Customer Reviews (3)

One of the Finest "Films of" Books
This is a very fine study on Katharine Hepburn's films, loaded with photos plus cast (and role) credits, crew credits, synopsis, and quotes from contemporary reviews to Hepburn's films.An excellent opening biography chapter is included as is a credits and photo section detailing Hepburn's stage career.The book is capped with a complete list of Hepburn's Oscar nominations (and fellow nominees for those years) and an additional photo gallery.This book was first published in 1971 so many editions go only up to 1969's "The Madwoman of Challiot" with a photo of her latest project (1971's) "The Trojan Women" - this edition was not updated until the late 1980's. This is a wonderful book to have at your side when watching a vintage Hepburn film and wanting to know more about the film or who played what role.Homer Dickens was easily the best writer in the Citadel "Films of" series in my opinion.

Mahvelous Companion Volume to your Hepburn Film Collection
What I most appreciate about this particularvolume as a reference book on the film career of Katharine Hepburn is that it is richly illustrated with both professional and candid photographs, provides a complete list of the cast and crew for each of her films, and extensive excerpts from contemporary reviews. "The Films of Katharine Hepburn" is a wonderful companion volume to my almost complete tape collection of Katharine Hepburn films (Hey!I even tracked down "The Iron Petticoat"!).

The introductory "Rebellious Lady: A Biographical Capsule" is only two-dozen pages long but it covers Hepburn's professional career in a complete but concise manner. The photographs included in the essay are the best collection of Hepburn shots you are likely to find, including: a rare shot of Hepburn with her husband, FDR and her gibbon monkey Amos. There is also a watercolor of Hepburn by Ginger Rogers, a bust by Robert McKnight, Alexander Brooks famous 1938 painting, and even Hepburn's first appearance with Spencer Tracy...in the 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" (he is one of the three men in a tub along with Charles Laughton and Freddie Bartholomew and she is Little Bo Peep, who has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them... "rheally I don't.")

The main portion of the volume is just what the title says, Hepburn's films. For each film Dickens provides the cast, credits, a synopsis, commentary from the "Critic's Circle," and notes on the film, along with at least a half-dozen photographs. The synopsis tend to run towards the short side, but that just underscores that this is a supplementary text and is not intended to substitute for the films. The excerpts from the reviews, which focus specifically on Hepburn for the most part, are the most fascinating part of the volume. In keeping with this you find that even in his own notes Dickens tends to use the words of others--Hepburn, her co-stars, her director--to provide insights into the film and her performance.

Dickens' book ends with a stage chronicle of Hepburn's career, a gallery of Hepburn in each of her film roles, and a list of not only Hepburn's Oscar nominations but her competition for Best Actress each year as well. This format serves Dickens well, not only in this volume but in the other ones he has produced.

Marvelous Companion Volume to your Hepburn Film Collection
What I most appreciate about this volume as a reference book on Katharine Hepburn is that it is richly illustrated with both professional and candid photographs, provides a complete list of the cast and crew for each of her films, and extensive excerpts from contemporary reviews."The Films of Katharine Hepburn" is a wonderful companion volume to my almost complete tape collection of Katharine Hepburn films.

The introductory "Rebellious Lady: A Biographical Capsule" is only two-dozen pages long but it covers Hepburn's professional career in a complete but concise manner.The photographs included in the essay are the best collection of Hepburn shots you are likely to find, including: a rare shot of Hepburn with her husband, FDR and her gibbon monkey Amos.There is also a watercolor of Hepburn by Ginger Rogers, a bust by Robert McKnight, Alexander Brooks famous 1938 painting, and even Hepburn's first appearance with Spencer Tracy...in the 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" (he is one of the three mem in a tub along with Charles Laughton and Freddie Bartholomew and she is Little Bo Peep, who has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them... "rheally I don't.")

The meat of the volume is just what the title says, Hepburn's films.For each film Dickens provides the cast, credits, a synopsis, commentary from the "Critic's Circle," and notes on the film, along with at least a half-dozen photographs.The synopsis tend to run towards the short side, but that just underscores that this is a supplementary text and is not intended to substitute for the films.The excerpts from the reviews, which focus specifically on Hepburn for the most part, are the most fascinating part of the volume.In keeping with this you find that even in his own notes Dickens tends to use the words of others--Hepburn, her co-stars, her director--to provide insights into the film and her performance.

Dickens' book ends with a stage chronicle of Hepburn's career, a gallery of Hepburn in each of her film roles, and a list of not only Hepburn's Oscar nominations but her competition for Best Actress each year as well.This format serves Dickens well, not only in this volume but in the other ones he has produced. ... Read more

Product Description
With a mind and will of her own both on screen and off, Katharine Hepburn has become a role model to women worldwide. Barbara Holland's portrait of this outspoken and talented actress reveals the truth behind one of the greatest actresses of our time.

Hepburn's family had a tragic history. By her eighth birthday, three family members were dead from suicide. The death that haunted Kate the most was the suicide of her dear brother, Tommy. His memory echoed throughout her life in her inability to separate herself from self-destructive men.

Hepburn found solace on the stage before eventually making her way to Hollywood. There she starred in Morning Glory, winning the first of her four Academy Awards and launching a film career that was plagued by huge ups and downs in popularity. It was the unique interplay of her public and private personas that made Katharine Hepburn a performer unlike any other.

Holland's unsentimental yet sympathetic portrayal reveals Hepburn's fascination with men with a dark side. She was taken with John Ford's interior bleakness and mesmerized by Spencer Tracy's reclusive habits. In fact, the Hepburn-Tracy romance was not the fairy tale it has been portrayed to be. For decades, Hepburn nursed Tracy when he fell into alcoholic binges and continued to take care of him, even when he turned vicious or became despondent, until his death.

Hepburn's intelligence and iron will shattered the feminine ideal fostered by Hollywood. Here we see the woman's strength, in addition to the pain that lay beneath the surface.

"What you do is to move along, get on with it, and be tough."
--Katharine Hepburn

Raised among the eccentrics and dark secrets of an old New England family, Katharine Hepburn lived above the conventions of her time. Resolutely her own woman, she made herself larger than any role she played, stronger than any man she loved, including the tormented--and tormenting--Spencer Tracy. Barbara Holland explores the pro-
fessional triumphs, the personal tragedies, and the unique human spirit that have made Katharine Hepburn a hero to generations of women.

Holland is one of the many established authors to contribute to the BIOGRAPHY® book series, brought to you by A&E and Park Lane Press. This eclectic collection offers a remarkable variety of profiles, presented with depth, detail, and historical accuracy. Let BIOGRAPHY take you behind the photos and film, the rumors, myths, and legends, to truly see the men and women who made our times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Another really bad Hepburn biography
This book rates right up with the biography by Barbara Leaming as a really badly written and inaccurate biography of Katharine Hepburn.Holland basically cribbed her book from the books by Leaming, Christopher Andersen and others.Apparently, she does not think it necessary to actually do any of her own research.Having taken the bulk of her book from other writers, she manages to carry over into her book many of the errors of chronology and fact that so many of the Hepburn biographies contain.From Leaming she got the totallly fictitious Tracy/Hepburn/John Ford triangle.For whoever reads this book, please be assured that Katharine Hepburn had no life long unrequited affair with John Ford.It simply didn't happen.Also, Holland's portrait of Spencer Tracy is completely inaccurate.He was not an abusive, morose drunk.He was, in fact, one of the wittiest, most talented actors to ever live.The Tracy portrayed in the Holland book has no relation to the real Tracy.Holland's portrayal of Katharine Hepburn is no better.She manages to make Ms. Hepburn appear as a victim which is as far from the truth as can be.

For anyone who is interested in an accurate and fair biography of Katharine Hepburn, this is not it.There is really no good biography of Hepburn written to date.Hopefully one of these days one will be written.For now the best choices are Ms. Hepburns two books and the books by Garson Kanin (for the Tracy and Hepburn years) and by James Prideaux (for Ms. Hepburns later years.)

Great facts, little elaboration
192 pages hardly allows the author room to expound on Hepburn's real life. I felt that I got a good overview of her, but would like to more about her-- especially what it was like to work with her on various movies. Thisis a good introductory biography, but I want more.

Bravo
The highlight of this delighful biography is the author's ability to remove the veil between the audience and the actress. I have read many Katherine Hepburn biographies and this was the one that revealed the mostabout Hepburn's private life, in the sense that I was able to really feelher voice coming trough, her point of view shining through. ... Read more

Product Description
Of all the major Hollywood stars, Katharine Hepburn is the least conventional, conforming to none of the stereotypes of stardom. Instead, she always appeared wilful and independent, able to develop her own persona within the confines of the studio system. This monograph by the late Andrew Britton, published for the first time in illustrated hardcover form, proposes a feminist reading of Hepburn's films, arguing that her persona raises problems about class, female sexuality and women's oppression which test the conventions of cinema ultimately committed to the reassertion of bourgeois gender roles. This book on the Hollywood cinema focuses on a film star rather than a director or a genre and as such should appeal to anyone interested in the movies. ... Read more

Product Description
THE LEGACY OF KATHARINE HEPBURN: Fine Art as a Way of LifeMaryann Pasda DiEdwardo Memoir The legacy of the late Katharine Hepburn undeniably benefits a twenty-first century audience, because Kate identifies the artistic spirit.As one of the most important women of the twentieth century, Hepburn was an artist who exemplified the independent character, freedom and opportunity available to women as paramount whether she was on stage or in film. As the late Hepburn, she has become a living art spirit with a legacy that acts as a shining example. ... Read more

Product Description
Lavish illustrations and behind-the-scenes photographs chronicle the legendary sixty-year career of the star of The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and The Philadelphia Story. ... Read more

Product Description
This book/cassette pack brings to life six traditional tales: "The Emperor's New Clothes", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "The Nightingale" (from China), "The Musicians of Bremen", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Tattercoats". Katherine Hepburn reads the stories on the audiocassette. ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated biography of the well-known actress of stage and screen. ... Read more