"I have no fear of death," she said. However, they neither married nor made their romance public. It's never your fault. In addition, Hepburn appeared frequently on television in the 1970s and 80s. Published on August 17, 2017 08:00 AM. Here is all you want to know, and more! Like. They were merely friends. She followed him to the kitchen but heard a glass shatter and then a loud thud before she got there. On June 29, 2003, Katharine Hepburna four-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress and one of the greatest screen legends of Hollywood's golden eradies of natural causes at the age of 96, at her home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. In later years she expressed regret at the way she had treated her husband. Over time her screen presence softened and became more likable; meanwhile, society was catching up to her willful, independent style. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Dementia: Scientists identify vitamin deficiency that may cause declin, High blood pressure: The fruit and veg that can raise hypertension, Katharine Hepburn: The star passed away aged 96 back in 2003, 'You're a real b*****d!' She was one of six children (three of each gender) born to a socially prominent, well-to-do, activist family. Kathryn Hepburn died of natural causes at the age of 96. Nearly 25 years after her death, Audrey Hepburn is still celebrated for her classic movies, her philanthropy and her delicate, gamine glamour. But after the death of Tracy's wife, Louise, in 1983, Miss Hepburn felt free to discuss the love affair. ", The interview, published in full in The Sunday Review, also touches on Hepburn's relationship with her parents, who were political activists campaigning for women's rights and birth control. Anytime I hear a man say he prefers a woman in a skirt, I say: `Try one. I can only say that I could never have left him. Asked about the loss of her co-stars in the golden age of Hollywood, Hepburn says: "They're all dead. She immediately made him change his name to S. Ogden Ludlow, partly because she didn't want to be known as Kate Smith. / General Photographic Agency/Getty Images . "We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. Corrections? She wondered why he drank. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) were a legendary cinematic couple, both on- and off-screen. Her life and career were dominated by her love affair with Spencer Tracy, which created one of the great romantic legends and brilliant movie pairings of their day. Hepburn was an unlikely Hollywood star. I honestly dont know, she replied. The romantic comedy "The Philadelphia Story" and the screwball classic "Bringing Up Baby" were among her best, most typical roles. Treadwell took care of their son full time. From early childhood, Hepburn was continually encouraged to expand her intellectual horizons, speak nothing but the truth, and keep herself in top physical condition at all times. Katharine Hepburn, Me: Stories of My Life. Hepburn's career spanned more than 60 years and included such classics as The African Queen, The Philadelphia Story, and On Golden Pond. In typical Katharine Hepburn style, she faced the camera and, at the age of 85, tacitly acknowledged how close she had to be to the end. But the question remains as to whether or not Katharine Hepburn did believe the house she occupied, located at 2320 Bowmont Drive not 2350was haunted. She became an outspoken proponent of liberated womens fashions and was known to ruffle feathers with her preference to wear pants at a time when it was considered taboo for a woman to do so. Although the family always called her Kathy or Kath, one summer Miss Hepburn so hated being a little girl that she cut her hair and called herself Jimmy. Her other films with Tracy included the political dramas "Keeper of the Flame" (1942) and "State of the Union" (1948). Here is all you want to know, and more! Soon she went back to Mayer with another script, "Woman of the Year," the story of the unlikely romance between a hotshot political columnist and a sportswriter. Katharine Hepburn: The star passed away aged 96 back in 2003 (Image: Getty) It is important to note that many suffer from a trembling disorder where movements are so small they cannot be seen. However, Hepburn's idyllic childhood came to end when she encountered the scene of her older brother Tom's suicide. She introduced into her roles a strength of character previously considered to be undesirable in Hollywood leading ladies. Katharine Hepburn spoke candidly of her "queer" feelings about outlasting her great Hollywood contemporaries in her last ever interview, published for the first time in today's Independent on Sunday. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Their chemistry would be captured in eight more films including Keeper of the Flame (1942), Adams Rib (1949), Pat and Mike (1952), Desk Set (1957) and their final appearance together in Guess Whos Coming to Dinner (1967). In her youth she did not have classical leading-lady looks, but a handsome beauty. Katharine Hepburn has also developed a posthumous reputation for being a bit of a forward-thinking sexual libertine. Performer Gene Kelly once recalled Hepburn and Tracy getting together at lunchtimes at the studio, where theyd just meet and sit on a bench on the lot. Throughout her career, she returned to the stage periodically. Late in life, she laughingly said of her younger self, "I am terribly afraid I just assumed I'd be famous.". A mercurial child with little interest in formal education, he found escape in the form of motion pictures. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 - June 29, 2003) was an American actress. However, it was too late: a group of leading film exhibitors had already written off Hepburn as box office poison.. Hepburn, judged by many to be the greatest screen actress of all time, gave the interview in 1992, but it has never been published until now. The actress signed a. However, Hepburns much-publicized return to Broadway, in The Lake (1933), proved to be a flop. On the day of the service, she followed the procession in her car but turned around right before arriving at the church. Eventually, Hepburn was accepted into Bryn Mawr College and discovered acting. After Katharine Hepburn died in 2003, the home was purchased by Frank Sciame, owner of Sciame Construction, for $6 million in 2004. Hepburn was a 1990 Kennedy Center honoree, and in 1999 the American Film Institute named her the top female American screen legend of all time. She also directed that her remaining property, including her Connecticut and New York homes be sold, with the proceeds of her estate to be divided equally between her sister Margaret, brother Robert, and the family members of her late siblings Richard and Marion. Audrey Hepburn divorced her first husband, Mel Ferrer, in 1968 after 14 years of marriage. Around the same time, she married businessman Ludlow Ogden Smith. After all, Shirley Temple could do it when she was four. (Katharine Hepburn), Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. Katharine Hepburn strikes a pose in 1933, shortly after escaping from The Lake. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Katharine graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1928. It was a huge hit, and she purchased the motion picture rights to the play. Hepburn quickly became a full-fledged star and by 1933, she had won her first Academy Award for her role in "Morning Glory." Anyone can read what you share. Audrey Hepburn, the actress who epitomized Hollywood chic in the 1950's and 60's, died yesterday at her home in Tolochenaz, near Lausanne, Switzerland. However, Katharine's open-minded approach to human sexuality also came with many caveats. 11 Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) Columbia Pictures. Hughes proposed to Hepburn more than once, and in 1938, gave her a diamond and emerald engagement ring. Man struck in head with "large amount of rolled up money". For those whose tremor is making it difficult to work or perform daily activities, they may be offered a range of different treatments including medication, therapy or surgery. When it was fashionable for women to wear trousers, Katherine Hepburn was the first to do so. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Hepburn won a second Academy Award for Guess Whos Coming to Dinner (1967), a dramedy about interracial marriage; a third for The Lion in Winter (1968), in which she played Eleanor of Aquitaine; and an unprecedented fourth Oscar for On Golden Pond (1981), about long-married New Englanders (Hepburn and Henry Fonda). What was Katharine Hepburns early life like? Who then inherited her large estate? Together, Tracy and Hepburn starred in nine movies including their final one, Guess Whos Coming to Dinner before his death in 1967. How did Katharine Hepburn change the world? I was rather moved by the test, although the performance wasn't that good. In 1938 she appeared on a list of actors labeled "box-office poison" in a poll of movie exhibitors. Try a skirt.' Hepburn scored her first major Broadway success in The Warriors Husband (1932), a comedy set in the land of the Amazons. Essential tremor symptoms can progressively get worse, but won't necessarily shorten the patient's life span. On-screen, they acted in nine films together, including Adam's Rib (1949), Pat and Mike (1952) and Guess Who's Coming. JULY 28--Katharine Hepburn left the bulk of her estate to family members, bequeathed her Oscars and other memorabilia to charity, asked that part of her Connecticut estate be preserved for public use, and gave ABC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden furniture and paintings from her New York townhouse, according to court records obtained by The Smoking Gun. Playing a tough, determined actress in "Stage Door" (1937), she read a line from a play "The calla lilies are in bloom again" that became the all-time favorite of Hepburn impersonators. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Of Tracy, with whom she had a 25-year affair, she wrote: "I would have done anything for him. Published on August 16, 2017 08:00 AM. Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn was born on February 2nd, 1878, in Buffalo, New York, to Alfred Houghton and Caroline Garlinghouse. Hepburn, who had been in ill health for some years, passed . Katharine Hepburn was 5'7" 1/2. Katharine Hepburn's death was caused by cardiac arrest. Im really a standard brand like Campbells tomato soup or Bakers chocolate. (Katharine Hepburn), If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. (Katharine Hepburn), Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. "What was it, Spense?" Katharine Hepburn was 13 in the spring of 1921, when her brother Tom's marked nervousness led Dr. and Mrs. Hepburn to attempt to "divert" him with a five-day trip to New York City in the. It is important to note that many suffer from a trembling disorder where movements are so small they cannot be seen or felt. Katharine Hepburn, in full Katharine Houghton Hepburn, (born May 12, 1907, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.died June 29, 2003, Old Saybrook, Connecticut), indomitable American stage and film actress, known as a spirited performer with a touch of eccentricity. Hepburns father was a wealthy and prominent Connecticut surgeon, and her mother was a leader in the womens suffrage movement. According to the Connecticut Court of Probate records, Hepburn left $200,000 to Norah Moore, her longtime housekeeper; $10,000 to McFadden; $50,000 to Erik Hanson, her accountant; and $5000 to Freya Manson, her literary agent. John was diagnosed deaf as an infant and Tracy felt profound guilt over his sons hearing impairment, believing it was a punishment for his own sins and began distancing himself from his family. She went to Louis B. Mayer, the head of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, and sold him the property on the condition that she play the lead. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Katharine Hepburn's last words: 'They're all dead - it's amazing', Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. She wrote several memoirs, including Me: Stories of My Life (1991). She appeared in "The Millionairess," by George Bernard Shaw, on Broadway in 1952. She soon started appearing in small roles in plays. Miss Hepburn became a movie star quickly. However, The Guardian notes that Hepburn had been sick for some time and was suffering from Parkinson's disease prior to her death. She rode horses, swam and played golf and tennis. Katharine Hepburn was an American actress of film, television and stage. Hepburn had been married previously to Pennsylvania businessman Ludlow Ogden Smith but had divorced in 1934. Though he was devoted to his son and daughter, Tracy and his wife lived separately. "He was so generous-spirited that I don't think he considered it horror. Hepburn had suspended her own career for nearly five years to nurse Tracy through what turned out to be his final illness. She recalled their last years together, when he was ill and had trouble sleeping, and she would sit on the floor by his side and talk. Biography - A Short Wiki Her 12 Academy Award nominations also set a record, which stood until 2003, when it was broken by Meryl Streep. From early childhood Hepburn was continually encouraged to expand her intellectual horizons, speak nothing but the truth, and keep herself in top physical condition. View Complete Answer Who inherited Audrey Hepburn's wealth? Critically acclaimed actress Katharine Hepburn was known for her abrasive attitude and for her classic films such as "The African Queen" (via Biography). Advertisement He once recalled of her screen test: "She was unlike anybody I'd ever seen or heard. Life magazine said that "Stage Door" proved that she was "potentially, the screen's greatest actress.". He is commonsensical, down-to-earth and deeply decent. According to TCM, this significantly altered her personality and she struggled to stay afloat in school. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/hepburn-will, http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/hepburn-codicil, http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/hepburn-death-certificate. For most of her life, the public thought she had never married. tags: change , life , self. Hepburn recovered some lost ground with her sparkling performances in the screwball comedies Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Holiday (1938), both of which also starred Cary Grant. Academy Award (1982): Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Award (1969): Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Award (1968): Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Award (1934): Actress in a Leading Role, Emmy Award (1975): Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katharine-Hepburn, Turner Classic Movies - Katharine Hepburn, LiveAbout - Katharine Hepburn Biography: Classic Hollywood's Independent Star, AllMovie.com - Biography of Katharine Hepburn, National Portriat Gallery - Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Katharine Hepburn in. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then. (Katharine Hepburn), Acting is the most minor of gifts. Tracy Lord is a beautiful, high-spirited rich woman, about to marry her second husband, when her first husband and a reporter who is covering the wedding arrive to create an unexpected romantic tangle. In fact, she frequently granted interviews, although she was reticent about her personal life. In a rare 1987 interview, Hepburn herself was recorded talking about the tremor. In her 1993 television autobiography, she recalled: "I realized long ago that skirts are hopeless. Per Britannica, she was on a Hollywood hot streak but that quickly changed in the mid- to late-1930s. Shortly after her death, Hepburns niece Katharine Houghton revealed that the stars head shake was due to a specific type of essential tremor known as a familial tremor, which is inherited from an individual's parents. Katharine Hepburn died on June 29, 2003, at the age of 96 in the same house in which she had grown up. Tracy was unhappily married and the father of two when they met, and he remained married until the end of his life. Information about the death of Katharine Hepburn; Cause of death: Cardiac Arrest: Age of death: 96 years: Profession: Movie Actress: Birthday: May 12, 1907: Death date: June 29, 2003: Place of death: N/A: Place of burial: N/A: Tracy would never publicly acknowledge or articulate his feelings for Hepburn, a position that would only fuel the myths that would flourish around their relationship. In her autobiography (1991) Hepburn stated her birth date as 1907. On screen, Hepburn often portrayed headstrong, strong-willed characters who stood up for themselves, which also defined her off-screen persona. They starred in nine films together, and had an affairan open secret in Hollywoodthat lasted 26 years, ending only with Tracy's death. The frisson of their off-screen romance, always hinted at but never acknowledged during his lifetime, followed them on screen and became especially poignant when they played a married couple in their last movie together, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." One of her most enduring films without Tracy was "The African Queen" (1952), in which she played the straitlaced Rosie opposite Humphrey Bogart for the director John Huston. Though an open secret in and around Hollywood, the relationship was kept under wraps by the studio system. When she was 84, she looked back at those early days and, with her trademark tough-mindedness, said: "In the beginning I had money; I wasn't a poor little thing. Unlike other female movie stars, Hepburn was unconcerned with publicity and chose to wear pants instead of dresses. OLD SAYBROOK -- Katharine Hepburn's hometown became the postal capital of the nation today. Burdened by Catholic guilt over his family circumstances, he suffered regular bouts of anxiety, depression and insomnia, and tried to overcome alcoholism throughout much of his adult life. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The play was a hit, and Miss Hepburn owned the rights to it because Howard Hughes, a sometime beau, had bought them for her.