Friday, May 11, 2007

100th Birthday for Katherine Hepburn

Over her long and storied career, which included 12 Academy Award nominations and a record four wins for best actress, Katharine Hepburn personified a peculiarly American, dignified grit.

And with her 100th birthday approaching Saturday, she's being celebrated for the Kate we knew, even as hidden elements of her personality continue to surface.

Turner Classic Movies has been remembering Hepburn, who died in June 2003 at 96, by showing several of her films this week — from her 1932 debut, "A Bill of Divorcement," to 1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," which earned her the second of her Oscars.

Robert Osborne, the channel's host, believes her appeal came from "her class and her oddity and her uniqueness. She was a wonderful role model for women, being independent, being her own person. She was one of those like Bette Davis, like Barbara Stanwyck — she gave license to women to be independent. I think that's one of the great things she did.

No comments: