Katharine Houghton Hepburn may very well be the best actress of all time. She is a legend, an icon, and it’s difficult to imagine that there could ever be another actress with the level of talent that she possessed. In addition to being a wonderful actress, Kate was a graduate of Bryn Mawr, a dedicated civil rights activist, and she fought, alongside her mother, for women’s rights from a very young age.
Born May 12, 1907 to Dr. Thomas Norval Hepburn, a successful surgeon, and Katharine Houghton Hepburn, a suffragette and women’s rights advocate, she was named after her college-educated mother. The family lived in Hartford, Connecticut and often spent time at their summer home, Fenwick, on Long Island Sound. She had three brothers and two sisters. All the children were free thinkers because Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn were extremely liberal parents. There were few rules, and the children were given an unusual amount of freedom. The entire family was considered a bit eccentric.
When Kate was fourteen years old, her beloved brother, Tom, committed suicide by hanging himself. Kate was the one who discovered his body, and her perfect childhood was shattered. But she was strong and did not allow the tragedy to destroy her.
Kate appeared in a few stage productions during her college years at Bryn Mawr, and just a few days after she graduated in 1928, she left for Baltimore to pursue acting. She appeared in many stage productions between 1928 and 1932 when she got a film contract with RKO studios. Her first film role was in “A Bill of Divorcement,” co-starring with John Barrymore. In 1933, Kate won her first Academy Award for her performance in “Morning Glory.”
Several of her next films did not enjoy box-office success, and for a time, she was labeled as “box-office poison.” During this time, she decided to go back east and resume her stage career. In 1939, she landed the stage role of Tracy Lord in “The Philadelphia Story.” Then, in 1940, she returned to Hollywood to star in the film version with Cary Grant and James Stewart. The role of Tracy Lord in this film is one of her best performances, and it not only breathed new life into her film career, it also earned her an Oscar nomination.
Kate was married only once, to Ludlow Ogden Smith. The marriage lasted for six years, and she never had any children. She was later romantically linked to poet H. Phelps Putnam, Howard Hughes, and director John Ford. But there was no greater love in her life than the legendary actor Spencer Tracy whom she met in 1942 on the set of “Woman of the Year.” Tracy was married and was prone to heavy alcohol use, but Kate took care of him and nursed him through many of his infamous drinking binges. He never divorced his wife, but Kate continued her relationship with him until his death in 1967. He died two weeks after the completion of their last movie, “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.” Ironically, Kate was the one who discovered his body, just as she had found the body of her brother many years earlier. She never saw “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” because it was their last movie together. They starred in nine films together and were known for their on-screen, and off-screen, chemistry.
Katharine Hepburn passed away on June 29, 2003, but she left over forty wonderful films for future generations to enjoy. She was nominated for twelve Oscars and won four, and she was nominated for two Tony Awards. She was also nominated for five Emmy Awards and won one. In addition to being known for her impeccable acting skills, she was also known for her straightforwardness, independence, intelligence, and beauty. She had a determined spirit, and she lived life on her own terms. She was her own person at all times much like the strong, independent women she played in films. Her independence, strength, and determination should be an example to women of all ages.
Source: Katharine Hepburn, A Life In Pictures by Diana Karanikas Harvey and Jackson Harvey
