Great Kate or Bitchy Bette...?

[Alexis]

Neither ranks among my favorites, but objectively I think Hepburn and Davis have the best claim to "Queen of the Movies" in the twentieth century. I think Hepburn wins by a thin margin.

I think Davis was the better actress, at least in terms of creating a character; she could almost disappear into a role. Hepburn was always Hepburn. Both had their limited ranges, though. Hepburn excelled in comedy and light drama, but I find her terribly unconvincing in heavy drama. Davis was more comfortable in the deep end, but had no forte for comedy. Davis had an impressive run from the late 30s to the early 50s, with only a few dips; otherwise, her career is kind of, well, crummy. Audiences were largely indifferent to Hepburn in her younger days, but from the 60s onward she was rather beloved*; less regarded as an actress than revered as some kind of national monument. However, she was a leading lady in 1932 and she was a leading lady (albeit in TV movies) in 1994; she never had to lower herself to guest appearances in episodic television or appear in horror films.

*Of all the fiction and conjecture in FEUD, Davis' seething resentment of Hepburn's late career renaissance seemed the most plausible.

OMG... You're back!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

she never had to lower herself to guest appearances in episodic television or appear in horror films.

But we're so glad Bette did!

 

[Crimson]

OMG... You're back!

It only took a pandemic and quarantine.

 

[Crimson]

But we're so glad Bette did!

Certainly, without Bette's decline we wouldn't have JANE or CHARLOTTE. The shameless depths that Davis, Crawford and Stanwyck would sink to in order to keep their careers going is hard not to admire.

But i find it remarkable that Hepburn remained above it for 6 decades. Even with a twist of fate giving her a less tony career, it's impossible to imagine Kate making schlock or guest starring in HERE'S LUCY.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Certainly, without Bette's decline we wouldn't have JANE or CHARLOTTE. The shameless depths that Davis, Crawford and Stanwyck would sink to in order to keep their careers going is hard not to admire.

But i find it remarkable that Hepburn remained above it for 6 decades. Even with a twist of fate giving her a less tony career, it's impossible to imagine Kate making schlock or guest starring in HERE'S LUCY.

Well, I love CHARLOTTE and THE NANNY, and like BABY JANE. But who wants Hepburn in one??

Kate wouldn't even do TV interviews until 1973, calling the medium "the idiot box" and infamously keeping a television in her living room pulled out and facing the wall with the cord draped dramatically over the set to let people know she didn't watch it and didn't approve.

 

[cijimccashin]

I love both! But Bette is irresistible.

 

[cijimccashin]

I love both! But Bette is irresistible.

 

[Toni]

I just found this delicious little bit about the filming of "On Golden Pond" with K. Hepburn...

 

[ClassyCo]

Speaking of Hepburn and her decision not to turn up in the Grande Dame Guignol sub-genre that was home for many former Hollywood leading ladies during the 1960s, I've often wished she had popped up in one. Naturally, her turn would not have been in the low-grade, B-level arena that was a staple of the trend for the majority of its lifespan, but she would have been in a movie aimed more towards the mainstream, probably placing her in a old Southern mansion.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Speaking of Hepburn and her decision not to turn up in the Grande Dame Guignol sub-genre that was home for many former Hollywood leading ladies during the 1960s, I've often wished she had popped up in one. Naturally, her turn would not have been in the low-grade, B-level arena that was a staple of the trend for the majority of its lifespan, but she would have been in a movie aimed more towards the mainstream, probably placing her in a old Southern mansion.

SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER was as close as Kate would get (southern mansion and all) and as close as we'd want her to. Hepburn supposedly never returned the call when Bob Aldrich was shopping around for a replacement for Crawford in CHARLOTTE. And Kate also said, "I don't have to do the things that Bette does," suggesting Kate had taken care of her own money.

 

[ClassyCo]

Although I thoroughly adore Miss Hepburn in such classics like Bringing Up Baby and Stage Door, my image of her is always this strait-laced, aristocratic professional-type, whether serious or comedic. I actually prefer her more in the lighter films, especially the screwball comedies she did, but find her occasionally bland when doing heavy or historical drama. Maybe its just my tastes, considering I'm not a terribly big fan of historical dramas anyway, and that just leaves my thoughts indifferent.

I honestly cannot think of Katharine Hepburn without thinking about how long she wore the "box office poison" stamp in the mid-to-late 1930s. She decided to leave Hollywood and RKO, the studio that had built her movie career and campaigned for her Oscar win for Morning Glory, to go off and do The Lake on Broadway. It was a notorious flop, and her return to pictures with Spitfire, playing a fiery Southerner also tanked. This triggered an era in Hepburn's career that many felt she'd never overcome. She starred in a string of films, and whether it be the comedy Sylvia Scarlett or the drama Mary of Scotland, they were all box office flops. Issues also arose with her attitude. She had a difficult relationship with the press, with whom she could often be provocative with her replies to their questions concerning her personal life. The public was apparently baffled by her typically boyish behavior and fashion choices, and she became a largely unpopular figure. RKO, however, remained committed to trying their best to resurrecting Hepburn's popularity. They cast her in one high-budget, prestigious vehicle after another, but they eventually wearied of loosing their money on her films. The studio offered her the lead role in Mother Carey's Chickens in 1939, a B-movie with poor prospects. She quickly rebuffed at the idea of making such a low-quality picture, and she instead bought out her RKO contract and headed off to Broadway where she'd successfully revive her career in both the play and eventual film version of The Philadelphia Story.

While I know that it is ridiculously unfair, I cannot separate this era of Hepburn's career in my mind with Hepburn, the actress, as a whole. She was truly a great actress when the right role was given to her, but there's a sameness that boxes her in as well. She matured graciously, both physically and in her profession, and continued to turn out fine performances in such solid films like Suddenly, Last Summer. In many ways, she had basically evolved into being her generation's Meryl Streep, this gifted, well-respected, aging actress who routinely turned out great performances in a host of successful films, and racking up a number of Academy Award nominations along the way. She had gotten to the point where greatness was achieved, at least in the idea of the academy and the majority of her peers, and was solidified as the Best Actress of Her Generation and indeed the Queen of Hollywood.

It's hard not to love Katharine Hepburn, so I certainly don't want anyone thinking I don't appreciate her contribution to the film industry or her body of work as a whole. She's just not my favorite, and there are other actresses that I personally enjoy watching more. This isn't a shot at Miss Hepburn nor her craft, but a take from my personal perspective of her as a legend of classic cinema.

 

[ClassyCo]

In elaborating on my earlier post, I must say that I've always found it quite baffling that Katharine Hepburn was not regarded more for her looks. She was quite a beautiful woman in her heyday, and she aged very graciously well into the 1970s and beyond. She's thin, and has strong-featured face and profile. I've often heard that she was touted the "American Garbo" by the press, but this nickname seems to be in reference more to the versatility and quality of her performances rather than her beauty. Garbo, as we all know, was a force on the screen, and was typically as both a great beauty and grand actress.

In this retrospect, I think Hepburn can easily be compared to Bette Davis, who never received the proper attention as a beauty, either. While I must admit that neither of them could be classified as a traditional Hollywood leading lady, whether it be in terms of looks or talent, but each of them molded their own trends and compelled a legion of actresses to follow in their footsteps.

 

[Crimson]

I actually prefer her more in the lighter films, especially the screwball comedies she did, but find her occasionally bland when doing heavy or historical drama.

I'm in agreement with this; my opinion may be even more severe. I think Hepburn was just about the best comedienne of her era, even with some pretty stiff competition. I also think she was terrific in light drama (STAGE DOOR; STATE OF THE UNION; THE LION IN WINTER). But in heavy drama, I find her terribly unconvincing. I think her turns in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT are downright bad; her really serious performances suffer from an arch, shallow theatricality.

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm in agreement with this; my opinion may be even more severe. I think Hepburn was just about the best comedienne of her era, even with some pretty stiff competition. I also think she was terrific in light drama (STAGE DOOR; STATE OF THE UNION; THE LION IN WINTER). But in heavy drama, I find her terribly unconvincing. I think her turns in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT are downright bad; her really serious performances suffer from an arch, shallow theatricality.

I could not agree with this more. Katharine Hepburn often gets shafted, or so it seems, when it comes to discussing Golden Age comedies. She did have some staunch competition when we dive into the work Carole Lombard, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell, and even Jean Harlow turned out at the same time. When analyzing Hepburn's scatter-brained turn as Susan Vance in Bringing Up Baby, I cannot think of another comedic actress that could have brought as many human layers as she did to the part. I fear had anyone else gotten the role it would have been a ditsy dumb blonde-type role, which is often used as a crutch for comedy.

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm in agreement with this; my opinion may be even more severe. I think Hepburn was just about the best comedienne of her era, even with some pretty stiff competition. I also think she was terrific in light drama (STAGE DOOR; STATE OF THE UNION; THE LION IN WINTER). But in heavy drama, I find her terribly unconvincing. I think her turns in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT are downright bad; her really serious performances suffer from an arch, shallow theatricality.

I could not agree with this more. Katharine Hepburn often gets shafted, or so it seems, when it comes to discussing Golden Age comedies. She did have some staunch competition when we dive into the work Carole Lombard, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell, and even Jean Harlow turned out at the same time. When analyzing Hepburn's scatter-brained turn as Susan Vance in Bringing Up Baby, I cannot think of another comedic actress that could have brought as many human layers as she did to the part. I fear had anyone else gotten the role it would have been a ditsy dumb blonde-type role, which is often used as a crutch for comedy.

Stage Door happens to be one of my favorite movies. I love those old-fashioned, star-stuffed melodramas. This movie seems to have it all; it's got Hepburn as the strait-laced professional, Ginger Rogers spitting some wisecracks, with some added spunk for then-newcomers Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, and Ann Miller. It's a rather strong character study of what young and struggling theater actresses went through while trying to find that big break. There are some tear-jerking moments that perfectly counter those more quip-filled scenes, and it makes a delicious outing that I find hopelessly addictive.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I think her turns in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT are downright bad;

I agree particularly about LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT -- some of her quiet scenes are quite effective, but when she goes into meltdown, she's quite lacking in layered nuance, to say the least.

Dean Stockwell is excellent.

 

[Crimson]

she's quite lacking in layered nuance, to say the least.

In heavy drama, she strikes me rather as being a female Maurice Evans -- all formal 'acting' and crisp diction, but little in the way of approximating actual human emotion. I don't think any of her Shakespearean work was filmed, but I find it hard to believe she was very good.

 

[Crimson]

Stage Door happens to be one of my favorite movies. I love those old-fashioned, star-stuffed melodramas. This movie seems to have it all; it's got Hepburn as the strait-laced professional, Ginger Rogers spitting some wisecracks, with some added spunk for then-newcomers Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, and Ann Miller.

One of my favorite films of the 1930s; as a call-out among the cast, I would add the under-rated Gail Patrick -- one of my favorite supporting actors of the era. She usually played unlikable secondary characters, but I found her unlikeability to be quite likable. Andrea Leeds, too, who might have had a better career if she hadn't been a dead-ringer for Olivia de Havilland.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

In heavy drama, she strikes me rather as being a female Maurice Evans -- all formal 'acting' and crisp diction, but little in the way of approximating actual human emotion. I don't think any of her Shakespearean work was filmed, but I find it hard to believe she was very good.

Well, she did some Euripides in THE TROJAN WOMEN -- I thought she was okay, but I see your point: with Evans and Hepburn, every line comes from Mount Olympus.

To Hepburns' credit, she once described her own cinematic appeal as "all charm and tricks" in comparison to Spencer Tracy.

 

[ClassyCo]

One of my favorite films of the 1930s; as a call-out among the cast, I would add the under-rated Gail Patrick -- one of my favorite supporting actors of the era. She usually played unlikable secondary characters, but I found her unlikeability to be quite likable. Andrea Leeds, too, who might have had a better career if she hadn't been a dead-ringer for Olivia de Havilland.

How could I forget those two talented, under-appreciated ladies. Gail Patrick also played the "other woman" or the "second wife" in My Favorite Wife, starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, which served as the basis for the uncompleted Marilyn Monroe vehicle Something's Got to Give and the eventual Doris Day farce Move Over, Darling. Gail Patrick was a beautiful woman, and she was completely under-utilized, although she does have some exceptionally good roles in a some well-respected films.

The first time I ever saw Stage Door, I could have sworn that Andrea Leeds was Olivia de Havilland. I didn't see the credits at the beginning, so I just knew it had to be her. Of course, we all know it wasn't her, although their resemblance to one another is uncanny. Ironically, Andrea Leeds was also tested for Melanie in Gone with the Wind.