Katharine Hepburn

Born in Hartford Connecticut on May 12, 1907, Katharine Hepburn is the first lady of cinema. She was a tomboy as a child and somewhat shy. She was homeschooled until she left for Bryn Mawr College. Here she appeared in many of the stage productions.
Hepburn was cast in Art and Mrs. Bottle in 1931 and was the star in A Warrior's Husband in 1932. She was cast in a Bill of Divorcement in 1932. Hepburn made five films in the next two years. Morning Glory in 1933 garnered her an Academy Award and Little Women in 1933 was one of the most successful pictures.
Hepburn refused to play the Hollywood game and took to wearing slacks, no makeup and never posed for pictures. Critics soon panned her and audiences stopped buying tickets. From 1935 to 1938 she received an Oscar nomination in Alice Adams and Stage Door in 1937 was a hit. Many of her next films were flops and Hepburn became Hollywood poison. Hepburn returned to the stage and stared in The Philadelphia Story in 1938. She played in The Philadelphia Story in the 1940 film which gave her a third Oscar nomination. She starred with Spencer Tracey in eight films including Woman of the Year in 1942, Adam's Rib in 1949, Pat and Mike in 1952 and Desk Set in 1957.
The African Queen in 1951 moved Hepburn into more mature roles and she won an Oscar nomination for the African Queen. She played in Summertime in 1955, The Rainmaker in 1956 and Suddenly Last Summer in 1959. She took a break in the 1960s to care for Spencer Tracy. She received a nineth Oscar nomination for Day's Journey into Night in 1962. She then made Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in 1967 which was the last film she made with Spencer Tracy. She won an Oscar for the part. Hepburn won another Oscar for The Lion in Winter in 1968. In the 1970s she focused on TV films but continued to make appearances in feature films. Rooster Cogburn in 1975 and On Golden Pond in 1981. On Golden Pond brought her a fourth Oscar win.
Hepburn made more TV films and wrote her autobiography Me in 1991. Her last feature film was Love Affair in 1994. She retired from public life in the mid-nineties and died at 96 in Old Saybrook, Connecticut on June 29, 2003.
Hepburn was married Ludlow Ogden Smith from December 1928 to September 1941 when they divorced.