Katharine Hepburn | Hollywood Yesterday

The Making of the African Queen by Katharine Hepburn

October 1, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

One of my guiltiest of pleasures is getting inside of Katharine Hepburn’s head.

What a place!

Whether it’s listening to interviews, coming across her quotes, or (my favorite) reading her memoirs – getting a front row seat to the intriguing thoughts of one of our greatest actors/actresses of all time is a treat I never pass up.

Needless to say, I collect all Katharine Hepburn biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, magazines… if she’s in it, I’m on it.

One of my favorites is The Making of The African Queen. In this larger-than-life account (Let’s face it, what associated with Katharine Hepburn isn’t larger-than-life?), she tells, in her own priceless words and in her own delicious way, everything that went on behind the scenes of this legendary film. She tells of Bogie and Bacall’s great love for one another, the time she basically told John Huston to scram… only to become very close to him…. how they all made the absolute best out of difficult situations, etc.

As luck has it…

Katharine Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses.
Humphrey Bogart is one of my favorite actors.
Lauren Bacall is one of my favorite actresses.
John Huston is one of my favorite directors.
The African Queen is one of my favorite movies.

No wonder I love this book – it was practically written for me! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Continued below the legends…

I’ll tell you a few of the things I love the things I love most about Katharine Hepburn:

She was a straight-shooter. She didn’t mollycoddle anyone or anything. If she didn’t like something, she said so. If she did like something, she said so.
She knew who she was and didn’t need anyone’s approval and she darn sure didn’t need their permission.
She was one of the greatest actors/actresses EVER. I’ll go a step further – there will NEVER be another like her.
While she was deliciously frank and honest, she was also uncommonly fair and positive. Yes, positive… and in VERY positive. She seems to have an image (when it comes to some people, anyway) as being kind of “hard” and edgy. Here’s the facts: I read a lot…. a lot a lot a lot a lot…. of Old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies. Seriously, I couldn’t even begin to count the number I read in just a year, let alone over a lifetime. I always have at least three going at any given time. Of all the stars’ memoirs I’ve read or quotes they’ve given, I have never read a star who was more giving to those they worked with or more positive about their experiences than Katharine Hepburn. In fact, I could count on one hand, probably, stars who were AS positive. It’s simply the way she was and I love it.

Not only is The Making of The African Queen fascinating because of the firsthand details our wonderful author gives us, it is also fascinating because of the wonderful pictures – many never seen anywhere else.

As you know, when it comes to my movie reviews and my book reviews, I like to keep things short and sweet when possible and I detest the thought of giving away too much information that I want you to come across on your own – heck, I refuse to spoil your fun! I will keep this review short and sweet as well. If you love Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Huston, The African Queen or simply are a fan of Old movies… you need to add this book to your collection. When you click through to Amazon, be sure to look at the “Used” books available.

I’ve gotten to where I always buy “Used” books on Amazon (I’m just sure to mark “excellent” or “very good” as determiners). I figure that saving money on one book simply means I can buy two or three!

And there you have it… a look inside my devious, plotting, book-greedy mind!

~ Joi

P.S. If you don’t know much about Katharine Hepburn, please start reading more about her – particularly in her own words. She was a fascinating, larger-than-life, inspiring, one-of-a-kind woman and the more you get to know her, the more you’ll love her. This would make me unspeakably happy.

Bringing Up Baby with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant: Why I Am Obsessed with this Movie

May 11, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Ever watch a movie and think, “You are perfect in every way!“? Of course you have! I think these very words every time I watch Bringing Up Baby (1938) with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. There’s nothing about this movie I don’t love to distraction. Truth be told, it’s one of those delicious classic old movies that I am completely and utterly obsessed with.

I could talk for hours and hours about this movie without ever taking a breath…

director Howard Hawks’ brilliance
the perfection of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant’s performances
the hilarious dialogue
the way the film is perfectly timeless – as hilarious today as it was then and as enjoyable the 100th time you watch it as it was the first
the phenomenal way Katharine Hepburn NAILS comedy, in spite of this being her first comedic role
the fact that this is my favorite Cary Grant role
the chemistry between Hepburn and Grant
the beautiful leopard!
how perfect Barry Fitzgerald is in every single movie he’s in
the clothes from this era

See what I mean? Obsessed.

Those of use who are Old Hollywood enthusiasts (addicts, fanatics… whatever word you use, I’ll answer) have lists we carry around in our heads of movies we recommend to those who aren’t as deep into old movies as we are. Bringing Up Baby is high on my own mental list.

I also keep it in my mental files on lists for people who only think they don’t like Katharine Hepburn or people who don’t think Cary Grant can do screwball comedy.

Heck… get out of here with that… he helped invent it.

Plot: Katharine Hepburn beautifully (absolutely beautifully) plays Susan, an eccentric heiress who happens to have a pet leopard named Baby. She falls hard (literally a few times) for nerdish paleontologist David – played brilliantly and hilariously by Cary Grant. Problem is, she is making a total mess out of his prim and proper life and he just wants to get away from her.

Or, so he thinks.

Not only is this movie an absolute joy to watch, I’m in love with the fact that the stars, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant had such a wonderful time making the film. I’ve read that they enjoyed it so much they’d frequently show up to the set early, just to get started working on their scenes. Some colorful “scenes,” no doubt as entertaining as the movie, carried out during the making of the movie as well!

The following is from the WONDERFUL Katharine Hepburn biography, I Know Where I’m Going by Charlotte Chandler:

“I make an effort to get along with all of my costars, the director, everyone on the set,” Cary Grant told me, “but I did not wish to establish a relationship with Baby.” He was referring to the leopard in Howard Hawks’ film Bringing Up Baby.

“I felt she might, at some moment, remember the call of her genes that told her she was a wild animal. Or she might like me too much and want to play. I hoped she’d had a good manicure, short claws, but I wasn’t going to be the one to take a close look. Now, Kate was never as worried by Baby. She like to pull her tail, fearless girl that she was, and Baby seemed to enjoy it. Kate didn’t pull very hard.”

“The was I saw my character, Susan,” Kate said, “was, I did anything that came into my heart. There was a great deal of the way I see myself in Susan,” Kate told me.

Ironically, frustratingly, and bewilderingly (pulling out all the stops with the -ly words here, aren’t I?), Bringing Up Baby was a box office bomb. I don’t understand it in the least, but there you have it. Equally {insert all of the previous -ly words here} is the fact that Katharine Hepburn seemed to get the blame!

WHAT?!

In 1938, the Independent Film Journal published an editorial to the Hollywood studios from the National Theatre Distributors of America. It included a list of stars (wait unitl you read the names) the writer of the letter, Harry Brandt, called “Box Office Poison.” The Hollywood studios ridiculously put a lot of stock in this idiocy.

On the list were…

Katharine Hepburn
Bette Davis
Joan Crawford
Marlene Dietrich
Greta Garbo

Hahaahahahahahaa. They’re household names, today, and I just had to glance back to see Harry Brandt’s name again, even though I’d typed it mere minutes ago!

Spoiler: The ladies would survive Harry’s list.

When RKO attributed the failure to the “poisonous” Katharine Hepburn’s, they had NO idea how popular and beloved the movie would one day become. This is considered one of the original “screwball comedies” and, for my money, it’s also one of the best.

In addition to phenomenal performances by Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, the movie also stars Barry Fitzgerald (although he doesn’t appear onscreen as much as you’d like…. does he ever??), Charles Ruggles, Walter Catlett, Leona Roberts, and May Robson.

“We were both crazy. Bringing Up Baby has always been called a screwball comedy. Well, we were the two screwballs!” ~ Cary Grant

Find Bringing Up Baby on Amazon and add it to your collection today… this is one of those movies that’ll be your “go to” movie when you need a little lift or just feel like escaping with a couple of lovable screwballs.

Katharine Hepburn Quotes

February 16, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

“Who is Katharine Hepburn? It took me a long time to create that creature.”“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.”

(About marriage) “It’s bloody impractical. ‘To love, honor, and obey’. If it weren’t, you wouldn’t have to sign a contract.”

“I wear my sort of clothes to save me the trouble of deciding which clothes to wear.”

“I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done; As long as I enjoyed it at the time.”

“People have grown fond of me, like some old building.”

“I’m a personality as well as an actress. Show me an actress who isn’t a personality, and you’ll show me a woman who isn’t a star.”

“Not everyone is lucky enough to understand how delicious it is to suffer.”

“With all the opportunities I had, I could have done more. And if I’d done more, I could have been quite remarkable.”

“I find a woman’s point of view much grander and finer than a man’s.”

“I remember as a child going around with “Votes For Women” balloons. I learnt early what it is to be snubbed for a good cause.”

“Acting is a nice childish profession – pretending you’re someone else and at the same time selling yourself.”

“Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around wondering about yourself.”

“Life’s what’s important. Walking, houses, family. Birth and pain and joy. Acting’s just waiting for a custard pie. That’s all.”

“Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I’ve had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh.”

“Enemies are so stimulating.”

“I have many regrets, and I’m sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret if you have any sense, and if you don’t regret them, maybe you’re stupid.”

(About Cary Grant) “He is personality functioning.”

(When asked what star quality means) “It’s either some kind of electricity or some kind of energy. I don’t know what it is, but whatever it is, I’ve got it.”

“Who is Katharine Hepburn? It took me a long time to create that creature.”

(When Barbara Walters asked her if she owned a skirt) “I have one, Ms. Walters. I’ll wear it to your funeral.”

(About Marlon Brando) “I don’t think he’s a limited actor at all – I think he’s a very gifted actor. Although I’m afraid he may be a limited person.”

(About Humphrey Bogart) “He was a real man — nothing feminine about him. He knew he was a natural aristocrat — better than anybody.”

(About Peter O’Toole) “He can do anything. A bit cuckoo, but sweet and terribly funny.”

(In 1954, about Judy Holliday) “My, I like Judy Holliday! She looks like a Monet model. And she’s so — so defenseless. I like defenseless people. They’re the best.”

“Cold sober, I find myself absolutely fascinating.”

“I’ve made forty-three pictures. Naturally I’m adorable in all of them.” (1991)

“Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living. After all, Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four.”

“Now to squash a rumor. No, I don’t have Parkinson’s. I inherited my shaking head from my grandfather Hepburn. I discovered that whiskey helps stop the shaking. Problem is, if you’re not careful, it stops the rest of you too. My head just shakes, but I promise you, it ain’t gonna fall off!

Shop for Autographed Katharine Hepburn Collectibles at HollywoodMemorabilia.com

Katharine Hepburn: Stylish, Sophisticated, Smart… What’s Not to Love?

February 5, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Katharine HepburnKatharine Hepburn was recognized by MSN Lifestyle as the biggest influence on women’s fashion in the ’30s and ’40s. It’s a very impressive honor and couldn’t be more deserved.

Hepburn’s fashion legacy was one of breaking rules, pushing the boundaries and finding your own signature style – even if it seems a little radical. She’s remembered as the first woman in Hollywood to wear pants…which, at the time, was about as radical as it gets.

I often pay Katharine Hepburn one of the greatest compliments I have to bestow, which is this: When it comes to reading about the stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood (something I do and have done for over 20 years…. and we’re talking daily here), you unfortunately find yourself losing a little respect for aspects of their lives, choices, and personalities. They were/are, after all, humans… and we’re frail at best.

However, Katharine Hepburn (along with a few others, such as Audrey Hepburn, Andy Griffith, Jimmy Stewart..) is a very rare human, indeed. You find yourself liking and respecting her more with each word you read about her. Whether they’re her own eloquent words or words being said about her, you realize just how intelligent, thoughtful, and woefully ahead of her time this talented and beautiful lady was.

There was a boldness and a confidence about her that simply set her apart from the rest. If you’ve never read up on Katharine Hepburn, I whole-heartedly recommend it. She will blow you away.

One of my favorite Old Hollywood biographies happens to be about this incredible woman. It’s I Know Where I’m Going by Charlotte Chandler and every single page is remarkable.

Also See:

Katharine Hepburn Quotes

Shop for Autographed Katharine Hepburn Collectibles at HollywoodMemorabilia.com

I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography (Review)

July 29, 2011 By Joi 1 Comment

I Know Where I'm Going (Katharine Hepburn Biography) and Princess

I was recently sent an exceptional book to review, I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler. Katharine Hepburn has always fascinated me (more so than most Hollywood stars present or past), so this is a biography that I have truly savored. Many times I find myself re-reading certain passages several times because you can really get the essence of the great and beautiful legend on each page of this outstanding book.

As you can imagine, I read everything I can get my hands on about the Golden Age of Hollywood. Autobiographies, biographies, magazines, memoirs… you name it, I’m on it.

Over the years, I’ve read about some truly remarkable lives. Many times I’ve closed the book, looked at the face on the cover of the biography (or autobiography) and said, “Your life was more interesting than all of you movies combined.” Nothing, of course, against their movies – it’s just that most of the time, reel life has absolutely nothing on real life.

Katharine Hepburn (even with her incredibly impressive body of work) is no exception. The lady, herself, is far more fascinating and complex than any character Hollywood could dream up. The things she does couldn’t be scripted and the words out of her mouth? No dialogue writer in the world could dream up. I’ve read about some interesting actors, actors, and directors over the years, but most of them cannot hold a candle to Katharine Hepburn. She is the perfect blend of intelligence, beauty, spirit, determination, talent, vulnerability, and strength. Many of her best traits contradict one another and that’s what makes her so deliciously fascinating.

Writing book review, or recommending books, is a lot like movie reviews for me. I want so badly to tell you all the reasons you should (even must!) read the book or see the movie. However, I want you to experience it, just as I did – without knowing what’s coming. I live in fear of giving anything away that’ll spoil the experience for the next person!

There are so many trying and tragic moments in Katharine Hepburn’s life that are tempting for me to talk about. Moments that would, definitely, make you want to grab a copy of the book and… as they say, “Read All About It!” But, I’m picking the lock because I want you to have the same, “Oh my!” moments I had while enjoying this book.

Suffice to say, I know where Katharine Hepburn got her strength. She earned it. With some of the things life threw at her, her choices were to let life BREAK her spirit or MAKE her stronger. She chose the latter. Boy did she choose the latter!

The beautiful thing is this: Although life handed this legendary actress and international style and beauty icon several blows, she has always enjoyed life and embraced it as much as anyone I’ve ever read about. The lady loves life frontwards, backwards, upwards, downwards, and inside out! She approaches life as if it’s a carnival and each day is a joyride. I honestly believe I connected more with her through reading about her life than any other individual I’ve ever read about.

Halfway through the book, I thought, “This book has to be used as a basis for a movie about Katharine Hepburn. I want to see this play out onscreen!!!” However, by the end of the book, I thought, “There isn’t an actress alive that could pull off Katharine Hepburn.” And even though her story would, indeed, make one of the most fascinating and inspiring movies of all time, I’m sticking to my guns. There’s only one actress in the world who could even come close to Katharine Hepburn and that’s the lady, herself.

Katharine Hepburn’s love of her family is something else that stands out to me. Her fierce devotion to them and the fact that she would fight the demons of hell for any of them left quite an impression on me. The same devotion, loyalty, and love is evident throughout her life with her friends as well.

I have to honestly say that Katharine Hepburn had always been a favorite actress of mine. With such talent, style, intelligence, and beauty – how could she not be? However, after reading I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography , I’ve moved from Katharine Hepburn fan to Katharine Hepburn fanatic. This is an exceptional book and I marvel at the author Charlotte Chandler. To have such a larger than life subject like Katharine Hepburn, she no doubt had many times when she wondered how to fit it all in!

Katharine Hepburn is a fascinating, one of a kind, lady and I am just SO hoping you click through one of the links in this post and buy the book. I want so much for you to meet and get to know this incredible woman. Her story isn’t just entertaining and getting to know her won’t just make you smile (and often laugh out loud at her spirit and sass!). Katharine Hepburn’s life is inspiring and even uplifting. She showed up to Hollywood, and to life in general, and knew who she was and what she wanted to accomplish. She has always known who she was and defied anyone to imply that wasn’t good enough.

When you look at her pictures, you can see the intelligence, determination, and spirit in her eyes. They tell the story! I can’t tell you how many times I turned to the cover of the book and was simply awestruck by the perfection of both the title and the picture used on the cover. The picture captures her beauty, originality, style, intelligence, and strength and the title couldn’t possibly reflect the essence of Katharine Hepburn any more than it does.

You’ll love the author’s wonderful writing style, you’ll love the priceless photographs in the middle of the book, and you’ll love reading about all of the Hollywood names and how they interacted with Katharine Hepburn. Most of all, of course, you’ll fall head over heels in love with the great lady, herself. If you’re a Katharine Hepburn fan, you’ll become a Katharine Hepburn fanatic. Trust me.

I’ll end with one of the most “defining” sections of the book. There were many, so the choice was difficult. Truth be told, some of the most defining pages were toward the front of the book when Katharine Hepburn talks about her family.

Another favorite passage is toward the end of the book (which, by the way, I HATED to get to – I wanted the book to last forever, I suppose). Katharine Hepburn is discussing “The Creature.” One of the most incredible things about her is the fact that she beautifully kept her public self and private self separate. She didn’t think of her public image as Katharine Hepburn. She thought of her as, “The Creature.” Her public image.. the persona… was for the world and she recognized that it was different from the REAL her. She told the author that she called it “the Creature” and that it should be spelled with a capital C.

In closing, here are a few paragraphs from page 325 of this exceptional book:

When I first visited Kate in her home, I hadn’t seen any pictures of her from the days of her glamorous career. “I don’t keep pictures here in my home of my professional self because those aren’t pictures of me. Those are photographs of the Creature, and I don’t bring her home. I don’t allow her in my house.”

In our conversations, she previously had touched on the subject of the Creature, but it was the last time I saw her that she offered her most extensive discussion on the subject. She said she could do this because she was dismantling the Creature, the Creature having held her in bondage for so long. Now, she had no more need for her, so the Creature no longer had any power over her.

“I was called Kathy when I was a little girl, and I guess I never grew up or outgrew that little girl. I feel very much the same inside. It’s how I think of myself, which is quite often.”

“I created the Creature, but I didn’t completely understand her. Sometimes, she took off on her own. Ungrateful thing. She didn’t remember I created her, and I was put in the position of being her psychiatrist or a personal assistant or even a white slave because she knew I was more dependent on her than she was on me.”

“I believed if people knew the person I really am, they wouldn’t have been very interested in me. They might have said, ‘Boring.’ So I had to always think first about the Creature before I thought of myself.”

“I’ll tell you someone I felt sorry for. That was Marilyn Monroe. You know why? She let her Creature take over.”

Whether you are already a Katharine Hepburn fan or are only just now “getting to know” her, I STRONGLY recommend I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler. It’ll be one of the most fascinating books you’ve ever read.

You’ll never forget it OR the beautiful face gracing the cover.