Katharine Hepburn

See also: Hepburn

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (born the May 12th 1907 with Hartford and deceased the June 29th 2003 with Old Saybrook) was an American actress , prize winner of the Oscar of the best actress to four recoveries than it never did not seek at the time of the various ceremonies.

Elegant, racée, spiritual but authoritative, it preceded feminism without needing to militate. Its talking films for it; high cheekbones and capsizing loops, it was a queen of Hollywood.

Biography

Exit of a cultivated family (her father was surgeon and its feminist militant mother) of the New Jersey, “Kate” is “beautiful but bêcheuse”. Second of six children it is of an independent nature and affirms a well defined character. Very early, after studies in Oxford School and the college Bryn Mawr, it is interested in the course of dramatic art.

Its beginnings with the theater

At the 19 years age, it gives up its studies and goes to Baltimore in a theatrical company, it begins with small roles in the Tsarina and The Cradle Snatchers then share in New York to assemble The Big lays but without much success.

At twenty years, it poses naked for a painter. The poet Phelps Putman known as of it: “It was the alive anarchy of the heart. It was as impolite as the life and death. ”

“Bitchy girl” - according to her own terms -, it marries by convenience a richissime business man to plunge itself without concern in her only passion, the Théâtre; she is however bad and knows it. After its first representation of The Lake with Broadway, the novelist and critical Katherine Mansfield written: “Thus see Miss Hepburn declining all the range of the emotions of has to B”. Following this failure it does not find any more a role. But Kate decides to be baited.

In 1930, it attends the conference of Lee Strasberg during which the guru states the dogma of the Actors Studio: “We will play all kinds of parts. We all will be equal. High-speed motorboat one week. Simple appearing the following one”. Kate which has an enormous ego and cachetonne for almost ten years have not been able to accept and snap the door of the theater.

It obtains finally its first successes with Broadway in Art and Mrs Bottle in 1931 and especially in The Warrior' S husband (1932) in the role of Antiope , queen of the Amazones where it impresses criticisms favorably.

The conquest of Hollywood

It decides to try its chance with Hollywood. At the time, the nabobs of the studios precisely seek American able to compete with Suédoise Greta Garbo, with a morphology androgyne, a diaphanous face and a refined personality. When Kate is presented, its slenderness and its class impress powerful the David Selznick (one of the directors of RKO at this time) which proposes to him its first film Héritage with dimensions of John Barrymore and realized by George Cukor which will become its preferred realizer. They will make seven films together and several telefilms.

Strong of her last successes to the theater, the actress manages to negotiate an advantageous contract. Arrived in 1932 at Hollywood, the actress clashes in this universe very glamor by her physique, her way of being and of getting dressed (broken up pants and shirt). Its temperament contrary to the female stereotypes of the time is incarnated by Garbo the mythifiée woman, Dietrich the femme fatale inaccessible to the turbid erotism or Mae West and Jean Harlow stars with aggressive sexuality. It will not incarnate new heroins of the screen independent and active affirming their personality own in safety of the marriage but in will to act equally, if not higher, with that of a man.

She camps an ambitious aviatrice ready with all in the Moth its second film, an independent young girl who gives up the love to become writer in the Four girls of Doctor March , a real tomboy disguised as a man in Sylvia Scarlett , a militant feminist who shameless assumes his condition of unmarried mother in the Rebel …

Very quickly, all the producers, realizers and high-speed motorboats, will fall under its charm and will be the victims of its character. As of its first films, it delivers its opinion on all and shown an innate artistic direction.

Appointed high-speed motorboat of RKO, it obtains as of its third film the Oscar of the best actress in Morning Glory . One year later, in 1934, the actress will divorce Ludlow Oggen Smith

Cukor, immediately fascinated by the actress, renews their collaboration for the Four girls of Doctor March . As of their first a friendship meets was born which will last throughout their life. It receives besides very first the Coupe Volpi for the best female role of the Festival of Venice for this film. In 1936, it finds for the third time the realizer George Cukor for a film wrongfully forgotten Sylvia Scarlett in the role of a real tomboy transforming himself into young woman opened out thanks to the love. Heavy critical and commercial failure this unclassable film is however one of most beautiful films of Cukor of the the Thirties.

But although the public starts to adulate it, much its films are however fiascoes and one calls it “poison of the Box-office”. Little by little the doors of the studios are closed.

It however joins again with success for its last film with RKO in the extraordinary comedy the Impossible Mr Bébé of Howard Hawks. This comedy mild nutter, masterpiece of the screwball comedy, will remain a model of the genre in particular thanks to the duet except par formed by Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. After having repurchased its contract with the RKO, two thousand dollars, it finds Cukor its realizer fetish and Cary Grant his partner of predilection for a brilliant comedy of the Columbia, Vacances . It was a new success with the boxoffice.

Solicited for the so much envied role of Scarlett O' Hara and yet decided well to obtain it, she refuses to turn a screen test and the role escapes to him.

Star with the MGM

Meanwhile, Katharine is let allure by the very odd billionaire Howard Hughes; lovers and associated, they will buy the rights of the part Philadelphia story and untiring Kate triumphs two years lasting over the boards. The studios are interested again in it, but it makes assemble the biddings and negotiates hard with Samuel Goldwyn, the brothers Warner and even Louis B. Mayer. For its return, it requires George Cukor like realizer, James Stewart and Cary Grant like partners (cf Indiscrétions ).

Louis B. Mayer, owner of MGM, yields at the requests of the star. Indeed, the MGM has a great need to renew its stars female, at this beginning of decade. Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer is about to withdraw screens, Myrna Loy stops its career to work with the Croix-Rouge, Joan Crawford is on the bolster and will leave the MGM in 1953 for the Warner. The firm of the lion absolutely has strong personality and Katharine Hepburn arrives at named point. The film Indiscrétions is an enormous success, it obtains the price of New Yorkean criticism and a nomination with the Oscars, James Stewart will receive the invaluable statuette.

In 1940, it makes its entry among the stars of the firm Subway-Goldwyn-Mayer with a contract of long life together with privileges of which that to be able to choose its partners. After the success of Indiscretions and a pause of a few months, it receives a scenario of Ring Lardner Jr., Michael Kanin and Garson Kanin, the Woman of the year . It is the meeting with Spencer Tracy, that which was going to become the man of its life. They will form one of the most famous couples of the history of the cinema and will make nine films together. Following films MGM will be more conventional in spite of large realizers like Vincente Minnelli, Elia Kazan, Clarence Brown, Frank Capra. To note the two brilliant signed comedies George Cukor, Madam carries the breeches and Miss gains all , on a scenario of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin (nominated 2 times at the Oscars) once again revealing the marvellous complicity of the Tracy-Hepburn couple.

It is also the time of the Maccarthisme and Katharine will not hide its opinions in connection with this committee which inquires into the anti-American activities of the artists of Hollywood, it declared: “Since the beginning of times, the artist always expressed the aspirations and the dreams of the people. By imposing silence on an artist, you muzzle the most powerful voice which is. ”

Its contract with the MGM finishes in 1952 and Katharine finds its independence.

The independent woman

After a return to triumphal Broadway and a round for a part of Shakespeare, As it you will like , John Huston proposes to him to make a film with Humphrey Bogart in the Odyssey of African Queen . Turned in natural decorations with Biondo in Democratic republic of Congo (then Belgian Congo), the film was testing with causes of the painful climatic conditions what did not prevent with the two actors from composing a colourful duet which made the joy of the spectators. The film accepted four nominations with the Oscars for John Huston, Katharine Hepburn, James Agee (scenario) and Humphrey Bogart which obtained the invaluable statuette.

It turns over to the theater in a part of George Bernard Shaw, the Billionaire then with the cinema plays the old maids in Vacances in Venice (for which it will have its sixth nomination with the Oscars) and the Faiseur of rain , Spencer Tracy for a new comedy a woman of head finds and especially interprets Mrs. Venable old woman eccentric billionaire in Soudain last summer according to a novel of Tennessee Williams. With dimensions sulfurous one of the scenario and the attitude of the realizer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, towards Montgomery Clift caused a heavy atmosphere during film. In spite of that the film was a triumph, Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn was nominated with the Oscars.

After the the Fifties, its appearances for the big screen are made rarer but are always greeted as well by the critic, the public as by the professionals as the praises prove it which it receives for film of Sydney Lumet in 1962: Long voyage about the night , written by Eugene O' Neill, which is worth the to him Prix of interpretation to Cannes. It will continue moreover, always with happiness, the incursions with the theater in particular into parts of Shakespeare and even into the musical comedy with Coco , on the life of the dressmaker Coco Chanel. She will receive three more Oscars: two consecutive in 1968 and 1969 for its last film with Spencer Tracy: the comedy of manners Devine which comes to dine? then for its service in Aliénor of Aquitaine in the Lion in winter (obtained equal with Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl ), and a last whole, gained that one in 1982 for the House of the lake where it and Henry Founded (also rewarded) camp a couple of octogenarians which sees unloading in its country house his/her daughter, played by Jane Fonda, with her new companion and the son of this one.

She still makes some films in particular in a truculent duet with John Wayne a bible and a rifle and two telefilms with her pygmalion George Cukor.

Romantic comedies with roles of private old maids of love, it reigned four decades on Hollywood before being withdrawn with New York. Only actress to have gained four Oscars, which it will never come to seek, Katharine Hepburn died the June 29th 2003 at the 96 years age during her sleep. She imposed on the cinema her inimitable made style of ease, class, elegance and spirit. Neither the Hollywood glamor, neither the audacity, nor the freedom of tone and control will never have found better ambassadress.

Its great love

At the beginning of the Years 1940, Kate meets the great love of its life, Spencer Tracy. She says as of their first meeting “oh, Mr Tracy, but I am really too tall for you! ” Tracy retorted “it is not serious, my expensive, I will quickly have made return your true dimension to you. ” She also said him that it was “good like a potato with the furnace”. A deep intimacy will link them immediately, made one for the other, they will live, clandestinely twenty years of adulterous passion (Tracy being catholic, he will not divorce his wife) and she will make with him nine films whose the Woman of the year , Madam carries the breeches and Devine which comes to dine? . Tracy dies in 1967.

Quotations

  • “I am a personality very as much as an actress. Show me an actress who is not a personality and I will show you a woman who is not a star. ” Katharine Hepburn.

  • “… One discovers at katharine Hepburn in Sylvia Scarlett a spontaneousness and a control incomparable and its play, which did not age, announce what will be the style of play of the actresses of the following generation: discretion in the effects, installation perfect of the word and the gesture. Hepburn is, with the letter, air. It deploys a virtuosity which is that of a large ballet dancer…”

Indiscretions “people”

  • Katherine Hepburn lived Manhattan in a building of the 2nd avenue, where she lived with Phyllis, her lady's companion, deaf person and devoted. She spent her weekend in her property of Fenwick where she plunged daily in the lake to icy water.

  • Spencer Tracy called it affectionately the “bag of bone”.

  • what she liked: the Lily and chocolates with almonds, drinking of the whiskey soda while dining, to eat beet soup to dill at midday, to play Play of the goose.

  • It does not have any relation between relationship and the actress Audrey Hepburn.

  • It was named by the American Film Institute first better actress of legend of the cinema.

References

Complete catalog of films

Rewards

Oscars

She moreover was nominated eight other times for the Oscar of the best actress without obtaining it.

Cannes festival

Festival of Venice

Other

  • Named by the American Film Institute better actress of legend of the cinema.

Character

External bonds

  • Katharine Hepburn on Internet Movie Database

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