Katherine Hepburn came to Los Angeles in 1932 and like
Calista Flockart, had a theater person's snobbish view
towards Hollywood. In person, she impressed no one with her
looks and style, and Producer David O. Selznick worried
about her "horse face". George Cukor said, "She looked like
a boa constrictor on a fast." She finished her first film,
Bill Of Divorcement with John Barrymore and told him," Thank
God
we're finished. I never want to act with you again".
The Great Man replied," My dear girl. I wasn't aware that
you had".
Many of Miss Hepburn's co-stars couldn't stand her. The
movie Stage Door (1936) called for her to make a speech
which would cause Ginger Rogers to cry. The director
Gregory La Cava knew that Conservative Ginger Rogers hated
Liberal Hepburn, so he called Ginger to the set alone.
"Babe I got terrible news. Your mother called, your new
house burned down." After filming Ginger's tearful reaction,
La Cava excused her, and Hepburn was called to the set to
make her speech.
Another film that gave Hepburn problems was the comedy
Bringing Up Baby (1938) with Cary Grant. She didn't at
first understand the concept of playing comedy straight,
letting the script dictate the humor. Her meddling and
constant suggestions drove director Howard Hawks to
distraction. Finally he confronted her on the set. "Katie,
will you please shut up!" Hepburn replied calmly," Howard,
you shouldn't talk that way to me. I have many friends on
the set. They might arrange for an accident to happen to
you."
Hawks looked up into the rafters at one of the film techs
manning a huge spotlight. "Hey Joey, who would rather drop
that light on, me or Miss Hepburn?"
"Get out of the way, Mr. Hawks."
Hepburn at one point was declared box office poison and
thought her career would be saved by playing Scarlett O'Hara
in Gone With The Wind, which she was willing to do for free.
Mindful of what the reaction from the South would be to a
New Englander playing the role, David O. Selznick cruelly
rejected her by saying," I can't imagine Rhett Butler
chasing after you for 10 years."
Despite her liberalism, Kate Hepburn mostly got on well her
political opposites, including John Wayne, who kissed her on
the lips and called her a "hell of a woman". She laughed
when her long time lover Spencer Tracy told the story of
visiting her family home in Connecticut. During dinner,
her father Doc Hepburn and Kate got into a lively discussion
as to what needed to be done by the rich to help the poor.
Tired of their moralizing, Tracy went out to the porch for a
smoke. After a couple puffs, he noticed a very poor, very
lost looking Mexican fisherman, had come onto the property.
"Hey better get another plate ready in there, the poor are
here to collect," said Tracy.
Old man Hepburn came out on the porch. "Hey you, get the
hell out of here! I'll sick the dogs on you." After the
frightened fisherman ran away Doc Hepburn told the startled
Tracy," Got to get the alarms fixed." Then the men went
back inside, and the Hepburns resumed their discussion on
how to help the poor.
Hepburn was a fearless and generous performer. She fell
backwards into the garbage filled Venice canals five times
to please Director David Lean for the filming of Summertime
(1950), causing her a permanent eye infection. She gave up
her
close-up scenes in Adam's Rib (1949) to Judy Holiday to help
advance the latter's
career. She swam
with crocodiles while filming
The African Queen in 1951 and 30 years later dove in the
freezing cold of Squam Lake in Laconia, New Hampshire
without a wet suit, during the making of On Golden Pond.
She was admired by women for her strong, independent
stances, but her first marriage ended in divorce, and she
was subsurvient to Spencer Tracy who never divorced his wife
Louise. After
he died in 1967 Hepburn disappointed feminists many times by
saying she did not believe a woman could have it all,
meaning both a successful career and a relationship.
Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of two highly
acclaimed audiobooks "Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of
Hollywood". Hear RealAudio samples of these inspiring
and entertaining productions at
www.hollywoodstories.com.