Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (Hartford, May 12, 1907 – Fenwick, June 29, 2003) was an American actress. Known for her strong independence and energetic personality, she was a leading lady in Hollywood for over sixty years. She intervened in a variety of genres ranging from crazy comedy to dramas based on literary works and received four Oscars for best actress, a record not surpassed by any interpreter to date. She is one of the great female myths in history of the cinema. In 1999, Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star in Hollywood history.

Raised in Connecticut by upper-class, reform-minded parents, Hepburn began acting while studying at Bryn Mawr College. After four years on the stage, the rave reviews of her work on Broadway brought her to the attention of Hollywood. His first years in the film industry were marked by success and he even received an Academy Award for his third film, Morning Glory (1933), although it was followed by a series of commercial failures that led to it being called "box office poison" in 1938. Hepburn planned her comeback by buying out part of her contract with RKO Radio Pictures and acquiring the film rights to The Philadelphia Story, which she sold on the condition that she be the lead. In the 1940s she was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career centered on a duet with Spencer Tracy. Their on-screen partnership continued for 25 years and she produced nine films.

Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life when she appeared regularly in stage productions of Shakespeare and tackled a wide range of roles in literary works. She found a niche of her own recreating middle-aged spinsters. such as in The African Queen (1951), which were well received by the public. He received three more Academy Awards for his work on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981). In the 1970s, she began to participate in television movies, which became the central focus of her career in her old age. She remained active at the end of her life and retired in 1994 at age 87. After a period of inactivity and poor health, Hepburn died in 2003 at the age of 96.

She was recognized for rejecting the Hollywood advertising system and for refusing to live up to society's expectations of women. As a young woman, she married Ludlow O. Smith but after their divorce, she lived alone for the rest of her life although she maintained a hidden 26-year romance with costar Spencer Tracy. With her unusual lifestyle and the self-assured characters she portrayed on screen, Hepburn epitomized the "modern woman" in the United States of the 20th century and is remembered as an important cultural figure.

Biography

Early years and education

Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 12, 1907, the second of six children born to Thomas Norval Hepburn (1879-1962), a urologist at Hartford Hospital, and Katharine Martha Houghton (1878-1951), a feminist activist. Her parents fought for social change in America: Thomas Hepburn helped establish the New England Social Hygiene Association, which teaches people the causes of venereal disease, while Katharine led the New England Women's Suffrage Association in her old age. Connecticut and later campaigned for birth control with Margaret Sanger. As a child, Hepburn participated with her mother in various "vote for women" rallies. The Hepburn children were encouraged throughout their upbringing to to exercise freedom of expression and to think and discuss any subject they wanted. Her parents were criticized by the community for their progressive views, which spurred Hepburn to fight the obstacles she would later encounter. that he knew from a very young age that he was the product of "two very renowned parents" and attributed the basis of his success to his "enormously lucky" upbringing. She remained close to her family throughout her life.

Portrait of Hepburn at age 21 for the school yearbook. He took while studying at Bryn Mawr College where he chose to pursue an artistic career.

Mrs. Houghton with her six children: Katharine (left), Marion, Robert, Thomas, Margaret and Richard Hepburn, c. 1920.

Young Katharine liked to call herself "Jimmy" and cut her hair short like a boy. Thomas Hepburn was eager for his children to push their minds and bodies to the limit, so he taught them to swim, run, diving, horseback riding, wrestling, and playing golf and tennis. Golf became a passion for Katharine and she took daily lessons until she became very proficient, in fact reaching the semifinal of the Connecticut Junior Women's Golf Championship. A personal belief that "the bitterest medicine always turns out to be the best for one", she began taking ice-cold baths every morning in Long Island Sound. Hepburn was a fan of movies from an early age and used to watch one every Saturday. at night, he even took part in plays and performed for his neighbors with his friends and brothers for a 50-cent ticket to raise money for the Navajo people.

On April 3, 1921, while visiting friends in Greenwich Village, Hepburn discovered the body of her favorite brother Tom, dead in an apparent suicide. He had tied a sheet around a beam and hanged himself. The family denied that it was a suicide and maintained that his death must have been caused by a game gone wrong. The incident caused the teenage Hepburn to become nervous, moody and suspicious. She withdrew from the other children, dropped out of Kingswood-Oxford School, and began receiving private tuition. For many years she used Tom's birthday—8 November—as her own. It was in 1991, when publishing her autobiography, Me: Stories of My Life, that she revealed her true date of birth.

In 1924, he won a scholarship to Bryn Mawr College, where he attended mainly to satisfy his mother, who had studied there, and recalled not liking the experience. It was the first time he had returned to school after several years and felt shy and uncomfortable around her classmates. She struggled with the scholastic demands of the university and was once suspended for smoking in her room. Hepburn was drawn to acting but landed roles in plays college theater depended on his good grades. Once her grades progressed, she began acting regularly and in her senior year she performed the leading role in a production of The Woman in the Moon. The accolades she received from her cemented her plans to pursue a theatrical career, she graduated with a BA in history and philosophy in June 1928.

Career

Irruption in the theater (1928-1932)

Hepburn left college determined to become an actress, and one day after graduating, she traveled to Baltimore to meet Edwin H. Knopf, who ran a successful repertory theater company. Impressed by her enthusiasm, Knopf signed her up. to the cast of her production, The Czarina. She received good reviews for her small role, and Printed Word described her performance as "remarkable". show the following week but their second performance was not as well received; she was criticized for her shrill voice and she decided to leave Baltimore to study with a phonetics professor in New York City.

Hepburn acting in the play The Warrior's Husband (1932), who caught the attention of Hollywood.

Knopf decided to produce The Big Pond in New York, appointing Hepburn as the lead understudy. A week before the performance, the lead actress was fired and replaced by Hepburn, who landed the lead role only four weeks into her theatrical career. she spoke too fast to be understood, for which she was promptly fired and the original lead was rehired. Undaunted, she joined forces with producer Arthur Hopkins and accepted in those days the role of a schoolgirl in an unsuccessful play. Her Broadway debut came on November 12, 1928 at the Cort Theater but reviews of the show were poor and it ended its season after the eighth night. Hopkins quickly hired Hepburn as an understudy for the leading lady in the play Holiday by Philip Barry. In early December, after just two weeks, she quit to marry a fellow college student, Ludlow Ogden Smith. She planned to leave the theater behind but she began to miss her work and she quickly resumed the understudy role in Holiday , which she kept for six months.

In 1929, Hepburn turned down a role at the Guild Theater to star in Death Takes a Holiday. She felt the role was perfect but again she was fired and despite that, she returned to the Guild and took an understudy role for minimum wage in A Month in the Country . In the spring of 1930, she joined a theater company in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which she left in the middle of the summer season to continue studying with a drama teacher. In early 1931 she was cast in the Broadway production Art and Mrs. Bottle. However, she was dropped from the role after the writer disapproved of Hepburn saying, "She looks awful, her attitude is unacceptable and she has no talent", but was later rehired due to being unable to find another actress. in the work it generated a small success.

She appeared in a series of plays with a summer company in Ivoryton, Connecticut, and proved to be successful. During the summer of 1931, Philip Barry asked her to be in his new play, The Animal Kingdom, alongside Leslie Howard. Rehearsals began in November and Hepburn felt the role would make her a star, but Howard disliked her performance and she was fired yet again. When she asked Barry why she had been cut, he replied: "Well, to be brutally honest, you weren't very good." That episode left Hepburn unsure of herself but she continued to search for a job. She was given a small part in a later play, but when rehearsals began, she he asked her to play the main character of the Greek fable The Warrior's Husband.

The Warrior's Husband turned out to be a memorable performance for Hepburn's starter. Her biographer Charles Higham stated that the role required athleticism and potent energy, making it an ideal fit for the actress, who enthusiastically focused on the production. The play opened on March 11, 1932 at the Morosco Theater in Broadway and, for the first act entrance, Hepburn was required to leap down a narrow staircase with a stag slung over her shoulder and don a short silver robe. The show ran for three months and received positive reviews; Richard Garland of World-Telegram wrote, "It has been many nights since such a brilliant performance lit up the Broadway scene."

Success in Hollywood (1932-1934)

Hepburn and David Manners acting in A Bill of Divorcement (1932). Critics supported her performance and turned her into a star instantly.

A talent scout for Hollywood manager Leland Hayward saw her appearance in The Warrior's Husband and asked her to audition for the role of Sydney Fairfield in the upcoming RKO film, A Bill of Divorcement. Director George Cukor was impressed by what he saw: "There was a strange creature," he recalled, "it was unlike any I had ever heard of." He was particularly drawn to the way Hepburn held a glass: "I thought she was very talented at that move." Offered the part, the actress demanded $1,500 a week, which meant a lot of money for an unknown actress. Cukor encouraged the studio to accept his fee, and they signed Hepburn to an eventual contract with a three-week guarantee. RKO executive David O. Selznick recounted that he took an "enormous risk" in casting an actress outside of the common.

Hepburn arrived in California in July 1932 at the age of 25 and starred in A Bill of Divorcement opposite John Barrymore, but showed no sign of intimidation. Though she struggled Because it embraced the essence of film acting, she was fascinated with the industry from the start. The film was a success, and the actress received favorable reviews. Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times rated her performance as "exceptionally fine... Miss Hepburn's characterization is one of the best seen on the screen". A review for Variety stated: "The violent impression generated by Katharine Hepburn in her first film acting is outstanding. She has something fundamental that sets her apart from the movie galaxy." Based on A Bill of Divorcement, RKO signed the actress to a long-term contract. George Cukor became friends with Hepburn for the rest of her life. of his life and made ten films together as colleagues.

Hepburn, dressed in 19th century garments, interpreting Jo March in Little Women (1933), which remains one of the most popular films to date.

Hepburn's second film was Christopher Strong (1933), the story of an aviator and her romance with a married man. The film was not a commercial success but the comments about Hepburn were good. Regina Crewe wrote in the Journal American that although her gestures were irritating, "they command attention and fascinate the audience. She is a different, firm and authentic personality." Her third film established her as a leading actress in Hollywood. For playing the aspiring actress Eva Lovelace —a role intended for Constance Bennett— in One Day's Glory, won an Oscar for best actress. She had seen the script on producer Pandro S. Berman's desk and, convinced that she was the one to play the role, insisted that it go to her. of her life—but she was elated with the triumph. film industry; Hepburn won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her performance. Little Women was one of her favorite productions and she was often proud of her performance: "I defy anyone to be as good [as Jo] as I was."

By late 1933, Hepburn was a respected film actress but eager to prove herself on Broadway. Jed Harris, one of the most successful stage producers of the 1920s, was going through a rough patch in his career He asked Hepburn if she wanted to be in the play The Lake, which she agreed to for a low salary. Before being given permission, RKO asked her to film Spitfire (1934), where her role was that of Trigger Hicks, an uneducated mountain girl. Considered by most to be one of her worst films and received poor reviews for her work, Hepburn kept a picture of Hicks in her bedroom throughout her life to "[keep] me humble".

The Lake was initially presented in Washington, D.C., where tickets were heavily booked. Harris's misdirection had sapped Hepburn's confidence but she struggled to put in a good performance. After that, Harris moved the work to New York without much rehearsal. It premiered at the Martin Beck Theater on December 26, 1933, and Hepburn was harshly judged by critics. Dorothy Parker quipped, "It runs the gamut of emotions from A to B." Forced into a ten-week contract, the The actress had to endure the shame of rapidly declining sales office takers. Harris decided to bring the show to Chicago after telling her, "My dear, the only interest I have in you is the money I can make from you.". Hepburn refused, paying her $14,000 to finish the production.She later referred to him as "without a doubt the most evil person I've ever met" and said the experience was important in teaching him to take responsibility for her career..

Career difficulties and "box office poison" (1934-1938)

Hepburn dressed in vintage clothes Mary of Scotland (1936), one of the trade failures in which he intervened throughout this period.

After the failure of Spitfire and The Lake, RKO cast Hepburn in The Little Minister (1934), based on a Victorian novel by James Barrie, in an attempt to repeat the success of Little Women. However, there was no such recurrence and the film was a commercial failure. The romantic drama Break of Hearts (1935) with Charles Boyer was negatively reviewed and also lost money. After three less than memorable films, success returned to Hepburn with Alice Adams (1935), the story of a girl desperate for rise socially. She loved the book and was thrilled that she had been offered the part. The film was a hit, one of her favorites, and earned her her second Oscar nomination—she received the second most votes, behind only Bette Davis.

Given the possibility that she would choose her next feature film, Hepburn decided to star in George Cukor's new project, Sylvia Scarlett (1935), where she first acted with Cary Grant. short for the role due to her character posing as a male for much of the film, however, she was disliked by critics and unpopular with audiences. She then played Mary Stuart in Mary of Scotland (1936) by John Ford, which met with a similar reception, and was followed by A Woman Rebels (1936), a Victorian drama in which Hepburn's character defies convention. social for having a child out of wedlock. Quality Street (1937), this time a comedy, also had a period adaptation, but none of them was accepted by the public, which meant that he had made four consecutive productions without success.

In addition to a series of unpopular films, problems arose from Hepburn's attitude. She had a difficult relationship with the press, to the point where she could be rude and provocative. When asked if she had children she angrily snapped, "Yes, I have five: two white and three colored." Her refusal to give interviews and sign autograph requests earned her the nickname "Katharine of Arrogance". masculine behavior and fashion choices, and became a widely unpopular figure. Hepburn felt she needed to get out of Hollywood, so she returned East to star in a stage adaptation of Jane Eyre, which had a successful tour but, unsure about the script and unwilling to risk failure after the disaster at The Lake, Hepburn opposed taking the show to Broadway. In late 1936 it competed for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind she evaded .Producer David O. Selznick refused to offer it to her because he felt she had no sex appeal and he is reported to have told her, "I can't watch Rhett Butler chasing you for twelve years."

Hepburn and Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby (1938), which failed in the premiere but became a classic of the allocated comedies. They both made four films together.

In her next film, Ladies of the Theater (1937), she starred with Ginger Rogers in a role that reflected her own life, that of a socialite girl trying to become an actress. Hepburn was praised for her work in early reviews, which gave her lead over Rogers. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards but was not as successful as RKO had hoped. Industry analysts blamed Hepburn from low income but the studio continued its commitment to reviving her popularity. She was cast in Howard Hawks's zany comedy Bringing Up Baby (1938) opposite Cary Grant, where she played the The film's touches of comedy for sure, and he took advice on comedy funny from his costar Walter Catlett. Bringing Up Baby was critically acclaimed but despite that, it was not successful in box office. The chosen genre and Grant were highly popular at the time, so biographer A. Scott Berg suggests that audience rejection of Hepburn was the reason.

After Bringing Up Baby opened, the Independent Theater Owners of America included Hepburn on a list of actors considered "box office poison". With her reputation at a low ebb, the next film RKO offered him was Mother Carey's Chickens, a poorly rated B-film which he decided to turn down and instead opted to buy out of his contract for 75 000 USD. Many actors were afraid of leaving the stability of the studio system at the time, but Hepburn's personal wealth allowed her the luxury of being independent. She signed a contract for the film version of Holiday (1938) with Columbia Pictures, where she partnered Grant for the third time. The comedy was well received by critics but failed to reach much audiences, and his next script offer came with a salary of $10,000, less than he had received at the start of his film career. Reflecting on That turnaround in his finances, Andrew Britton wrote that "no other star has risen more quickly or to more euphoric acclaim. No other star, either, has become so unpopular so quickly for so long."

Resurgence (1939-1942)

Hepburn in Tracy Lord's role in The Philadelphia Story (1940), along with James Stewart. About the character, she said, "I gave her life and she gave me my career again."

Following the decline in her career, Hepburn took steps to become her own comeback instrument. She left Hollywood to look for a new project and that is how she signed a contract to star in the new work by Philip Barry, The Philadelphia Story, which was adapted to show the actress in the character of the socialite Tracy Lord incorporating a mix of humor, aggressiveness, edginess and vulnerability. Howard Hughes, Hepburn's colleague at the time, felt that the play could be her ticket back to Hollywood stardom and bought the rights from her. of the film before it made its stage debut. The Philadelphia Story initially toured the United States to positive reviews and then opened in New York at the Schubert Theater on March 29, 1939. It was a great critical and box office success, reaching 417 performances and a second tour of similar repercussion was later carried out.

Hepburn was approached by several major film studios to produce the film version of Barry's work. She opted to sell the rights to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the number one studio in Hollywood., with the condition of being the main star. Hepburn's requested director, George Cukor, was also accepted as part of the contract, but the co-stars she wanted—Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy—were not available. Louis B. Mayer promised James Stewart and $150,000 "for anything you want or can get". Hepburn chose her friend and former co-star Cary Grant, to whom she gave the front page and before As filming began, he slyly noted, “I don't want to make a big stage entrance in this movie. The viewers...they think I'm too conceited or something. A lot of people want to see me fall face down on the ground." Thus, the film began with Grant with his back turned banging on the door of the actress's apartment. Berg described how the character was crafted to have an audience "laughing at each other enough that they finally sympathized with her", something Hepburn felt. crucial to "recreating" his public image. The Philadelphia Story was one of the biggest hits of 1940 and broke records at Radio City Music Hall. A review by Time declaring: "Let's go back, Katie, all is forgiven" and Herb Golden of Variety stated: "She's the picture of Katharine Hepburn... The perfect concept of all flighty but characteristic girls online socialite at one time, the story without her is almost inconceivable". She was nominated for a third Academy Award and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.

Hepburn was also responsible for crafting her next project, the romantic comedy Woman of the Year. The idea for the film was pitched to her by Garson Kanin in 1941 and she later forwarded the sketches to Joseph L. Mankiewicz at MGM, who expressed her interest in the production. Kanin recalled how Hepburn contributed cuts and word changes to the script, and provided effective enthusiasm for the project. The actress presented the finished product to MGM and demanded $250,000—half for herself and half for authors Michael Kanin and Ring Lardner Jr.— With the conditions accepted, Hepburn also volunteered to director George Stevens and his co-star, Spencer Tracy. Woman of the Year was released in 1942, it was a success, critics praised the chemistry between the actors and Higham noted that they noted Hepburn's "increasing maturity and perfection". The World -Telegram called the two "brilliant performances" and the actress received a fourth Oscar nomination for her role as the independent and professional woman Tess Harding. During the course of the film she signed a star contract with MGM.

Slowdown in the 1940s (1942-1949)

In 1942, Hepburn returned to Broadway to appear in another Philip Barry play, Loveless, which was also written and intended for the actress. Critics were lukewarm about the production but with With Hepburn's popularity soaring, the play ran for 16 weeks with sold-out sales. MGM was eager to reunite Tracy and Hepburn in a new film and produced The Sacred Flame (1942), a mystery drama which delivered a propaganda message about the dangers of fascism, something Hepburn saw as an opportunity to make a worthy political statement. It received poor reviews but was a financial success, confirming the popularity of the Tracy-Hepburn duo.

Most of Hepburn's films in this period were with Spencer Tracy. Later, the actress said the duo significantly promoted her career as she was the most popular star at the time. Here, a picture of both of them in The woman of the year (1942).

Trailer of The woman of the year (1942)

Since Woman of the Year, Hepburn had been engaged in a romantic relationship with Tracy and dedicated herself to helping the star, who suffered from alcoholism and insomnia. Her career slowed as a result and he worked less for the rest of the decade compared to what he had done in the 1930s—especially since he did not appear on the scene again until 1950. His only performance in 1943 was a cameo in Stage Door Canteen, a wartime morale-boosting film, where she appeared as herself. She decided to do an atypical role in 1944 when she played a Chinese peasant in the high-budget drama Dragon Seed. She was enthusiastic about the film but received a lukewarm response, with Hepburn being described as "not fit for the part". Later, she teamed up with Tracy for the film version of Loveless (1945), after which he turned down a role in The Razor's Edge to support the actor's return to Broadway. Loveless received poor reviews, but a new film with both actors meant a great event and its premiere was massive, with the sale of a record number of tickets during Easter week of 1945.

Hepburn's next film was Undercurrent (1946), a film noir with Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum that was poorly received. A fourth film with Tracy was released in 1947: a drama set in American Old West titled The Sea of Grass. As with La llama sagrada and Sin amor, the critics were not very effusive, although this did not prevent financial success, both locally and abroad. year, she played Clara Schumann in Song of Love, for which she had to train extensively with a pianist. By the time of its release in October, Hepburn's career had been significantly affected by her public opposition to the growing anti-communist movement in Hollywood. Viewed by some as dangerously progressive, she was not offered a job for nine months and rumors arose that the audience had thrown things during the screening of Song of Love. unexpectedly when he agreed to replace Claudette Colbert just days before shooting began on Frank Capra's political drama State of the Union (1948). Tracy had long been cast as the male lead, for which the actress was already familiar with the script. Critics responded favorably to the film and it did well at the box office.

Both appeared on screen for the third consecutive year in 1949 in Adam's Rib. Like Woman of the Year, it was a "battle of the sexes" comedy and was written specifically for the duo by their friends Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon. It was a story of married lawyers going up against each other in court and Hepburn described it as "perfect for [Tracy] and me". Although her political views continued to prompt picketing in theaters across the country, Adam's Rib was a hit and one of Tracy-Hepburn's most profitable films to date. A critic for the New York Times, Bosley Crowther, had words of praise for with the film, noting "the perfect compatibility" of the duo.

Professional growth (1950-1952)

Hepburn in a promotional image with Humphrey Bogart The African Queen (1951), which was filmed in Africa.

The 1950s saw Hepburn take on a number of professional challenges and push herself more than at any other time in her life at an age when most actresses of her generation were beginning to retire. Berg described that decade as "the center of her vast legacy" and "the period when she really came to herself". In January 1950, Hepburn dared to play Shakespeare when she was called upon to play Rosalind in As You Like It. Wanting to show that she could pull off classic roles, she remarked, "It's better to try something difficult and fail than to act confident all the time." It opened at the Cort Theater in New York to an audience and was virtually sold out for 148. shows. The production toured and opinions about Hepburn were mixed, but the actress was considered the only star in Hollywood to perform high-caliber material on stage.

In 1951, Hepburn filmed The African Queen, her first Technicolor film, in which she portrayed Rose Sayer, a prim, single missionary living in German East Africa at the outbreak of World War I.. It co-starred Humphrey Bogart and was shot primarily in the Belgian Congo area, an opportunity Hepburn accepted. However, it proved to be a difficult experience as she fell ill with dysentery during filming. She later published a memoir about the journey. The film was released in late 1951 to popular support and critical acclaim, and earned Hepburn her fifth Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards. The African Queen marked her first successful film without Tracy since The Philadelphia Story in the previous decade, proving that she could be successful without him and allowing her to restore her popularity completely from her.

Hepburn went on to shoot the romantic comedy Pat and Mike (1952), the second film to be specifically structured as a Tracy-Hepburn product by Kanin and Gordon. The actress was an active sportswoman in real life, and Kanin later described this as her inspiration for the film: "Watching Kate playing tennis one day...it occurred to me that her audience was missing out on a treat." Hepburn felt pressured to perform various high performance sports, many of which were not included in the screening. Pat and Mike was one of the duo's most popular and critically acclaimed productions., and was also Hepburn's favorite of the nine she performed with Tracy. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy.

In the summer of 1952, Hepburn traveled to London's West End to act for a ten-week run in George Bernard Shaw's The Millionairess. Her parents had read to Shaw when she was a child, making the play a special experience for the actress. However, the two years of intense work had exhausted her, and her friend Constance Collier wrote that Hepburn was " on the brink of a nervous breakdown." The Millionairess was taken to Broadway to wide acclaim and was presented in October 1952 at the Shubert Theater where, despite a lukewarm response from According to critics, tickets were sold out for ten weeks. Hepburn tried to get the play adapted for a film: Preston Sturges wrote a script and the actress offered to work for free and pay the director her own, but no studio wanted to take the project. He later referred to that episode as the biggest disappointment of his career.

Spinster roles and Shakespeare (1953-1962)

Hepburn in the romantic drama Summertime (1955) by David Lean. Jane Hudson is one of the most popular bachelor characters of Hepburn's play in the 1950s.

Pat and Mike was the last film with which Hepburn completed her contract with MGM, with the freedom to choose her own projects. She took two years off and traveling before becoming involved in the David Lean's romantic drama, Summertime (1955). The movie was shot in Venice and Hepburn played a lonely spinster who has a passionate love affair. The actress described this as "a very emotional part" and found working with Lean fascinating. During filming, Hepburn suffered a fall into a gutter and developed a chronic eye infection as a result. Her role earned her another nomination. for the Academy Award and has been cited by some as one of her best works. Lead noted that it was her favorite film of all she made and that Hepburn was her favorite actress. The following year, the actress spent six months touring Australia with the Old Vic Theater Company, recreating Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew and Isabella in Measure for Measure. The tour was a success and Hepburn garnered significant applause for her performance.

Hepburn received an Academy Award nomination for the second year in a row for her work opposite Burt Lancaster in The Rainmaker (1956). Again there she played a lonely woman seized by a love affair and it became clear that Hepburn had found a place of her own playing "spinsters in need of love" that critics and audiences alike enjoyed. Hepburn said of these roles: " With Lizzie Curry [The Rainmaker] and Jane Hudson [Holiday] and Rosie Sayer [The Queen of Africa]... I was playing myself. myself. It wasn't hard for me to recreate those women because I'm the maiden aunt.” The Iron Petticoat (1956), an adaptation of the classic comedy Ninotchka with Bob Hope, it had a minor hit that year. Hepburn portrayed a cold-hearted Soviet aviator in a performance that Bosley Crowther called “horrible.” It was a critical and commercial flop, and Hepburn considered it the worst film of her life.

Tracy and Hepburn teamed up onscreen for the first time in five years in the comedy Desk Set (1957). Berg noted that the film functioned as a hybrid between early romantic comedy hits and Hepburn's spinster character, but met with so-so success. That summer, Hepburn returned to the Shakespearean roles and appeared at the American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Connecticut, where she reprized her Portia in The Merchant of Venice and played Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, both of which were met with positive reception.

Part of the trailer Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), based on the work of Tennessee Williams.

After two years away from the screen, Hepburn starred in a film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' controversial play Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. The film was shot in London and was "a completely bitter experience" for the actress. She had a confrontation with director Joseph L. Mankiewicz during filming which culminated in Hepburn spitting at him in disgust. The film was a financial success, and her work as creepy aunt Violet Venable earned her eighth Academy Award nomination. Williams was pleased with the performance, writing that "Kate makes the dialogue sound better than it is with unparalleled clarity and beauty of her diction and by a fineness of intelligence and sensitivity that illuminates every nuance of the sentences she pronounces". Williams wrote the screenplay for The Night of the Iguana (1961) with Hepburn in mind but The actress, though flattered, felt that the play did not suit her and declined the role, which went to Bette Davis.

Hepburn returned to Stratford in the summer of 1960 to play Viola in Twelfth Night and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. The New York Post wrote of her characterization: "Hepburn gives a very versatile performance... once or twice she goes off for her famous mannerisms and is always mesmerizing to watch." She was proud of her The role and repertoire was honed when he appeared in Sidney Lumet's film version of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), a production of Hepburn called the film "the greatest [work] this country has ever produced" and the character of morphine addict Mary Tyrone as "the female role most challenging in American drama", as well as perceiving her performance as the best film work of her career. Long Day's Journey Into Night continues to be one of her most highly praised performances and earned Hepburn another Oscar nomination and the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Success in later years (1963-1970)

In Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), with which he won his second Oscar Award for the best actress.

Following the completion of Long Day's Journey Into Night, Hepburn took a break from her career to care for Spencer Tracy, who was in ill-health. work until 1967 when she starred in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, her ninth film with him. The film tackles the subject of interracial marriage with Hepburn's niece, Katharine Houghton, in the role of her daughter. On the other hand, Tracy's health deteriorated more and more due to heart disease, and Houghton later commented that his aunt was "extremely tense" during production. The actor died 17 days after filming the film. last scene but Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was a triumphant return for Hepburn and marked her most commercially successful film to date. She won her second Best Actress award at the Oscars, 34 years after winning her first, and felt that the award was not only for her but also in honor of Tracy.

She quickly returned to acting after his death, choosing to care for herself as an outlet against grief. She received numerous scripts and opted to play Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (1968), a piece she called "fascinating". Hepburn read extensively in preparation for the role in which she starred opposite Peter O'Toole. Filming took place at Montmajour Abbey in southern France., an experience he loved despite being—according to director Anthony Harvey—"extremely vulnerable" throughout. John Russell Taylor of The Times suggested that Leonor was "the performance of her... career" and proved that she was "an amazing, growing, thriving actress". The film was nominated in every major Academy Award category and, for the second year in a row, Hepburn won the Academy Award for Best Actress. —shared with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl—. Her role, in conjunction with her acting acting in Long Day's Journey Into Night, they also received a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress. Hepburn's next appearance was in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), which she filmed in Nice immediately after finishing The Lion in Winter. financially, and comments targeted Hepburn for underperforming.

From December 1969 to August 1970, she starred in the Broadway musical Coco about the life of Coco Chanel and admitted that prior to the show, she had never been in a stage musical. strong singer but found the offer irresistible and, according to Berg's quote, "what she lacked in euphony she made up for in grit". The actress took voice lessons six times a week in preparation for the show, she was nervous at every performance and recalled beginning to wonder "what the hell was she doing there". thanks to which the season was extended twice. She later said that in the play it was the first time she accepted that the public was not against her, but actually seemed to love her. Her work earned her an Academy Award nomination. Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Cinema, television and theater (1971-1983)

Hepburn remained active throughout the 1970s, focusing on roles described by Andrew Britton as "ranging from a nagging mother to a crazy old lady living [alone]". She initially traveled to Spain to film the film version of Euripides' The Trojan Women: The Trojan Women (1971) directed by Michael Cacoyannis, alongside Irene Papas, Vanessa Redgrave and Geneviève Bujold. When asked why she had accepted the role, she replied that she wanted to broaden her range and try everything while she still had time.The film was poorly received but the Kansas City Film Critics Circle named Hepburn's performance the best. best of the year In 1971 she signed a contract to star in an adaptation of Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt, but she was not satisfied with early versions of the script and she decided to rewrite it on her own. The studio disliked her changes, so Hepburn left the project and was replaced by Maggie Smith. Her next film, an adaptation of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance (1973) directed by Tony Richardson, it had a small release and received generally unfavorable reviews.

Hepburn in Rooster Cogburn (1975), where he acted next to John Wayne.

In 1973, Hepburn first ventured into television when she starred in a Tennessee Williams production, The Glass Menagerie. She had been wary of the medium but it turned out to be one of the major television events of the year and generated high ratings in the Nielsen Ratings. Hepburn received an Emmy Award nomination for playing wistful mother Amanda Wingfield, which opened her mind to future work on the small screen. His next project was the television film Love Among the Ruins (1975), a drama of Edwardian England with his friend Laurence Olivier, which received positive reviews and high ratings, and earned Hepburn her only Emmy Award.

Hepburn made her only Academy Awards appearance in 1974 to present the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award to Lawrence Weingarten. She received a standing ovation and joked to the audience, "I'm so glad I didn't hear anybody yell 'About time.'" The following year she was cast with John Wayne in the western Rooster Cogburn, a sequel to his Oscar-winning film, True Grit. Echoing her character from The African Queen, Hepburn reprized a deeply religious spinster who teams up with a single man to avenge the death of a relative. although its cast was enough to attract audiences at the box office, it fell short of studio expectations and was only moderately successful.

Hepburn and Mike Owen during the shooting of the TV movie The Corn Is Green (1978).

In 1976, Hepburn returned to Broadway for a three-month run in Enid Bagnold's A Matter of Gravity. The role of the eccentric Mrs. Basil was considered a perfect showcase for the actress and the play was popular despite negative reviews, in fact it later went on a successful national tour. During a stay in Los Angeles, Hepburn fractured her hip but chose to continue the tour acting in a wheelchair. That year she was chosen as the "best actress in a motion picture" by the People's Choice Awards. After three years away of cinema, Hepburn starred in the 1978 film Olly Olly Oxen Free. The adventure comedy was one of the biggest flops of her career—screenwriter James Prideaux, who worked with Hepburn, later wrote that the film "died on release" and referred to it as her "lost film"— Hepburn claimed that the main reason she had accepted the role was for the opportunity to ride in a hot air balloon on set. She returned to acting with the television movie The Corn Is Green (1979), filmed in Wales, which was the last of ten Hepburn productions with George Cukor and for which she earned a third Emmy nomination.

By the 1980s, Hepburn had developed a perceptible tremor that caused permanent head shaking. She did not work for two years, but during that period she saw the Broadway production On Golden Pond and was impressed by the portrayal of an elderly married couple struggling with the hardships of old age. Jane Fonda had bought the screenplay rights from her father, actor Henry Fonda, and Hepburn asked to play the role with him. role of the flamboyant Ethel Thayer. On Golden Pond was a hit, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 1981. The film demonstrated just how energetic the 74-year-old Hepburn was as she plunged fully clothed into Squam Lake and gave a vital singing performance. Her role earned her a second BAFTA Award and a fourth Academy Award—a record that has not been surpassed. Homer Dickens, in her book on Hepburn, noted that it was widely regarded as a sentimental victory, "a tribute to her enduring career" of hers.

Hepburn also returned to the stage in 1981, receiving a second Tony nomination for her portrayal of a joie de vivre septuagenarian widow in The West Side Waltz. Variety noted that the role was "an obvious and wholly acceptable version of [Hepburn's] own public image". Walter Kerr of The New York Times wrote of her performance: "One mysterious thing that she has unquestionably learned to do is breathe life into lines that have none." She had hoped to make the film version of the production but no one bought the rights. Hepburn's reputation as one of the best America's Most Beloved Actors became firmly established at the time, in fact being named "Favorite Movie Actress" in a poll conducted by People magazine and again winning the popularity award of the United States. People's Choice.

Television targeting (1984-1994)

In 1984, he starred in the dark comedy Grace Quigley, the story of an old woman who gets a hit man (Nick Nolte) to kill her of his own free will. Hepburn found humor in the morbid subject matter, but reviews were negative and it was not well received. In 1985, she presented a television documentary on the life and career of Spencer Tracy. Most of her roles at that time were in television films that they did not receive the critical acclaim of her early work in the medium but continued to be accepted by audiences. At each release, Hepburn announced that it would be her last screen appearance but continued to face new roles. She received an Emmy nomination for 1986 for her role in Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry and she returned to acting two years later in the comedy Laura Lansing Slept Here , which saw her act with her great-niece, Schuyler Grant.

In 1991 he released his autobiography, Me: Stories of My Life —Yo: Historias de mi vida, in Spanish—, which topped the lists of best -seller for over a year. Hepburn returned to television screens in 1992 with The Man Upstairs, co-starring Ryan O'Neal, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Golden Globe. In 1994 he worked with Anthony Quinn in This Can't Be Love, which was based largely on Hepburn's own life, with numerous references to her personality and career. Those later roles were described as "a fictional version of Kate Hepburn's typically feisty character" and critics noted that she was basically playing herself.

Her last film appearance—also her first since her performance in Grace Quigley ten years earlier—was in Love Affair (1994). The 86-year-old actress played a supporting role alongside Annette Bening and Warren Beatty. It was the only film of his career, except for the cameo in Stage Door Canteen, in which he did not play a leading role. Roger Ebert noted that it was the first time he appeared to be frail but that he " "magnificent spirit" was still there, plus her scenes "steal the show". The New York Times made similar observations as it was revealed in the actress's last big screen appearance. that "if she moved more slowly than before, in attitude she was as always and modern as she had never been". Hepburn had one last role in the television movie One Christmas (1994), for who received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination at age 87.

Last years and death

Hepburn's tablet at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Hepburn stated, past her eighties: "I'm not afraid of death. She must be wonderful, like a long dream." Her health began to deteriorate shortly after her last television performance and in the winter of 1996, she had to be hospitalized due to pneumonia. In 1997 she he was very weak; she spoke and ate very little, and she was feared that she would die.She showed signs of senile dementia in her last years.In May 2003 she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her throat. It was decided not to treat her and she passed away at the age of 96 on June 29, 2003 at the Hepburn family residence in Fenwick, Connecticut. Her remains were interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford alongside those of her brother Tom and, in accordance with her wishes, no religious ceremony was performed.

Hepburn's death received considerable public attention. Many tributes were held on television and the print media dedicated publications to the actress. US President George W. Bush said that Hepburn "will be remembered as one of the nation's artistic treasures". In honor of her extensive work in theater, the lights of Broadway were turned off during the night of July 1, 2003. In 2004, in accordance with Hepburn's wishes, her belongings were put up for auction with Sotheby's in New York. The event raised $5.8 million, which the actress bequeathed to her family.

Personal Life

Public image and character

Hepburn, known for her fiercely guarding her privacy, refused to give interviews or talks to her followers for much of her career. which he viewed as tedious and superficial. He wore casual clothing that went strongly against convention in an age of glamour. He rarely appeared in public, always avoided restaurants, and once knocked a camera out of a photographer's hand when he was he took a photo of her without asking. Despite her zeal for privacy, she enjoyed her fame and later said she would not have wanted the press to completely ignore her. Her defensiveness eased as she aged; After a two-hour interview on The Dick Cavett Show in 1973, Ella Hepburn opened up more and more to the public.

Hepburn's relentless energy and zest for life were often cited in her biographies, while her determined independence became the key to her celebrity status. That self-confidence meant she could be controlling and difficult; her friend Garson Kanin compared her to a teacher and noted that she was famous for being strict and honest. Katharine Houghton commented that her aunt could be "maddeningly self-righteous and bossy". Hepburn confessed to being, especially early in her life., a "person I I I " and saw herself as possessing a cheerful character, in fact she stated: "I like life and I have been very lucky, why shouldn't I be happy?" A. Scott Berg knew Hepburn well in her later years, noting that while she was demanding, she retained a sense of humility and humanity.

The actress led an active private life, swimming regularly and playing tennis every morning. In her eighties, she continued to play tennis regularly, as depicted in the 1993 documentary All About Me He also enjoyed painting, which became a passion towards the end of his life. When asked about politics, Hepburn said in an interview: "I always say that I'm pro-minority and on the side of politics." liberal. I'm not a 'no' person". Anti-communist hysteria in 1940s Hollywood propelled her into political activity, and her name was mentioned at Un-American Activities Committee hearings, although Hepburn denied being a communist sympathizer. In his adulthood, he openly promoted birth control and supported abortion. He practiced Albert Schweitzer's "Reverence for Life" theory but did not believe in religion or the afterlife. In 1991, Hepburn snapped at a reporter: "I'm an atheist and that's it. I believe there is nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for other people." Following public statements of these beliefs, she was awarded the Humanist Arts Award by the American Humanist Association in 1985.

Sentimental relationships

Hepburn's only husband was Ludlow Ogden Smith, an upper-class Philadelphia businessman whom she had met while studying at Bryn Mawr. The couple married on December 12, 1928, when she was 21 and he was 29. Hepburn had changed her husband's name to S. Ogden Ludlow so as not to be called "Kate Smith", which seemed too common to her. he dedicated himself fully to the marriage and prioritized his career. His move to Hollywood in 1932 furthered the couple's estrangement and in 1934, he traveled to Mexico to obtain an express divorce. Hepburn always expressed her gratitude to Smith for his moral and spiritual support in the early days of her career, calling herself "a terrible pig" in her autobiography for exploiting their love in such a way. The two remained friends. until his death in 1979.

Shortly after her move to California, Hepburn began a relationship with her manager Leland Hayward despite the fact that they were both married. Hayward once proposed to the actress that they divorce each other but she refused, in In Hepburn's words, "I liked the idea of being an autonomous personality". businessman Howard Hughes, whom she had met while filming Sylvia Scarlett after a mutual friend, Cary Grant, introduced them. Hughes wanted to marry her and the tabloids announced an imminent wedding but in by this time Hepburn was too focused on reestablishing her career. They separated in 1938 when the actress left Hollywood after being labeled "box office poison".

Hepburn stuck to her decision not to remarry and chose not to have children. She believed that motherhood should be a full-time commitment, and that was something she was not willing to do. "I would have been a terrible mother," she confessed to Berg, "basically because I am a very selfish human being." She felt that she had partially experienced motherhood through her younger siblings, which satisfied any need to have children of her own. Rumors about her lesbianism and bisexuality have been around since the 1930s and she often joked with them. In 2007, William J. Mann released a biography of Hepburn in which she argued the case. In response to such speculation about her aunt, Katharine Houghton said, "I never discovered any evidence whatsoever that she was a lesbian." Hollywood Scotty Bowers in his accredited memoirs Full Service (2013) and Matt Tyrnauer's documentary Scotty and the Secret Life of Hollywood (2017) seem definitive in that regard. their relationship, merely friendship, with Spencer Tracy, was a setup that suited both of them; it served to disguise her lack of masculine marital commitments and his repressed homosexuality and keep them both in a comfortable closet.

Spencer Tracy

Hepburn had a 26-year-old sentimental relationship with actor Spencer Tracy, even though he never divorced his wife. Here, in an advertising photo Women ' s Things (1957).

The most significant relationship of her life was with the actor Spencer Tracy and, about it, in her autobiography she wrote: «It was a unique feeling that I had for [Tracy]. I would have done anything for him." Lauren Bacall, a close friend, later noted that Hepburn was "blindly" in love with the actor. The relationship subsequently received much publicity and is often cited as one of Hollywood's legendary love affairs. They met when she was 34 and he was 41; Tracy was initially wary of Hepburn; she was impressed by her dirty fingernails and suspected she was a lesbian, instead the actress said that she “knew right away that I found her irresistible.” Tracy remained married throughout the relationship; although he and his wife Louise had lived separately since 1930, there was never an official separation and neither party sought a divorce, Hepburn did not interfere and never sought to marry him.

Because Tracy was determined to hide his relationship with the actress from his wife, it was kept private, they were careful not to be seen together in public, and lived in separate residences. Tracy was an alcoholic and frequently met depressed; Hepburn described him as "tortured" and dedicated himself to making her life easier. Accounts of people who saw them together tell how Hepburn changed her attitude completely by surrounding herself with Tracy. mother, at the same time that Tracy became very dependent on her. They went through periods of time where they were frequently separated due to their work, most notably in the 1950s when Hepburn was largely abroad on professional commitments.

Tracy's health declined significantly in the 1960s and Hepburn took a five-year career break to care for him. She moved into the actor's home around this time and was with him when he died on June 10 in 1967, though out of consideration for his wife, he did not attend her funeral. It was not until after Louise Tracy's death in 1983 that he began to speak publicly about his feelings towards his frequent co-star. Asked why he stayed with Tracy for so long despite the nature of their relationship, he said: "Honestly, I don't know. I can only say that he could never have left him.» She claimed not to know what he felt for her and that « we only spent twenty-seven years [sic] together which were absolute happiness for me ».

Performances: technique and analysis

Many agree that Hepburn was not an instinctive actress. She liked to study the script and character carefully beforehand, making sure she knew them completely, then rehearsed them as much as possible and filmed multiple takes of the same scene. Her genuine passion for the industry made her strongly committed to each role and insisted on learning the necessary skills and performing stunts on her own. She was not only known for learning her own lines but also those of his co-stars. Commenting on their enthusiasm, Stanley Kramer said, "Work, work, work. She can work until they all drop.” Hepburn was involved in the production of each of her films through script suggestions or voicing her opinion on everything from costumes to lighting to photography.

The characters he played were, with few exceptions, wealthy and intelligent, and often strong and independent. These tough characters tended to be humiliated in some way and revealed hidden weaknesses. Garson Kanin described what he called «Hepburn's formula for success»: a girl... of high social position, or conceited, is lowered to earth by a more earthy one, or one of little culture... or a catastrophic situation. It seems to have worked time and time again". Due to the repetition of that prototype of characters, Britton sees Hepburn as wrapped up in the "contradictions" of the "nature and status" of women as the strong women she portrays who they are eventually "reestablished in a secure position within the status quo". Film critic Molly Haskell commented on the importance of this for Hepburn's career: because of their intimidating presence, it was necessary for her characters "to do something to put them down a little bit." to stay on the audience's good side".

Hepburn is one of America's most celebrated actresses, but has also been criticized for her lack of versatility. Her on-screen acting closely matched her everyday persona, something she admitted to herself. In 1991 she clarified to a journalist: «I think I am always the same. She had a very definite personality and I liked material that showed that personality." Playwright and author David Macaray noted, "You look at Katharine Hepburn in every movie she's starred in and you wonder if she's not naturally acting the same. role over and over again... Iconic or not, let's not confuse a unique and truly fascinating woman with a top-notch actress." Another often-mentioned criticism is regarding her overly cold demeanor.

Legacy

Hepburn, with her unconventional lifestyle and the independent women she recreated in the cinema (like Tess Harding in Woman of the Year, in image), represented the American emancipated woman of the centuryXX..

Hepburn is considered an important and influential cultural figure. Ros Horton and Sally Simmons featured her in their book Women Who Changed the World, which honors fifty women who helped shape world history and culture. She is also named in the list of the "300 Women Who Changed the World" of the Encyclopædia Britannica, in the book The 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century of the Ladies Home Journal, on Variety magazine's "100 Icons of the Century" and ranked 84th on the list of "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time" The Times" on VH1. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Hepburn the greatest female star of all time.

Regarding Hepburn's film legacy, broadcaster Sheridan Morley said that she "broke the mold" for women in Hollywood, bringing a new generation of purposeful women to the screen. Film academic Andrew Britton wrote a monograph in which he studied "her key presence within classic Hollywood, a coherent, potentially radical alteration" and noted her "central" influence in bringing feminist issues to the screen. Maryann Pasda DiEdwardo claimed that Hepburn's performances fostered a "determination towards a new vision of women".

Off-screen, Hepburn lived far ahead of her time, thereby coming to symbolize the "modern woman" and playing an important role in changing attitudes toward the female gender. Horton and Simmons wrote "Self-confident, intelligent and witty, a four-time Oscar winner, Katharine Hepburn defied convention throughout her professional and personal life... Hepburn provides an image of an assertive woman that [women ] can learn and observe." After Hepburn's death, film historian Jeanine Basinger stated, "What she brought us was a new kind of heroine—modern and independent. She was beautiful, but he didn't trust that." Maria McNamara, an entertainment journalist and critic for the Los Angeles Times, wrote that "more than a movie star, Katharine Hepburn was the patron saint of independent American women". However, she was not universally revered by feminists, who were angered by her public statements that women "can't have it all" in reference to career and family.

Hepburn's legacy extends to the realm of fashion, where she pioneered wearing pants at a time when it was revolutionary for a woman. She helped make pants fit for women as well as women. fans began imitating her wardrobe. In 1986 she received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of the United States, in recognition of her influence on women's fashion.

A series of Hepburn films became American film classics and, in fact, four of their films —The African Queen, The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner— appear on the list of the 100 best American films of all time at the American Film Institute. Adam's Rib and Woman of the Year were included in the list of the 100 best American comedies of all time according to AFI. Her aristocratic voice is considered one of the most distinctive in the history of cinema. [chuckles]Example of Stage Door (1937) (?·i)]

Memorials

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Connecticut.

Hepburn was honored with several monuments. The Turtle Bay community in Manhattan, New York, where he had a residence for more than 60 years, named a park after him in 1997 and, after his death in 2003, the intersection of East 49th Street and 2nd. Avenue was renamed "Katharine Hepburn Place". Three years later, Bryn Mawr College—Hepburn's alma mater—created the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center in dedication to the actress and her mother, which encourages women to speak out about important issues that affect their gender. The center awards the annual Katharine Hepburn Medal which "recognizes women whose lives, work and contributions embody the intelligence, drive and independence of the four-time Oscar-winning actress." The Katharine Hepburn Center for Cultural Arts, which includes a performance space and museum named after her, it opened in 2009 in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, where her family owned a beach house that the actress loved and later purchased.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library and the New York Public Library maintain collections of Hepburn's personal papers. A portion of the New York collection, documenting her theater career, was featured in a five-month exhibition, Katharine Hepburn: In Her Own Files , in 2009. Other exhibits were held to teach her career; One Life: Kate, A Centennial Celebration was held at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington from November 2007 to September 2008 on the occasion of her centennial. The University of Kent exhibited some of her film and stage costumes from October 2010 through September 2011 in Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen. Hepburn was also honored with a postage of her own as part of the "Legends of Hollywood" stamp series » and in 2015, the British Film Institute held a two-month retrospective of his work.

Characterizations

Hepburn was the subject of a monologue play, Tea at Five, written by Matthew Lombardo and premiered in 2002 at the Hartford Stage. The first act showed Hepburn in 1938 after being described as "box office poison" and the second in 1983, where he reflected on his life and career. It was also recreated in Tea at Five by Kate Mulgrew, Tovah Feldshuh, Stephanie Zimbalist and Charles Busch. Feldshuh also appeared as Hepburn in The Amazing Howard Hughes, a 1977 TV movie, while she was later portrayed by Mearle Ann Taylor in The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980). In Martin Scorsese's biopic of Howard Hughes, The Aviator (2004), she was portrayed by Cate Blanchett, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance. It was the first case where the role of an Oscar-winning actress—in this case Hepburn—became the winner of an Academy Award. relationship with Spencer Tracy and another that covers his early years in Hollywood based on the story of William Mann.

Awards and recognitions

Hepburn earned four Academy Awards, a record number for any performer, and a total of twelve Best Actress Oscar nominations, a number second only to Meryl Streep. She also holds the record for the longest period of time between the first and last Oscar nomination -48 years old- She also held the record for having been nominated for the most decades -five- in some interpretive category, a figure later equaled by Paul Newman, Laurence Olivier, Jack Nicholson Michael Caine and Meryl Streep Over the course of her lifetime, she received two British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominations and awards, one Emmy award and six Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations, two to the Tony Awards, recognitions from the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, the New York Film Critics Circle Award, the People's Choice Awards, among others. Hepburn was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1979 and was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award that same year. In addition, she received the 1990 Kennedy Award in recognition of lifetime achievement in the arts.

Oscar Awards

Golden Globes

BAFTA Awards

David de Donatello Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Venice International Film Festival

Cannes International Film Festival

Filmography and stage appearances

During her 66-year career, Hepburn appeared in 44 motion pictures, 8 made-for-television movies, and 33 plays. Her film career spanned a variety of genres, including zany comedies, period dramas, and adaptations of works by America's leading playwrights. She performed on stage from the 1920s to the 1980s in plays by Shakespeare and Shaw, and Broadway musicals.

Filmography

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn promoting the movie Without Love.

Television:

• The Glass Menagerie (1973)
• Love in ruins (1975)
• Wheat is green (1979)
• The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1985)
• Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986)
• Laura Lansing Slept Here (1988)
• The Man Upstairs (1992)
• Katharine Hepburn: All About Me (1993)
• This Can't Be Love (1994)
• One Christmas (1994)

Selected plays:

In Fiction