Katharine Hepburn

Named Top Female American Screen Legend Of All Time

by The American Film Institute("Hepburn, Katharine.“)

Biographical data

born May 12, 1907

Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.died June 29, 2003

Old Saybrook, Connecticut("Hepburn, Katharine.“)

Family Hepburn's father was a wealthy and prominent Connecticut

surgeon, and her mother was a leader in the woman suffrage movement. 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. She would apply all of these ingrained values to her acting career, which began in earnest after her graduation from Bryn Mawr College in 1928.

("Hepburn, Katharine.“)

Acting Career . Scoring her first major Broadway success in The Warrior's Husband (1932), she

was invited to Hollywood by RKO Radio Pictures. Hepburn was an unlikely Hollywood star. Possessing a distinctive speech pattern and an abundance of quirky mannerisms, she earned unqualified praise from her admirers and unmerciful criticism from her detractors. Unabashedly outspoken and iconoclastic, she did as she pleased, refusing to grant interviews, wearing casual clothes at a time when actresses were expected to exude glamour 24 hours a day, and openly clashing with her more experienced coworkers whenever they failed to meet her standards. She nonetheless made an impressive movie debut in A Bill of Divorcement(1932).

First Academy Award for her third film, Morning Glory (1933). Second Academy Award for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) Third for The Lion in Winter (1968) Fourth Oscar for On Golden Pond (1981)The fourth Oscar was unprecedented; her 12 Academy Award nominations also set a record

("Hepburn, Katharine.“)

“Movie Blockbusters in 1981” (Blockbuster Movies)

On Golden Pond is the second film in the clipKatharine Hepburn won Best Actress for her

role in this film.

Hobbies(fashion) Patrician, incisive, and free-spirited, Katharine Hepburn

made a pair of trousers and crisp white shirt look as made a stunning as any of the glamorous gowns that slinked across movie screens in the 1930s and 1940s.

In an era of furs and gloves, Hepburn defied convention with her easy, man-tailored style: loose pants, oversize jackets, slouchy suits, and sturdy, low-heeled shoes. She prized comfort and practicality. "l like to move fast and wearing high heels was tough, and low heels with a skirt is unattractive," she once remarked. "So pants took over."

Hepburn knew what looked good on her lean, angular figure and stuck to her sporty style, no matter what the trend. As she got older, she added a few quirky touches--army fatigues, kimono jackets--to her understated wardrobe.

Although she once said, "I liked to look as if I didn't give a damn," Hepburn's effortlessly chic style was as scrupulously put together as any Vogue editor could wish. The actress's clothes mirrored her confidence and intelligence. In fact, the term "looking smart" fit her perfectly.

("Katharine Hepburn")

Citations Blockbuster Movies. United Learning. 1991.

Discovery Education. 24 April 2009<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>

Hepburn, Katharine." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 7  Apr.  2009  <http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9040079>.

"Katharine Hepburn." Biography; Nov2000, Vol. 4 Issue 11, p62, 2/3p, 1 bw. Biography Collection Complete. 7 Apr 2009.