Katharine Hepburn: American Women Of Achievement
This report is based upon the book "Katharine Hepburn: American Women of Achievement." Kathern Hepburn was born on November 8, 1909 in Hartford, Connecticut. She found her love for acting in college at, Bryn Mawr College1. Hepburn was an actress of the 20th century cinema, often referred to as a legend. When she was younger she always played roles in plays of strong women who dealt with men as equals. In her family she was one of the 3 girls out of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Katharine tried her best to keep up with her oldest brother and do everything he did. She soon became known as a tomboy, cut her hair short so it would not bother her while wrestling, and asked people to call her Jimmy. Hepburn was taught to stand up for her beliefs and to be independent.
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In 1920, a tragedy struck her family, her brother Tom committed suicide.
After his death, she became withdrawn. Play-acting was one of the few things that lifted her spirits. She later then played the title role in Bluebeard2, and then starred as the beast in Beauty and the Beast. Hepburn entered college before she was 16 because she was tutored at home. Girls at her school say they remember her as a tall, strong girl with a New England accent. Hepburn says she was never part of the "Feminine Club" and says she never knew what other girls were talking about. While she was in college she took some drama courses and won many roles in college plays. To her family choosing to become a professional actor was frivolous and thought it was a waste of her time. She was tought to use her own judgement and be independent so she was sorry they didn’t support her
choice.
When Hepburn graduated from college in 1928 she got a letter of introduction from the Baltimore Theater Company. He agreed to give her a role in a play called The Czarina3. In this play she had no lines but had a lot of curtsying. After this play, she curtsied so well she got another part in a Knopf production called The Big Pond, this time in New York. She finally landed a job on Broadway. When the leading lady in any play was fired or sick, Hepburn was given the role. However, Hepburn had bad stage fright and mixed up her lines on stage a lot beacause she was so nervous.
Katharine Hepburn surprisingly got married to Ludlow Ogden Smith in 1928 at her home. He was a handsome Philadelphia socialite who was an old friend of her family. Katharine began to hate the married life because of many reasons some being her name, and giving up her freedom. She wished to return to acting and was always talking about wanting to return to acting. Her and her husband separated 2 to 3 weeks after the wedding. Very soon after the breakup she returned to acting. For about 4 years after her return she struggled to get herself back into the theatre business. She went to many auditions, where she was rejected many times. Finally, after many many auditions she got a role in The Animal Kingdom4.
Hepburn felt so lucky to finally land a part in a play after many weeks off, but unfortunately after a week of rehearsals she was told by Leslie Howard that she had too many distracting mannerisms and she was fired. However, in these days she was not the best actress and was too artificial and extreme. She kept trying and trying to land a part in a play and overcome her fear of stage and nervousness. Hepburn finally landed a break in 1932, she was cast as the female lead in The Warrior's Husband. She played Antiope. Antiope was the queen of the amazons, who ruled a country where women did all the men roles such as hunting and fighting. This role showed her athletic grace and was almost like it was perfect for her. At the end of this play the audience was amazed by Kate. Many said you could feel the success all around you.
When Katharine was 22 the head of RKO Studios5, David O. Selznick heard about her success in The Warrior's Husband and thought she could bring her star quality to the movie screen. Hepburn heard of this idea and she was deliberately aloof. She had an agent by this time named Leland Hayward. Hepburn told Hayward she would accept nothing more than $1,500 a week to go to California. David O. Selznick agreed to pay the price if she did well on a screen test. Hepburn was quite nervous during her screentest. She had asked for a different set so it would set her apart from the other actors and she got a friend to appear with her with his back to the camera during the scene. David Sekznick thought she was very talented and hired her.
Hepburn was hired and on July 1st, 1932 she took a train to California. Although she had a safe journey to Cali, the last day was not so well. She got a cinder in her eye and it became bloodshot red for more than 3 days. Hepburn finally got started on her first movie 5 days after she arrived in Hollywood. She knew very little about acting but had a lot of help. In the movie, A Bill of Divorcement, her emotions seem forced and her voice seems high and shrill. Also, there are moments where she lights up the screen. RKO said they had discovered a new intriguing actress.
The movie was finally released September of 1932. Now, suddenly everyone was curious about Hepburn. She landed another role in Christopher Strong. She played an airplane pilot who falls in love with a married man. The public did not like this movie very well but she landed some favorable reviews for the performance. Hepburn was so loved 6 month after she arrived in Hollywood she was working on her 3rd movie, Morning Glory. Her leading role in this play landed her one of Hollywood's highest honors: An Academy Award nomination. Hepburn was so sure that she wasn’t going to win she took a trip to Europe and was surprise when a reporter tracked her down in Paris to tell her she had won the Best Actress Oscar.
In 1933, she got another role in Little Women. She played the tomboy Jo. She got most of the credit for the movies success. Many say she was born for the part, Jo. In 1938, her career started going downhill. This lasted until 1938. She had an unsuccessful run in a 6-week drama called The Lake. She was cast as a hillbilly and it was a mistake putting a New England woman playing a hillbilly. In 1935, she was in Break of Hearts and in 1936 she was in A Women’s Rebels. She won her second Academy Award with Alice Adams in 1935 and 1937's Stage Door. In 1938, she got another change in Hollywood. She received an offer to costar with Cary Grant in Holiday6. Hepburn was well suited for this role. She decided after this to return to the stage. Phillip Berry wrote a script, The Philadelphia Story, and was certain Hepburn was the best for his play. This play was a hit and people everywhere loved it. The movie earned more than $1.5 million which was much higher then their hopes. Since Hepburn owned the move rights she signed a deal with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) for $250,000. They started shooting the movie in 1940 and hit theaters in late 1940. She won her 3rd Academy Award nomination for The Philadelphia Story. MGM offered her a long-term contract, and she was back in business.
By 1950 she was at the height of her career. She was internationally known as a dramatic actress with a solid box office draw. In 1951, she done her first color movie, The African Queen. She played Rose Sayer, who was a prim missionary who convinces a hard-drinking boat captain to destroy a boat in WW2. This movie won many major awards, including four Academy Awards: best actor, best actress, which was Hepburn's 5th nomination, best director, and best screenplay. It got the director the best Oscar of his career.
In 1952, she was offered to take the stage again in London with Tracy, Pat, and Mike. She also played a role in The Millionairess. Late 1952 she retired for a little bit until she was offered a role in Summertime. Hepburn played a schoolteacher who takes a vacation and falls in love. This movie brought Hepburn her sixth Oscar nomination. In 1955 Hepburn decided to tour Australia with the Old Vic Company. She also often won the Most Uncooperative Actress of the Year. After her trip, she costarred with Bob Hope in The Iron Petticoat. In 1956, she starred in The Rainmaker. She played Lizzy Curry. In 1957, she played a role in Desk Set. In 1959, she was in Suddenly Last Summer. She played an evil character in this play named Mrs. Venable. After the shooting of this play she refused to work with Mankiewicz ever again. The film won Hepburn her eighth Oscar nomination and more great reviews.
Just after she completed yet another play Long Day's Journey into Night, her life was touched by a tragedy. Her father, Thomas Hepburn, had passed away. Also, Spencer Tracy's heath started declining. She finally decided to retire from acting and became his nurse. This kept both actors for several years. The in 1966, Stanley Kramer had an idea for his play Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Kramer began to work with Tracy even with his sickness. Of Corse, this movie would be a Tracy-Hepburn because Tracy demanded top billing. In Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Tracy and Hepburn both got to revel their person relationship with each other.
Two weeks after filming, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Spencer Tracy died of heart failure. For four months, she remained withdrawn because she missed him so much. But in 1968 she went back to work with the stuff she had left off with before the tragedies. In that year, she appeared in The Lion in Winter7, in which she played the wife of the king, Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Actress. This set the record at 11 and her 3rd Oscar.
Her next project was The Madwoman of Chaillot8. She played a role as an countress who is determined to save Paris. She was also asked to star in the musical My Fair Lady9. This part was perfect for Hepburn for many reasons, one being her and Chanel were almost just alike. Hepburn flew to see Chanel and said after this she could play her because she knew she was a real person. In 1971, she was in The Trojan Women10, then in 1973 she made a TV film of The Glass Menagerie. This was her first TV production and this was a surprise to most because she always said she wanted to avoid TV films.
In 1975, she delivered an Emmy Award winning performance Love Among the Ruins. Even though she was in her eighth decade she still wanted to act and done a lot. In 1980, she was in On Golden Pond11. Finally, she had won an unexpected fourth Academy Award.
Katherine Hepburn was always a classy woman. She was said to be a real American woman. Still as she grew older she kept the class and never wanted to be the stereotype girl. She kept her success all threw life with a few tragedies but always made it. She was always said to stand up fpr her beliefs and do what she thought was right instead of what others did or wanted het to do. Lots of young girls and women looked up to her and some even still do today. Her legend comes from not only what she has accomplished but how she makes them look easy.
In 1920, a tragedy struck her family, her brother Tom committed suicide.
After his death, she became withdrawn. Play-acting was one of the few things that lifted her spirits. She later then played the title role in Bluebeard2, and then starred as the beast in Beauty and the Beast. Hepburn entered college before she was 16 because she was tutored at home. Girls at her school say they remember her as a tall, strong girl with a New England accent. Hepburn says she was never part of the "Feminine Club" and says she never knew what other girls were talking about. While she was in college she took some drama courses and won many roles in college plays. To her family choosing to become a professional actor was frivolous and thought it was a waste of her time. She was tought to use her own judgement and be independent so she was sorry they didn’t support her
choice.
When Hepburn graduated from college in 1928 she got a letter of introduction from the Baltimore Theater Company. He agreed to give her a role in a play called The Czarina3. In this play she had no lines but had a lot of curtsying. After this play, she curtsied so well she got another part in a Knopf production called The Big Pond, this time in New York. She finally landed a job on Broadway. When the leading lady in any play was fired or sick, Hepburn was given the role. However, Hepburn had bad stage fright and mixed up her lines on stage a lot beacause she was so nervous.
Katharine Hepburn surprisingly got married to Ludlow Ogden Smith in 1928 at her home. He was a handsome Philadelphia socialite who was an old friend of her family. Katharine began to hate the married life because of many reasons some being her name, and giving up her freedom. She wished to return to acting and was always talking about wanting to return to acting. Her and her husband separated 2 to 3 weeks after the wedding. Very soon after the breakup she returned to acting. For about 4 years after her return she struggled to get herself back into the theatre business. She went to many auditions, where she was rejected many times. Finally, after many many auditions she got a role in The Animal Kingdom4.
Hepburn felt so lucky to finally land a part in a play after many weeks off, but unfortunately after a week of rehearsals she was told by Leslie Howard that she had too many distracting mannerisms and she was fired. However, in these days she was not the best actress and was too artificial and extreme. She kept trying and trying to land a part in a play and overcome her fear of stage and nervousness. Hepburn finally landed a break in 1932, she was cast as the female lead in The Warrior's Husband. She played Antiope. Antiope was the queen of the amazons, who ruled a country where women did all the men roles such as hunting and fighting. This role showed her athletic grace and was almost like it was perfect for her. At the end of this play the audience was amazed by Kate. Many said you could feel the success all around you.
When Katharine was 22 the head of RKO Studios5, David O. Selznick heard about her success in The Warrior's Husband and thought she could bring her star quality to the movie screen. Hepburn heard of this idea and she was deliberately aloof. She had an agent by this time named Leland Hayward. Hepburn told Hayward she would accept nothing more than $1,500 a week to go to California. David O. Selznick agreed to pay the price if she did well on a screen test. Hepburn was quite nervous during her screentest. She had asked for a different set so it would set her apart from the other actors and she got a friend to appear with her with his back to the camera during the scene. David Sekznick thought she was very talented and hired her.
Hepburn was hired and on July 1st, 1932 she took a train to California. Although she had a safe journey to Cali, the last day was not so well. She got a cinder in her eye and it became bloodshot red for more than 3 days. Hepburn finally got started on her first movie 5 days after she arrived in Hollywood. She knew very little about acting but had a lot of help. In the movie, A Bill of Divorcement, her emotions seem forced and her voice seems high and shrill. Also, there are moments where she lights up the screen. RKO said they had discovered a new intriguing actress.
The movie was finally released September of 1932. Now, suddenly everyone was curious about Hepburn. She landed another role in Christopher Strong. She played an airplane pilot who falls in love with a married man. The public did not like this movie very well but she landed some favorable reviews for the performance. Hepburn was so loved 6 month after she arrived in Hollywood she was working on her 3rd movie, Morning Glory. Her leading role in this play landed her one of Hollywood's highest honors: An Academy Award nomination. Hepburn was so sure that she wasn’t going to win she took a trip to Europe and was surprise when a reporter tracked her down in Paris to tell her she had won the Best Actress Oscar.
In 1933, she got another role in Little Women. She played the tomboy Jo. She got most of the credit for the movies success. Many say she was born for the part, Jo. In 1938, her career started going downhill. This lasted until 1938. She had an unsuccessful run in a 6-week drama called The Lake. She was cast as a hillbilly and it was a mistake putting a New England woman playing a hillbilly. In 1935, she was in Break of Hearts and in 1936 she was in A Women’s Rebels. She won her second Academy Award with Alice Adams in 1935 and 1937's Stage Door. In 1938, she got another change in Hollywood. She received an offer to costar with Cary Grant in Holiday6. Hepburn was well suited for this role. She decided after this to return to the stage. Phillip Berry wrote a script, The Philadelphia Story, and was certain Hepburn was the best for his play. This play was a hit and people everywhere loved it. The movie earned more than $1.5 million which was much higher then their hopes. Since Hepburn owned the move rights she signed a deal with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) for $250,000. They started shooting the movie in 1940 and hit theaters in late 1940. She won her 3rd Academy Award nomination for The Philadelphia Story. MGM offered her a long-term contract, and she was back in business.
By 1950 she was at the height of her career. She was internationally known as a dramatic actress with a solid box office draw. In 1951, she done her first color movie, The African Queen. She played Rose Sayer, who was a prim missionary who convinces a hard-drinking boat captain to destroy a boat in WW2. This movie won many major awards, including four Academy Awards: best actor, best actress, which was Hepburn's 5th nomination, best director, and best screenplay. It got the director the best Oscar of his career.
In 1952, she was offered to take the stage again in London with Tracy, Pat, and Mike. She also played a role in The Millionairess. Late 1952 she retired for a little bit until she was offered a role in Summertime. Hepburn played a schoolteacher who takes a vacation and falls in love. This movie brought Hepburn her sixth Oscar nomination. In 1955 Hepburn decided to tour Australia with the Old Vic Company. She also often won the Most Uncooperative Actress of the Year. After her trip, she costarred with Bob Hope in The Iron Petticoat. In 1956, she starred in The Rainmaker. She played Lizzy Curry. In 1957, she played a role in Desk Set. In 1959, she was in Suddenly Last Summer. She played an evil character in this play named Mrs. Venable. After the shooting of this play she refused to work with Mankiewicz ever again. The film won Hepburn her eighth Oscar nomination and more great reviews.
Just after she completed yet another play Long Day's Journey into Night, her life was touched by a tragedy. Her father, Thomas Hepburn, had passed away. Also, Spencer Tracy's heath started declining. She finally decided to retire from acting and became his nurse. This kept both actors for several years. The in 1966, Stanley Kramer had an idea for his play Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Kramer began to work with Tracy even with his sickness. Of Corse, this movie would be a Tracy-Hepburn because Tracy demanded top billing. In Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Tracy and Hepburn both got to revel their person relationship with each other.
Two weeks after filming, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Spencer Tracy died of heart failure. For four months, she remained withdrawn because she missed him so much. But in 1968 she went back to work with the stuff she had left off with before the tragedies. In that year, she appeared in The Lion in Winter7, in which she played the wife of the king, Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Actress. This set the record at 11 and her 3rd Oscar.
Her next project was The Madwoman of Chaillot8. She played a role as an countress who is determined to save Paris. She was also asked to star in the musical My Fair Lady9. This part was perfect for Hepburn for many reasons, one being her and Chanel were almost just alike. Hepburn flew to see Chanel and said after this she could play her because she knew she was a real person. In 1971, she was in The Trojan Women10, then in 1973 she made a TV film of The Glass Menagerie. This was her first TV production and this was a surprise to most because she always said she wanted to avoid TV films.
In 1975, she delivered an Emmy Award winning performance Love Among the Ruins. Even though she was in her eighth decade she still wanted to act and done a lot. In 1980, she was in On Golden Pond11. Finally, she had won an unexpected fourth Academy Award.
Katherine Hepburn was always a classy woman. She was said to be a real American woman. Still as she grew older she kept the class and never wanted to be the stereotype girl. She kept her success all threw life with a few tragedies but always made it. She was always said to stand up fpr her beliefs and do what she thought was right instead of what others did or wanted het to do. Lots of young girls and women looked up to her and some even still do today. Her legend comes from not only what she has accomplished but how she makes them look easy.