners describing Death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease Fenwick is a borough in Middlesex County, Connecticut, US, in the town of Old Saybrook. Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. She was 96 years old, and was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut. In honor of her extensive theater work, the lights of Broadway were dimmed for an hour.

The book Kate Remembered, by award winning biographer A. Scott Berg, was published just 13 days after Hepburn's death. Andrew Scott Berg (born December 4 1949 is a Pulitzer Prize -winning American biographer. It documents the friendship between the actress and Berg. He makes one passing reference to her possible bisexuality, referencing a comment made by Irene Selznick. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation [7] Later writers treat this reputed bisexuality in more detail. [8][9][10]

Constance Collier was a drama coach for many famous actors, including Hepburn during her world tour performing Shakespeare in the 50s. Constance Collier ( January 22, 1878 &ndash May 21, 1955) was a British -born American film actress and acting coach Upon Collier's death in 1955, Hepburn "inherited" Collier's secretary Phyllis Wilbourn, who remained with Hepburn as her secretary for 40 years.

In 2004, in accordance with Hepburn's wishes, her personal effects were put up for auction with Sotheby's in New York. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 Hepburn had meticulously collected an extraordinary amount of material relating to her career and place in Hollywood over the years, as well as personal items such as a bust of Spencer Tracy she sculpted herself (used as a prop in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner on the desk where Sidney Poitier makes his phone call) and her own oil paintings. A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure depicting a person's head and Neck, as well as a variable portion of Spencer Tracy ( April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was a two-time Academy Award -winning Actor of stage and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (ˈpwɑːtie born February 20, 1927) is an Oscar - Golden Globe - BAFTA - and Grammy The auction netted several million dollars, which Hepburn willed mostly to her family and close friends, including television journalist Cynthia McFadden. Cynthia McFadden (born May 27, 1956 in Lewiston, Maine) is a correspondent for ABC News.

Family

Hepburn's genealogy has been researched through the Whittier line back to King Louis IX of France. She is listed as one of the descendants of the Mayflower compact author William Brewster (her family tree). Elder William Brewster (c 1566 - April 10, 1644) was a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher who came from Scrooby, in north Her paternal grandfather, Sewell Hepburn, was an Episcopal clergyman, but on the subject of religion, she told another member of the journalism community she loved so much to shock (this time a Ladies Home Journal reporter) in October 1991, "I'm an atheist and that's it. Ladies' Home Journal is a Magazine which first appeared February 16, 1883 and eventually became one of the leading magazines of the 20th Century I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for other people. "[11]

In 1910, the Hepburn family lived at 133 Hawthorne St. in Hartford, Connecticut. Eight years later, they were recorded living at 352 Laurel St. , also in Hartford. By 1930, Katharine's parents and four younger siblings had moved to a large eight bedroom house at 201 Bloomfield Avenue in West Hartford. "West Hartford" redirects here For the unincorporated community in Vermont, see West Hartford, Vermont. As of 2007, the house is owned by the University of Hartford. The University of Hartford, often called UHA or UHart, was founded in 1877 and is a private independent and nonsectarian

Margaret "Peg" Perry, Hepburn's last surviving sister, died on February 13, 2006, aged 85. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [12] Perry was a librarian in Canton, Connecticut. Canton is a rural town incorporated in 1806 in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. She was survived by a daughter and three sons.

Robert Hepburn, the last surviving sibling of Katharine Hepburn, died on November 26, 2007. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Robert was a doctor who followed in the footsteps of their father, Dr. Thomas Hepburn. He was the head of the urology department at Hartford Hospital for more than 30 years. He is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

Hepburn's professional legacy is today carried on within her family. Hepburn's niece is actress Katharine Houghton, who appeared as her daughter in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Katharine Houghton (born March 10 1945) is an American actress. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn's grandniece is actress Schuyler Grant; the two appeared together in the 1988 television movie Laura Lansing Slept Here. Schuyler Grant (born Schuyler DeBarthe Ranson Grant on April 29 1971 is an American Actress best known for supporting roles in television Laura Lansing Slept Here is a made-for-television movie released in 1988 starring Katharine Hepburn as the title character Joel Higgins, Karen Austin

Legacy

To honor Hepburn, a theater is being built in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Hepburn lived and died in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook. In December of 2008, the state-of-the-art Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theater will open. [13] In October 2007, the town of Old Saybrook received a check for $200,000 from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Historic Restoration Grant for the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theatre, totaling one million dollars received in grants for this project. [6] The mission of the center is to provide a historically restored environment to promote cultural arts for current and future generations of citizens of Old Saybrook and Connecticut. [14] For information go to www. katharinehepburntheater. org

On September 8 and 9, 2006, Bryn Mawr College, Hepburn's alma mater, launched the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center, dedicated to both the actress and her mother. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Bryn Mawr College ( brin-mar is a highly selective women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval At the launch celebration, Lauren Bacall and Blythe Danner were awarded Katharine Hepburn Medals for "lives, work and contributions that embody the intelligence, drive and independence of the four-time-Oscar-winning actress. Blythe Katharine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American Emmy - and Tony Award -winning actress. "[15]

Hepburn lent her name to some liberal social and political causes, particularly family planning. She was once a member of the Communist Party. In 1985, she received the Humanist Arts Award of the American Humanist Association, presented by her friend Corliss Lamont. The American Humanist Association (AHA is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. Corliss Lamont ( March 28, 1902 &ndash April 26, 1995) was a humanist and Marxist philosopher and advocate of various

Hepburn, who resided in a brownstone located at 244 East 49th Street in the borough of Manhattan of New York City, was honored posthumously by neighbors in her community. Brownstone is a brown Triassic Sandstone which was once a popular Building material. A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York First, a garden near her home was dedicated in her name in 2004. [16] The garden contains 12 stepping stones each inscribed with quotes. One reads "I remember when walking as a child, it was not customary to say you were fatigued. It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition. " In addition to the garden, the intersection of East 49th Street and 2nd Avenue has been renamed Katharine Hepburn Way by the city. [17]

To mark her 100th birthday in May 2007, the cable channel Turner Classic Movies dedicated a week of its evening broadcast hours to her films and documentaries on her life. Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Warner Brothers Home video also celebrated her 100th birthday by releasing a box set of movies not previously available on DVD -- Morning Glory (1933), Sylvia Scarlett (1936), Dragon Seed (1944), Without Love (1945), Undercurrent (1946), and the TV movie The Corn Is Green (1979). Morning Glory is a 1933 Pre-Code American Drama film which tells the story of an eager but unstable would-be actress whose good looks draw more Sylvia Scarlett is a 1935 Romantic comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, based on a novel by Dragon Seed is a 1944 war Drama film starring Katharine Hepburn. Without Love is a 1942 play by Philip Barry, later made into a 1945 Romantic comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and The Corn is Green is an Autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams.

Awards

Academy Award

Best Actress
Wins
Nominations

Golden Globe Award

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
Nominations
Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominations
Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominations

Emmy Award

Best Actress in a Drama
Nominations
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Wins
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Special
Nominations
  • 1979: The Corn is Green
  • 1986: Ms. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to Morning Glory is a 1933 Pre-Code American Drama film which tells the story of an eager but unstable would-be actress whose good looks draw more Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine The Lion in Winter is a 1968 historical Costume drama made by Avco Embassy Pictures, based on the Broadway play by On Golden Pond is a 1981 American Drama film directed by Mark Rydell. Alice Adams, also known as Booth Tarkington's Alice Adams, is a 1935 Romantic film Remake made by RKO. The Philadelphia Story is a romantic Comedy film starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart, and directed by The African Queen is a Drama film directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel (billed as "S Summertime is a 1955 Film directed by David Lean and starring Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. The Rainmaker is a 1956 film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N Suddenly Last Summer is a 1959 Drama film made by Columbia Pictures, based on the play of the same title by Tennessee Williams Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1962 film adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951 The Rainmaker is a 1956 film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N Suddenly Last Summer is a 1959 Drama film made by Columbia Pictures, based on the play of the same title by Tennessee Williams Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1962 film adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Comedy - Drama Film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine The Lion in Winter is a 1968 historical Costume drama made by Avco Embassy Pictures, based on the Broadway play by On Golden Pond is a 1981 American Drama film directed by Mark Rydell. Best Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television For the main article see Golden Globe Award. The Man Upstairs is a collection of short stories by P G Wodehouse, first published in the U The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The Glass Menagerie is a play by Tennessee Williams that was originally written as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. For other uses of this title see the Love Among the Ruins disambiguation page This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. The Corn is Green is an Autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams. Dellafield Wants to Marry

BAFTA Award

Best Actress
Wins
Best Foreign Actress
Nominations

Tony Award

Best Actress in a Musical
Nominations
Best Actress in a Play
Nominations

Work

Stage

Filmography

Main article: Katharine Hepburn filmography

Television

References

  1. ^ AFI's 100 YEARS...100 STARS
  2. ^ Bryn Mawr College - Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center - About The Houghton Hepburns
  3. ^ Tribute To Katharine Hepburn
  4. ^ Oldenburg, Ann. Laura Lansing Slept Here is a made-for-television movie released in 1988 starring Katharine Hepburn as the title character Joel Higgins, Karen Austin "Film icon Katharine Hepburn dies at 96", USA Today, June 30, 2003, p. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.  1A.  
  5. ^ Mahar, Ted. "Movie Review: The Hepburn Story, Katharine Hepburn's Career is Back in the Spotlight", The Oregonian, Oregonian Publishing, March 4, 2005, p. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.  46. (English) 
  6. ^ a b Holden, Anthony. "Sneak Previews of Forthcoming Books of Special Interest to Southern Californians, Secretly Married", Los Angeles Times, Magazine, September 18, 1988, p. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)  8A.  
  7. ^ Interview with A. Scott Berg
  8. ^ William J. Mann in Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn
  9. ^ James Robert Parish in Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story
  10. ^ Darwin Porter in Katharine the Great: A Lifetime of Secrets Revealed (1907-1950)
  11. ^ The religion of Katharine Hepburn, actress
  12. ^ http://blogs.courant.com/nightbeat/2006/02/margaret_perry_.html#more
  13. ^ The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Blog - A Blog About the New Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, CT
  14. ^ The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Blog - A Blog About the New Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, CT
  15. ^ Bryn Mawr College - Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center - Hepburn Medalists
  16. ^ http://www.nypost.com/seven/03292007/realestate/royal_treatment_realestate_braden_keil.htm?page=2 Kate's Place from the New York Post 29/03/2007
  17. ^ New York Songlines: 2nd Avenue/Chrystie Street

Further reading

External links

Persondata
NAME Hepburn, Katharine Houghton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American actor
DATE OF BIRTH May 12, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Hartford, Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH June 29, 2003
PLACE OF DEATH Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.
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