Katharine Hepburn

Part of the Encore Film Book Classics series, this is a reprint of the original text to Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story by James Robert Parish. An A-list star for over 60 years, Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) headlined over 60 films and 10 Broadway plays. She was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won a record 4! She was admired by generations of filmgoers, not just for her outstanding performances in such movie classics as Stage Door, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond, but also for being an icon of feminism and New England style candor. This rigorous examination of Hepburn's enigmatic life reveals the surprising truths behind the carefully constructed image. Discussed are her complex relationship with eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, her life on/off camera with her frequent film costar Spencer Tracy, and the several women who had a strong impact on Hepburn. (These included socialite Laura Harding, film editor/assistant director Jane Loring, and international cinema star Elissa Landi.) This biography answers many of the lingering questions about Hepburn's unique life. It pays tribute to her remarkable performance in the role of Katharine Hepburn, one of the most enduring stars of the 20th century. Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story is the engaging narrative of an amazing iconoclast who "wanted to paddle my own canoe, didn't want anyone to pay my way."

The first major Katharine Hepburn biography independent of her control reveals the smart, complicated, and sophisticated woman behind the image Onscreen she played society girls, Spencer Tracy's sidekick, lionesses in winter. But the best character Katharine Hepburn ever created was Katharine Hepburn: a Connecticut Yankee, outspoken and elegant, she wore pants whatever the occasion and bristled at Hollywood glitter. So captivating was her image that she never seemed less than authentic. But how well did we know her, really? Was there a woman behind the image who was more human, more driven, and ultimately more triumphant because of her vulnerability? William J. Mann—a cultural historian and journalist, a sympathetic admirer but no mere fan—has fashioned an intimate, often revisionist, and truly unique close-up that challenges much of what we think we know about the Great Kate. Previous biographies—mostly products of friends and fans—have recycled the stories she hid behind, taking Hollywood myths at face value. Mann goes deeper, delivering new details from friends and family who have not been previously interviewed and drawing on materials only available since Hepburn's death. With affection, intelligence, and a voluminous knowledge of Hollywood history, Mann shows us how a woman originally considered too special and controversial for fame learned the fine arts of movie stardom and transformed herself into an icon as durable and all-American as the Statue of Liberty.

"Published in conjunction with the exhibition 'Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen, ' held at Kent State University Museum, OH (October 2, 2010-September 4, 2011) and the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, NY (October 18, 2012-January 20, 2013)."

Of all the major Hollywood stars, Katharine Hepburn was the least conventional, conforming to none of the stereotypes of female superstardom. She was not an exotic outsider in Hollywood like Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich; nor was she a victim of the studios like Judy Garland or Marilyn Monroe; and she was certainly not a creature of the system like Joan Crawford and Lana Turner. Instead, she always appeared intelligent, willful and independent, able to develop her own persona within the confines of the studio system. Andrew Britton proposes a feminist reading of Hepburn's films, arguing that her persona raises problems about class, female sexuality, and women's oppression that strain to the limits the conventions of a cinema ultimately committed to the reassertion of bourgeois gender roles. Hepburn's work is also used to explore more general issues, such as the functioning of the star system. This is one of the very few analyses of American cinema to focus on a film star rather than a director or a genre and as such is essential reading for anyone interested in the movies. First published in the United Kingdom twenty years ago, this lavishly illustrated new edition features a foreword by the noted film critic Robin Wood.

How to Hepburn, Karen Karbo's sleek, contemporary reassessment of one of America's greatest icons, takes us on a spin through the great Kate's long, eventful life, with an aim toward seeing what we can glean from the First Lady of Cinema. One part How Proust Can Change Your Life and one part Why Sinatra Matters, How to Hepburn teases some unexpected lessons from the life of a woman whose freewheeling, pants-wearing determination redefined the image of the independent woman while eventually endearing her to the world. This witty, provocative gem is full of no-nonsense Hepburn-style commentary on subjects such as: making denial work for you; the importance of being brash, facing fear, and always having an aviator in your life; learning why and how to lie; the benefits of discretion; making the most of a dysfunctional relationship; and the power of forgiving your parents. Thrilling fans of the notoriously independent actress, award-winner Karen Karbo presents a gusty guidebook to harnessing your inner Hepburn, and living life on your own terms.

Based on letters by Hepburn, her friends and family, as well as on interviews with Katharine Hepburn herself, this biography is a compelling saga, a love story, and a family story that brings alive three generations of fearless women.