Katharine Houghton Hepburn. (May 12th, 1907- June 2003)

KATHARINE HEPBURN LINKS
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~kristena
http://www.multimania.com/ppit/women/hepburn
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/5217/Kate.html
http://www.reelclassics.com/Actresses/Katharine/Katharine.html
http://tcm.turner.com/MONTH_SPOTS/99/05/hepburn.html
http://fs.dai.net/ac/08552/E01
Look Katharine Hepburn up on this page and you will find lots of links: http://celebsites.com

SHORT BIOGRAPHY.
Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12th 1907 in Hartford, Conneticut. She was educated at the Oxford School for Girls in Hartford and the Bryn Mawr college. After graduation, she ran down stairs, rang a bell then danced in a fountain naked. This has been adopted as a tradition and is kept to this day at her school. In 1928 she went into show buisiness, and for 4 years starred in many productions. But it was The warriors husband (1932) which got her, her contract with RKO studios. Katharine Hepburn made her first movie in 1932, this was A bill of divorcement. In 1934 she starred in another smash hit, Little Women. For her performance as Jo in Little Women, she recieved the Gold Medal Award for Best Actress from the Venice Film Festival.
Her first film with Cary Grant was Bringing up baby in 1938. Despite making quality films, they were flopping at the box office, this lead to critics labelling her "Box office poision" along with contempoaries such as Greta Garbo. While on Broadway, Hepburn acted in The Philadelphia Story. Her role of Tracy Lord, was especially written for her, and as advised she purchased the rights to the play, she then approached MGM to make a film of the play, she sold them the rights on the conditions that she would star in and oversee the adaptation of the script for the big screen. To ensure a hit, MGM place her with their two biggest male stars, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant (she had wanted Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy).
In 1942 Hepburn made Woman of the Year this was her first film with Spencer Tracy, whom she starred with in 8 subsequent movies. As well as having an on-screen spark, she also had a thirty year affair with him, though never marrying after his death in 1967 (10 days after the filming finished of Guess whos coming to dinner, their last film together) she mourned him as a husband, despite not attending his funeral, this was out of respect to his wife and family. After his death, she phoned his wife to offer her condolences, his wifes remark was "I thought you were a rumour". Katharine Hepburn was at one time married this was to Ludlow Ogden Smith or as she called him "Luddy" (Purely because she didnt like the sound of Ludlow). This marriage lasted a short while, and they still afterwards remained friends, but it took her until in 1942 when Spencer Tracy told her that it was unfair to stay married to him for her to divorce him.
Kate is also known in recent years to take FIVE baths a day! And in the past to have SEVEN showers a day.
In her later years, Katharine Hepburn became even more of a recluse than in some of her former years. This was mainly due to her having Skin Cancers and Parkinsons disease, some signs of this can be seen in her films from the 1990's. A. Scott Bergs, Biography "Kate Remembered", details this demise, and is an interesting and emotive read.
Katharine Hepburn has won more Oscars than any other actress and has only recently been lost the title of most nominated actress to Meryl Streep, who has been nominated for 13 Oscars. Despite this, the only time Katharine Hepburn attended an oscars ceremony was to present a life time achievemnt award. Her Oscars were donated in the late 1990's to a new york museum as she didnt see it appropriate to keep them as she did not agree with the system.
AWARDS:
Hepburn was nominated for 12 academy awards for best actress (anything else would just not be enough!) a few being for the movies ALICE ADAMS (1935), THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940), WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1942) and THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951).
She won 4 academy awards for MORNING GLORY (1933), GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967), THE LION IN WINTER (1969) and ON GOLDEN POND (1981). Katharine Hepburn has also won 2 BAFTA awards, 1 Cannes Film Festival Award for best Actress in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and a gold medal award for best actress (LITTLE WOMEN) at the Venice film fesitval.

For Katharine Hepburns Filmography click here

Memorable quotes:
"Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're all barbarians!" as Eleanor of Aquitaine in THE LION IN WINTER (1968).
"Henry's bed is Henry's province, he may have people it with sheep if he wishes. Which upon occasion he has done. " as Eleanor of Aquitaine in THE LION IN WINTER.
"Will you take your cheery personality and get out of here." as Ethel Thayer in ON GOLDEN POND.
"Unfortunately, I learned to speak English correctly." as Terry Randall in STAGE DOOR (1937).
"Frankly, I stank." as Linda Seton in HOLIDAY (1938).
"I tell you, I'm the mad sister, family problem, the one they don't speak about." as Linda Seton in HOLIDAY (1938).
Quotes, on Kate and by her
Oh I've always wanted to be Katharine Hepburn, I adore the way she looks. I could kill her for the way she looks -Bette Davis
The more I see her, the colder I get -David O. Selznik
Her determination and intelligence kept her on course through a glorious career void of compromise and her screen representations enabled men and women to be seen on equal footing.
Independant theater owners had labelled me box office poision -Katharine Hepburn
I think most of the people involved in any art always secretly wonder whether they are really there because they're good or because they're lucky. -Katharine Hepburn
As one goes through life one learns that if you dont paddle your own canoe you do not move- Katharine Hepburn
I was not fit to be married because I was fit to think only of my self. - Katharine Hepburn.
When she walked in with Mr Cukor several executives nearly fainted. Mr Selznik swallowed a chicken wing whole. We beheld a tall, skinny girl entirely covered with freckles and wearing the most appauling and incredible clothes I have ever seen in my life...Yet, you could tell they were supposed to be the last word. - Adela Rogers St John
She was rather smart-assed and very hoyty-toyty and acted as it we were all ignoramuses. - George Cukor
Katharine Hepburn is not only a great actress and potentially the greatest we have ever had in this country, she is the finest type of girlhood and womanhood that America posseses. - Adela Rogers St John
"If she were cast as little red riding hood she'd end up eating the wolf."
There are certain accedents which make you wonder whether they really are accidents or are controlled by fate. - Katharine Hepburn
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