Without a doubt, one of our greatest actresses has been Katharine Hepburn. She had a career
that spanned 6 decades and even after her retirement,
her films were watched and loved by all. She passed away in 2003 but even 20 years later,
we continue to watch her films and admire her performances.
Apart from her great acting prowess, she was also known for breaking stereotypes by taking
on roles that didn’t conform to traditional gender norms. She wasn’t afraid to use her
work as a way to inspire change and challenge what polite society deemed was acceptable.
This gained her a lot of respect, fame,
and notoriety, both on camera and off camera. Her relationships and personal
life were always scrutinized as was the fact that she didn’t have any heirs.
She Died 20 Years Ago, Now We Know Why She Never Had Children...
KATHARINE HEPBURN’S EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut. She had five
siblings which normally would mean that she couldn’t expect to be noticed much. However,
she still managed to stand out – something she’d excel at in later life. Her father,
Thomas was an urologist. Her mother, also named Katharine, was a feminist
activist. No doubt, it wasn’t just the name that she inherited from her mother!
Katharine Hepburn enjoyed a privileged upbringing. As a result, her parents
didn’t put any pressures on her that other children might have had. She was encouraged
to explore her interests and follow her passion – a rare thing for any child but
especially rare for a young lady. She found her love in acting and began acting in school
plays. This was enough for her to realize that this is what she wanted to pursue as an adult.
In 1924, Hepburn enrolled at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania,
where she continued to study acting. She was a dedicated student,
but her personality was at odds with the conservative ethos of this college.
Nevertheless, she inspired many of her female classmates much to the chagrin of the staff.
Upon her graduation, Katharine Hepburn decided to pursue a career in theater. She made her
Broadway debut in 1928 in the play "Night Hostess" and received much praise for her
performance. This one play was enough for her to start receiving roles in Hollywood films.
Hepburn's early film career had a rocky start. Her first few movies, such as "A Bill of Divorcement"
and "Christopher Strong" weren’t particularly popular. Nevertheless, she didn’t give up and
wanted to continue to pursue her career. This all paid off when she starred in the film Morning
Glory. This film snagged her an Oscar for Best Actress and her career was all uphill from there.
After that, it was hit after hit and she starred in great films such as The Philadelphia Story,
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and On Golden Pond. But it wasn’t just
her hit films that brought her fame. The type of characters she played and
her personality and views off camera also led to her fame but also her notoriety.
Katharine Hepburn was known for her unconventional beauty and distinctive style. She often wore
pants, which was considered a bold fashion choice for women at the time, and her natural elegance
and confident demeanor made her a trailblazer in both fashion and women's empowerment.
She was also known for her strong personality and outspoken views. She was unafraid to challenge
societal norms and was a vocal advocate for women's rights. Her independent streak and refusal
to conform to Hollywood's expectations made her a loved figure and an inspiration to many.
However, many observers have also said that this led to
her relationship woes. But before we get into that, let’s reflect on her career achievements.
KATHARINE HEPBURN’S LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Katharine Hepburn has certainly left behind an unparalleled legacy in the film industry
with her remarkable talent, unforgettable performances, and outspoken personality.
Let's explore some of Katharine Hepburn's best films and also take a glimpse into
her intriguing dating life. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the good stuff really soon!
One of her early successes was "Bringing Up Baby" which was released in 1938. This was one of the
great screwball comedies directed by Howard Hawks. In this classic film, Katharine Hepburn
portrays Susan Vance, a free-spirited socialite who becomes entangled in a series of hilarious
misadventures with a paleontologist, played by Cary Grant. She won praise for her comic
timing and her ability to work alongside Mr. Grant – one of the biggest stars of the time.
Another iconic film that we mentioned earlier is "The Philadelphia Story" which was released in
1940 and was directed by George Cukor. This is a romantic comedy in which Katharine Hepburn plays
Tracy Lord. Once again she acts alongside Cary Grant but also James Stewart. In this film, she
managed to balance comedy and drama and she even garnered an Oscar nomination for her acting. While
she didn’t win the Oscar, this is just a testament to how incredible her acting skills were.
Another great performance was beside Humphrey Bogart in "The
African Queen," which was directed by John Huston and released in 1951.
The film takes place during the First World War. Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer,
a serious missionary who gets stuck with a riverboat captain played by Mr. Bogart. They
couldn’t be greater opposites yet they made one of the best on-screen couples
off all time. This adventure film remains a masterpiece to this day.
One of the bravest films in her career was “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" which was
released in 1967 and was directed by Stanley Kramer. This film paired her
with Spencer Tracy and they both played the parents to a young lady who is in an
interracial relationship. One must remember that this was the 1960s and that interracial
marriage was still a crime in parts of the United States. This was a bold decision
and the film won Katharine Hepburn and her colleagues lots of praise.
It should be noted that this film was one of many where she starred alongside Spencer Tracy
and the two of them had quite the story outside of their professional career.
She married Spencer Tracy in 1941 and they remained married until his death
in 1967. Their collaboration in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was the final
film that they worked on. But the story of their relationship never seemed to come to an end.
Despite such a long marriage, they never produced any children. While this is becoming more common
today, this was practically unheard of at the time and one couldn’t escape rumors and nasty
gossip due to this.
SHE DIED 20 YEARS AGO, NOW WE KNOW WHY SHE NEVER HAD CHILDREN
We all know that Katharine Hepburn lived a nonconformist life that was marked
by independence. She wasn’t afraid to go against the norms of the time. One
of the most controversial decisions she made, for the time, was to not have kids!
She had given interviews early on in her career stating that she had no desire to become a mother
as she felt she’d do a bad job. She also felt that she valued her career and she didn’t want
to balance the responsibilities of a family. While this might not cause a
stir today it certainly did at the time and she received a lot of criticism for her decision.
Her marriage to Spencer Tracy was also the source of much speculation. There was a
question on whether he wanted to have children with her – being married for 26 years. There
were also rumors that their marriage wasn’t real. It was legitimate, but it was more for
show – at least that is what has been alleged. This is due to rumors that Spencer Tracy had to
hide his sexuality from the public, which would have been harmful to his career at the time. It’s
believed that the marriage to Katharine Hepburn would shut the critics up once and for all.
But alas, rumors continued to persist.
However, he wasn’t the only one who was burdened with such gossip. There were also
discussions on whether Katharine Hepburn herself was into same sex relationships.
Not wearing traditional female attire at the time was unheard of. It’s believed that she
had romantic relationships with different women, including close female friends of hers.
These rumors remain rumors and its best that we bury our speculation.
Katharine Hepburn retired from acting in 1994 and largely withdrew from public life. But we
could never forget about her and her immense contributions to acting and to society. She
died in 2003 but 20 years later, here you are watching this video about her life and career.
That’s because her influence continues to live on and will likely live on for several decades to
come. She decided to forgo a life as a mother but in return she left behind a legacy of great
performances. And for that, we can only be thankful. While rumors and gossip about her
personal life won’t die down anytime soon, this is thankfully overshadowed by her remarkable talent.
If you’ve seen her on screen, you know about her great performances. If you haven’t,
then there’s no time like the present to delve into the filmography of Katharine Hepburn!
Are you a fan of Katharine Hepburn? Did you know about her personal life and the struggles she went
through with her personal life and how it was hard for her to find love?
In fact, here’s what we’d like to hear from you:
Do you think that we all pay too much attention to a celebrity’s personal life?
Or is this just part and parcel of being in the public eye and it should be expected?