Monday Movies ~ Katharine the Great!

Feature Presentation...
MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Katherine Hepburn and her family lived in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, which happens to be where The Bumbles celebrated Mother's Day! Katharine Hepburn was an amazingly talented and wonderful actress. The American Film Institute calls her the greatest female star in the history of American cinema. Molly and Andy also shared that a new theater was dedicated to her memory and bears her name in Old Saybrook. Katharine Hepburn is a favorite actress of mine and I've seen many of her films, many times. It's difficult for me to choose one absolute favorite so I've listed a few I love but there are many more! Share on your blog your favorite moments, memories or films featuring Katharine, linking your post back to The Bumbles Blog. If you don't have a blog, list your choices in the comment section of The Bumbles Movie post!

Bringing Up Baby (1938) ~ termed a screwball comedy, this film also starred Cary Grant as a paleontologist, and a beautiful leopard, Baby. This film wasn't a success at the time but is now listed on AFI's top 100 films in the last 100 years and their list of top 100 Laughs in 100 Years.


The Philadelphia Story (1940) first produced as a play, Howard Hughes purchased the film rights for Katharine Hepburn (she was also in the play). The film, also starring Cary Grant and James Stewart, was Hepburn's first hit following several major flops that actually had movie theater owner's labeling her "box office poison". Considered a "comedy of remarriage", a popular genre at the time, this film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning Best Actor for James Stewart and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Adam's Rib (1949) one of the many Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn films this movie was also features Judy Holliday in one of her first substantial roles. I love this film not only because of it's two wonderful stars but also because Tracy portrays a prosecutor whose wife, Hepburn, is also a lawyer. Hepburn decides to defend the female defendant in Tracy's current case. As you can imagine, the tension in the courtroom soon carries over to their home!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967) this American drama stars Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier in addition to Hepburn. The controversial subject of interracial marriage is at the heart of this film. In the year the film came out, 17 American southern states still had laws against interracial marriage until June 17of that year when the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage. This movie is also the ninth and final of the Tracy/Hepburn films. Spencer Tracy died 17 days after the filming was complete. He never saw the film released.
Katharine Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The Lion in Winter (1968) a historical costume drama based on the Broadway play and starring, along with Katherine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton. Hepburn also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Queen Eleanor. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning a total of three as well as numerous other awards!