Happy 100th Katharine Hepburn

'We're going to talk about me? Oh Goody' - May 12th would have been Katharine Hepburn's 100th birthday, so since I saluted Ms. Davis on her 99th birthday last month, it's only fair that I salute my other favorite ballsy gal too.
So my favorite Katharine Hepburn movies are 'Bringing Up Baby' with Cary Grant and 'The Philadelphia Story' with Cary again and with Jimmy Stewart. I also like 'Stage Door' although I wish that movie had been more of a comedy than a drama. If you make a movie with Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball and Eve Arden in the cast you'd think that it would be a snappy, biting, smart-assed movie with those 4 gals. Not that it doesn't have it's smart-assed moments, but it was supposed to be a drama with just a light funny side. Also, the late 1930s clothing in that movie was fantastic! I also like 'The Lion in Winter' - 'Rooster Cogburn' and 'African Queen'.
Just like when I was young and saw Phil Donahue interview Ms.Davis, I saw his interview with Ms. Hepburn too and thought 'who is this cool old lady?' What was funny about that interview was that Donahue spent who knows how long interviewing her, and at the end he asked for her autograph, and she said 'ok, what was your name?' He was in a huff because she didn't know his name. Well, she's Katharine Hepburn, she needn't bother herself with trifles like remembering names of insignificant reporters.
Another great interview she did was with Dick Cavett, and if you ever get the chance to see this on one of the old movie channels or to buy/rent the DVD - The Dick Cavett Show - Hollywood Greats - you should. She's comes off as very independant and confident, just like Ms. Davis, and it's funny that they were both born the same time, and both had New England upbringings. Kate's father was a doctor who wanted to educate people about venereal disease during the early 1900s when that was just not discussed by 'proper' people. Her mother fought for women's right to vote and for making birth control information available to women. There's not an actress around today that I find as interesting as Ms. Hepburn, none of them have that enduring quality.

Some quotes from Kate -

'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'

'Enemies are so stimulating'

'Plain women know more about men than beautiful ones do.'

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

'Life is hard. After all, it kills you.'

'We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - you can blame anyone but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change, you're the one who has got to change. It's as simple as that, isn't it?'



Here's a clip from 'Bringing Up Baby' that I grabbed from Youtube, I'm not sure why there are subtitles, but it's funny anyway.