Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn

Book Description

Onscreen she played society girls, Spencer Tracys sidekick, lionesses in winter. But the best character Katharine Hepburn ever created was Katharine Hepburn: a Connecticut Yankee, outspoken and elegant, she wore pants whatever the occasion and bristled at Hollywood glitter. So captivating was her image that she never seemed less than authentic. But how well did we know her, really? Was there a woman behind the image who was more human, more driven, and ultimately more triumphant because of her vulnerability? William J. Mann -- a cultural historian and journalist, a sympathetic admirer but no mere fan -- has fashioned an intimate, often revisionist, and truly unique close-up that challenges much of what we think we know about the Great Kate. Previous biographies -- mostly products of friends and fans -- have recycled the stories she hid behind, taking Hollywood myths at face value. Mann goes deeper, delivering new details from friends and family who have not been previously interviewed and drawing on materials only available since Hepburns death. With affection, intelligence, and a voluminous knowledge of Hollywood history, Mann shows us how a woman originally considered too special and controversial for fame learned the fine arts of movie stardom and transformed herself into an icon as durable and all-American as the Statue of Liberty.

Customer Reviews:

Kate Hepburn: The Ice Queen's Shines Incadescently in this detailed biography by William Mann.......2007-10-03

Katherine Hepburn (1907-2003) was a lioness in winter, summer, spring and fall! She was born in Hartford, Connecticut to a urologist father and a suffragete-birth control advocating feminist mother named Kit. Her mother gave birth to six children but often traveled on the lecture circuit defending her many causes. Kate's father had a violent temper but loved his children. He rarely told them he was proud of them but he managed Kate's finances until a year before his death. Her parents were nonbelievers, eccentric individuls who raised their childrent to speak their minds and stand up for what they believed was important in life.
Kate's older brother Tom died by a probable suicide when she was 14. Kate was a tomboy who idolized this brother. She went to Bryn Mawr where her mother had studied. It was at Bryn Mawr that Kate drew to her a circle of supportive female friends. She may have had sexual intercourse with some of these women. Throughout her life Hepburn was a bisexual.
Despite the opposition of her father Miss Kate became an actress. She appeared in several Broadway plays making the acquaintance of lifelong friend the wealthy Laura Harding. She then traveled to Hollywood making her screen debut in "Bill of Divorcement" with John Barrymore and Billie Burke. She won her first Oscar for "Morning Glory" as well as for her later work in
"The African Queen"; "The Lion in Winter" and "On Golden Pond". Hepburn lived for 70 years in New York City. She also had homes in Fenwick, Conn.,
Los Angeles (living at the home of her favorite director the homosexual George Cukor where she had a cottage on his estate as did Spencer Tracy)
and London. Despite the myth she never lived with Spencer Tracy.
Hepburn did not like sexual intercourse and many of her men were troubled repressed gay individuals. She did have a sexual affair with the
billionaire Howard Hughes. Some of her other many affairs (with members of both sexes) featured Broadway's Leland Hayward and her longtime friend Spencer Tracy. She and Tracy never lived together and for most of their long friendship they had a platonic relationship. Kate nursed the deeply flawed Tracy through his addiction to alocholic rages and suicidal depressions. Tracy never divorced his wife Louise, was a Catholic and thought he was doomed to hell. Hepburn had a marriage to Ludlow Smith but the two were rarely together. They eventually divorced though Kate cared for him until his death.
This book explodes the myth of a torrid love affair with Tracy and Hepburn. Kate spent her time with a small coterie of homosexuals of both sexes. She was a tough cookie! Kate was spoiled, independent minded and often displayed jealousy and a cruel tongue. She could act like the lady to the manor born and disdained journalists and those with whom she disagreed. Kate was a flaming liberal who escaped the red scare of the
1950s by starring in the patriotic classic "The African Queen." She was adept at reinvinting her image. She did so with aplomb with her smash hit "The Philadelphia Story" after being labelled "box office poison" by the critics. Hepburn was adept at screwball comedy most notably in 1938's
"Bringing Up Baby" with the inimitable Cary Grant.
Hepburn could be generous, loyal and loving to those who had earned her respect. The star had a keen insight as to what she had to do to win favor with her fickle audience. Hepburn's sexual history is fully explored by author William Mann who deals more with her personal life than with a recitation of the plots of her movies and how much money they made. This is a good celebrity biography of a remarkable woman.
Whether you like Hepburn or not this book is well written for those who enjoy learning more about a movie legend who was also a remarkable woman and an American legend.

The defender of Mann.......2007-08-31

I found this (see below) in the Comments next to Mann's NYT birthday article about Hepburn. I've since googled George A. Hodgman. It appears that he is the editor at Holt who edited the Hepburn book. Hodgman has posted repeatedly on this site over the past year defending the book and bashing anyone who posted a negative review of it accusing us of being homophobes, conservatives, and using multiple ID's or of being a Hepburn relative or another writer who is doing a book about Spencer Tracy. While he was blasting us for criticizing the book, he neglected to tell us that he was the book's editor and obviously has a vested interest in the book selling.
If other book editors are doing this -- which I very much doubt -- then they should tell the readers of the site who they are so we know why they are so adamant in defending against even a shred of criticism.

This is the posted Comment:
This seems as good a place as any to express my congratulations to George A. Hodgman on his new job at Houghton Mifflin!

Speaking on behalf of the folks here, I want to take this opportunity to wish him well. I hope that his new employer won't expect him to protect his clients from negative reviews on Amazon. How maddening!

Best of luck!

Great read!.......2007-08-24

Loved the book, it was a great read. I find it hard to believe that so many of you seem to disbelieve that there are MANY gay/bisexual women and men working in Hollywood both in front and behind of the camera. Hellooooooo???

I suppose most of you don't work in creative jobs and aren't aware of the many bi/gay creative people working in the creative fields. Of course, Hepburn was surrounded with and had many close friendships with many of them.

The book does not take away from her being a legend of the silver screen, a modern fashion icon and role model to many women. Who says a possibly gay or bisexual woman can't be a role model to straight women- are you REALLY that narrow-minded? As to the fact that Hepburn said she "wasn't a lesbian". Whatever. Very few gay/bisexual actors, esp. superstars of her generation have openly confessed to their sexual preferences. It just wasn't done back then. The hysterical reactions of many reviewers on here in regards to her sexual preference/tendencies seems to explain why actors don't feel comfortable doing that. She never has publicly stated that her relationship with Spencer Tracy was sexual, either. Using the odd logic her homophobic fans are using, that would mean that it wasn't. After all, she never said it was.

Are you are really that immature that you can't accept that someone you admire is complex, contradictory and that their sexual mores don't meet your approval? Katharine Hepburn needs the approval of no one and she certainly lived her life her own way. She absolutely doesn't need these self-appointed "defenders" of her life style who seem to find it astonishing that a person dedicating her life to creative and artistic exploration would also be an explorer in her personal life. Let's not forget that she was a life-long supporter of Liberal Causes, Women's Rights and even provided financial support to Planned Parenthood.

I'm sure there will be many more books of Katharine Hepburn, lover of women and men, appearing on the horizon. To the discerning eye, it was always very clear that she was gay or bisexual. It is clear that many have you have problems with bi/homosexuality. I suggest you get over it and stop acting like a group of hysterical girls. The world's changing, don't get left behind. If you don't have any gay friends, make some. It'll do you a lot of good.

Ignorant and Irritating!.......2007-08-18

This book is about the most sexist piece of trash I have ever read. Take a look at a strong, brilliant, independent woman who can hold her own in an industry controlled by men, who is very athletic, talented and beautiful... OF COURSE, she must be a lesbian! LAME! And by the way thanks for setting woman back a hundred years... that should have been the opener to this book!

Crystal

More of a was she or wasn't she than a biography.......2007-07-28

For years I have been fascinated by Katherine Hepburn and have read every book, article, magazine and pamphlet that I could get my hands on that had any kind of mention about her. I've watched every movie and interview she ever filmed. Studied every nuance of every character, including the one she played in real life.

To say that this book is an excellent accounting of The Woman Who Was Hepburn would feel like a betrayal to me. This book lacks the charm and vivaciousness that I would expect from any definitive work on her life.

On the surface it looks well researched and extremely authoritative. Mr. Mann wields his perceptions with an iron fist, always completely positive that no matter what he might find to be contrary to his own beliefs and opinions about her, that he can in some way manipulate it to fit his own agenda.

Which brings me to my main issue with this work. It feels like it was agenda driven in every possible meaning of the term. But he does it so gradually that if you aren't looking closely you could easily miss it.

Did Mr. Mann set out to right a Who's Gay of Golden Hollywood??

Or did he set out just to prove that Ms. Hepburn herself was indeed homosexual??

He makes a distinction several times between the real woman and the legend that she created, so determined to prove that all the lore surrounding the paragon was just a spellbinding story and yet he focuses intensely on something that for all intents and purposes is a part of the legend itself. Mystery surrounding Kate's sexuality has existed for as long as she has been famous. The pants wearing, dominant, independant woman was always such an anomaly that people wondered, even at the time that she was in her prime, what the truth was. It doesn't prove anything conclusively. In fact none of the supposed evidence that Mr. Mann presents can prove anything conclusively. No matter how much he shoves it down our throats.

If I were to copy his modus operandi I would insist that all of my assumptions about this book were correct and go through and pick out passages that suit my purpose in order to prove my point. Except that I don't know Mr. Mann and rather than manipulating the evidence to serve my opinions I willingly leave him with the benefit of the doubt so that everyone can form their own opinions about what this book really is.

If only he had given Ms. Hepburn the same consideration.

Average customer rating:

Rather nice, a bit above standard "making of" style books
Delightful
Not much there
great survival tale
Easy to like Story of the Making of a Classic Movie

The Making of The African Queen
Katharine Hepburn
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394562720
Release Date: 1987-08-12

Customer Reviews:

Rather nice, a bit above standard "making of" style books.......2005-10-04

I have always rather liked Katharine Hepburn, and this movie. This is a rather nice "making-of" book. It is mildly humourous, good-natured, and nicely illustrated. While I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it or keep, I did really enjoy flicking through it.

This is really Hepburn's diary/account of the making of the African Queen and all the attendent problems of filming a movie in an equatorial country, and specifically in this case, in the continent of Africa. The rain, the mud, the mosquitos, the director, the other actors.

Hepburn does come across as being slightly removed from it all, she has a slightly distant and almost superior tone to her writing - for instance she is always up first in the morning and likes eating alone, and then from her hut she watches everyone else going about their morning. It is like she is Jane Goodall analysing Chimpanzees at times.

However she does lavish praise where praise is due, and she is not above laughing at herself at times either and so I felt fine about forgiving her the occassional remoteness.

This was fun to flick through.

Delightful.......2005-07-19

Katherine Hepburn's lively account of her experiences on location in Africa is very short, but packed with amusing and exciting incidents. Her style of writing is very distinctive, short abrupt sentences which vividly describe the inconveniences, discomforts and sometimes dangers of life in the jungle. There are some alarming encounters with wildlife, whether it's being attacked by hornets, finding a snake in the bathroom, or watching a herd of elephants stampede by a mere twenty-five feet away. The eccentricites and charms of her human companions are clearly and amusingly described as well, as are all the difficulties encountered in the making of this wonderful film.

The book is illustrated with lots of fascinating photographs takne on location, including some beautiful ones of Miss Hepburn (I particularly like the ones of her 'luxurious jungle dressing room'), and should delight any fan of The African Queen or of Katherine Hepburn.

Not much there.......2003-07-17

OK, it was cheap and it was kinda fun but this book is very short and very light and fluffy. Don't pay much for it because you can read it in a half a day.

great survival tale.......2003-02-14

This is one those books that is really autobiographic - it seems no one has altered or interfered with anything. If you have seen many movies with Katharine Hepburn, you can actually hear her tell the tale of how she survived the African jungle and actually loved it.

She is the first one to say that she is a bit of a pain in the neck, bossy and interfering. And always worried about the details. And she freely admits that when there is no bathroom, she's gotta go.

She lively discribes how the cities look, how it feels to be in the jungle. Explaining that taking a shower there is like angels touching your body. And that there is nothing worse than having to go to the bathroom (in somewhat of a rush...) and finding a black mamba snake there. She was so shocked she had to throw up. And the throwing up keeps up until after they come back in England.

What struck me as most odd was that she doesn't hold back. She told off Huston often, refused to help Lauren Bacall with the food, carried the mirror around and often thought what the hell she was doing there. But it was fascinating. Reading about it is fascinating, you want to go there yourself and look what it is like in real-life (instead I watched The African Queen for the 164th time).

The photographs in the book are really worth looking at - they give you a feeling of actually being there. Seeing Kate washing her hair with her 'house-boy' standing by, the costumes close-up, the little comments next to the pictures, one of 'Bogie Allnut' - Bogie laughing out loud wearing his costume and of 'Rosie Hepburn' - Kate sitting on the railing, wearing slacks, holding Rosie's English umbrella...

It really shows that Katharine Hepburn had many talents - she is certainly able to write an extraordinary tale of adventure, making movies, making fast friends, overcoming problems (the sinking of The African Queen, giant antz, losing twenty pounds by drinking water, almost being killed by a wild boar) and loving it all.

Easy to like Story of the Making of a Classic Movie.......2000-06-13

The title leaves no question as to what this book is about. "The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind"--that really sets the tone of this book, wherein Hepburn gives an account of the making of a Hollywood movie, and tells of her experience in Africa (where most of the movie was filmed). This, her first book, is a very relaxed, informal affair, more like a friendly conversation really, as if you had met Hepburn and told her you were interested in Africa, and she started, "Oh I was in Africa once..." It's Hollywood in Africa, 1951. Some of what she writes is now a kind of history: where else might you learn that airplanes once had sleeping-berths like Pullman railway cars. Of course, mostly there is movie-making: working with director John Huston, and co-stars Humphrey Bogart and Robert Morley; how the cast and crew managed their equipment and wardrobes on location; the boat itself and the Ruiki river; living conditions in the temporary camp (including some very practical advice concerning improvised toilet facilities), colonial-era hotels and travel, and so on. The hardcover edition is illustrated with dozens of photographs. An interesting and charming book for anyone with an interest in Africa, classic Hollywood movies, or Hepburn, Huston, or Bogart.

Customer Reviews:

Great Kate Pics!!!!!.......1998-12-05

I love Katharine Hepburn and this is a absolutly terrific, especially all the pictures. Oh and it has her correct b-day, May 12, 1907.

Average customer rating:

A Great Read!
You could hear her voice!
A great book according to Homer Simpson
Wonderful Book!
Forthright and honest

Me : Stories of My Life
Katharine Hepburn
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345410092
Release Date: 1996-09-29

Book Description

Admired and beloved by movie audiences for over sixty years, four-time Academy Award-winner Katharine Hepburn is an American classic. Now Miss Hepburn breaks her long-kept silence about her private life in this absorbing and provocative memoir.

A NEW YORK TIMES Notable Book of the Year

A Book-of-the-Month-Club Main Selection

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Read!.......2006-08-01

Her life and her stories are so interesting and the way she tells them makes you almost hear her voice while reading the words. Her phrasing is almost like stream of consciousness (not like Virginia Woolf-stream of consciousness, just very fragment-y, incorrect grammar, etc.) I got the feeling that what she allows the reader to learn about is only a small fraction of what she really knows and has experienced in her life, not to mention that the stories are more than likely a little one-sided at times, as if the other person in the story, if you could talk to them, would have a completely different version of the same event. But that's part of the attraction of the book for me.
Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot on Spencer Tracy, and leaves a bunch to the reader's imagination in that department (Spencer was married to someone else the entire time they were a "couple" and she alludes to the fact that they spent time living together; how did this work?). But you definitely pick up on her absolute reverence for the man and their relationship, which is why she doesn't reveal much.
Overall it's a fascinating glimpse inside the workings of one of America's most famous, most talented, most enigmatic actresses with SO many quirks and interesting ideas and beliefs about life.

You could hear her voice!.......2006-06-30

Katharine Hepburn was an amazing American actress and icon. Although you wouldn't think so reading this book, Kate doesn't think of what she does as anything to be ashamed of or boast about. I could still see her in the documentary after this book came out. She said Oscars are nice but they won't garden for you or something like that. She was a remarkable human being. I just have one criticism. She left out the Golden Pond but she also left a very nice page to her devoted platonic secretary, personal assistant and companion, Phyllis. I thought it was so touching that she wrote something so nice about her. It can kind of gives you goosebumps to the amazing person that she was. Sadly, she discovered her brother's dead body from a suicide. Her struggles as an actress and her relationship with the love of her life, Spencer Tracy, is also there for the audience. She clearly loved him so much and yet, they could teach today's celebrities a thing or two about being discreet but they were truly movie stars and gifted actors beyond my comprehension. Katharine, we miss you and this book provides us some of your voice.

A great book according to Homer Simpson.......2006-01-17

One of Homer Simpson's favorite books, along with TV Guide and Son of Sniglet.

Wonderful Book!.......2005-10-18

I have not yet finished this book, but so far I love it! The only reason I picked this book up was because I thought Katharine was related to Audrey Hepburn! Once I found out she wasn't, I was disappointed. But I decided to continue to read it. It is very good and I will be sad when it ends. I found it a bit dull a first when she was telling about her family, but when I got furthur in, it was very exciting.

Forthright and honest.......2005-10-05

"Kit! Kathy is in the top of the hemlock!
"Yes, I know. Don't scare her. She doesn't know that it's dangerous."

That exchange between a concerned neighbor and a small girl's mother offers a telling glimpse into the childhood Katharine Hepburn's parents gave her. Being adventurous - physically as well as intellectually - was simply expected.

No one should pick this book up expecting a conventionally structured, conventionally worded autobiography. Miss Hepburn tells her life's stories as if her readers were sitting down for a visit. She moves through her long life in approximately linear fashion, but she never sticks to a timeline when doing that would keep her thoughts from flowing freely. She's frank without being vulgar, and she describes her own behavior - including those times when it was less than admirable - in forthright, honest terms.

An interesting look into the mind and heart of one very interesting person.

At Home With Kate: Growing Up in Katharine Hepburn's Household

Average customer rating:

Nice to read.
Nice
I wish it had been longer!!
Get To Know the Real Katharine Hepburn
Food, Famous Folks, and a Strange, Gruff, Charming Boss

At Home With Kate: Growing Up in Katharine Hepburn's Household
Eileen Considine-Meara
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471783765

Book Description

At Home With Kate offers an inside look at Katherine Hepburn’s life and home, from the vantage of Eileen Considine-Meara, daughter of Hepburn’s live-in cook and housekeeper. This extraordinary book reveals the real woman behind the icon, sharing her daily rituals and telling stories of the many famous friends she frequently entertained, including Sidney Poitier, Lauren Bacall, Robert Wagner, and many more.

Customer Reviews:

Nice to read........2007-01-16

Makes you feel much closer, like a good neighbor. Great recipes. Try the brownies (scrumptious!)

Nice.......2007-01-16

Very entertaining but dont expect a lot about Katharine Hepburn. It is mostly a tribute to the editor's Mother.

I wish it had been longer!!.......2007-01-16

Beautifully written. Once you start it you just can't put it down and you wish for more when you've finished.
A big thank you to Eileen Considine-Meara for sharing this.

Get To Know the Real Katharine Hepburn.......2007-01-10

Aside from all the gossip and speculation that many writers do, this writer knew Katharine Hepburn as her mother worked for her for over 30 years. The chapters are short and fascinating, there are many photos, and best of all, many of the receipes used in the Hepburn house are included for you to try at home!

Food, Famous Folks, and a Strange, Gruff, Charming Boss.......2006-11-17

As a child growing up in France, I had little contact with American films or TV, but my mother spoke often of her friendship with the US actress Katharine Hepburn, who had served as a spokeswoman for the international relief agency CARE when my mother worked there.

Now comes Eileen Considine-Meara's life of her mother, the chef Norah, who worked for Ms. Hepburn for many years and who, apparently, too shy to write a book herself (or perhaps enjoined from doing so by contractual agreement) has passed on many tall tales to her daughter. Young Eileen practically grew up in the household, and helped out as a waitress from time to time, or did other tasks at the behest of the aging, famously independent screen star. Neither Eileen nor Norah knew Spencer Tracy, of course, for he died in the 1960s and Hepburn didn't hire Norah until 1972. Yet his presence was everywhere in both the NY townhouse and the Connecticut country estate. One of the brief chapters involves a visit paid to Hepburn by Susie Tracy, the daughter of Spencer and his longsuffering wife. As grand as a movie star herself, Susie Tracy could have been an outstanding supermodel or politician, but she preferred to work quietly. in the shadows, helping deaf people the world over.

Yes, Norah and Eileen met hundreds of fascinating folk from all walks of life. Stephen Sondheim lived next door, kept a polite distance from Hepburn. Michael Jackson and Warren Beatty paid visits, not together. But Hepburn so craved adulation that she was not above inviting fans and plain old stalkers in off of the streets, like the parable of Dives and Lazarus in the Bible. And every year she let Norah have a huge St Patrick's Day party in her townhouse, vacating the space for awhile.

Old friends Irene Mayer Selznick and Laura Harding make cameo appearances in this book. Harding, with whom other biographers have asserted Katharine Hepburn was involved sexually, seems like a nice enough soul in old age, liked Norah's cooking and one dessert especially, Norah's famous lemon jello. In my test kitchen at home, I've tried to make several of Norah's recipes, feeling with some justice, if they were good enough for Katharine Hepburn, they should be good enough for my own circle of theatrical friends. Alas, I just don't have the touch, for Norah's famous lace cookies that so entranced Sidney Poitier, were a flop when I served them to Sidney Potrero of Daly City, and chipped creamed beef on toast, the dish Jack Larson demanded on each of his visits from Hollywood, proved a sensational failure in my south of market kitchenette. I can't even describe what it looks like.

An exciting book with many nice touches, like a floor map of the 49th Street townhouse, and a photo of Eileen and her groom on their wedding day in which you can see exactly the Irish spitfire charm that made her a favorite of her mother's Oscar winning employer.

Average customer rating:

Getting to Know Kate
Superb Compilation by John Bryson

The Private World of Katharine Hepburn
John Bryson , and Katharine Hepburn
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316113328

Customer Reviews:

Getting to Know Kate.......2004-06-30

John Bryson was given full co-operation by Miss Hepburn in creating this book. As a result, the reader is invited into her homes and given the opportunity to experience her "private world" as evidenced in the title. The photographs are beautiful and even if there were no text, the book would provide a satisfying, interesting view into the life of this fascinating icon. The book is all the more intriguing for the fact that Miss Hepburn would never have participated in a book like this during the 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's. It has only been since the 1980's that Miss Hepburn has been willing to allow a look into her life and always on her own terms. Miss Hepburn was a master craftsman as an actor and a master craftsman of her life and image.

Superb Compilation by John Bryson.......2002-02-11

Author John Bryson has managed to assemble a comprehensive photo collection of the great, and extremely private, Katherine Hepburn. Bryson has used his publishing and Hollywood contacts to compile an interesting collection of little and never-before-seen photos of Hepburn's life as actress, artist, athlete, co-worker, ham, homebody and friend. It could not have been an easy task to assemble such an array of unusual and revealing photos, and Bryson's observations and commentary illuminate without the usual stilted editorialization that so often accompanies photo biographies. This is a fine work any Hepburn fan would want for their library. I say buy two--one for a friend, and one for yourself!

How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great

Average customer rating:

A must for Kate-ophiles everywhere
The Other Hepburn...
Hilarious
How to cash in on the name "Hepburn"
I find this book absolutely fascinating!

How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great
Karen Karbo
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1596913517
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Book Description

How to Hepburn, Karen Karbo’s sleek, contemporary reassessment of one of America’s greatest icons, takes us on a spin through the great Kate’s long, eventful life, with an aim toward seeing what we can glean from the First Lady of Cinema. One part How Proust Can Change Your Life and one part Why Sinatra Matters, How to Hepburn teases some unexpected lessons from the life of a woman whose freewheeling, pants-wearing determination redefined the image of the independent woman while eventually endearing her to the world.

This witty, provocative gem is full of no-nonsense Hepburn-style commentary on subjects such as: making denial work for you; the importance of being brash, facing fear, and always having an aviator in your life; learning why and how to lie; the benefits of discretion; making the most of a dysfunctional relationship; and the power of forgiving your parents. Thrilling fans of the notoriously independent actress, award-winner Karen Karbo presents a gusty guidebook to harnessing your inner Hepburn, and living life on your own terms.

Customer Reviews:

A must for Kate-ophiles everywhere.......2007-05-19

I must admit I'm still a few pages away from finishing the book, but I had to write to say that I'm loving every page of it. It seems to read part biography, part love letter from a devoted fan, and part amazing graduate thesis in the way each part of Kate's life is analyzed and seen from a feminist's point of view. I so thoroughly enjoyed Karbo's personal comments, and at times comedic footnotes, that I think the author should take the book on the road and do a one woman homage stand up performance of it. If she did, I would be the first in line to offer any help on it in any way. The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is the lack of any photos that is a must have for Hepburn fans like me, and the fact that it was too short, as I trust I will be sad to come to the ending. Thank you Karen Karbo for a fascinating new look at our never-to-be forgotten Katherine, as well as ourselves.

The Other Hepburn... .......2007-05-08

As someone who wrote a well-received book about Audrey Hepburn ( the much imitated "Audrey Style") a few years ago, I LOVED this book! Ms. Karbo has written a rowdy, glittering, witty peaen to the other Hepburn.

I was not previously familiar with Ms. Karbo's work, but she is a heck of a writer, and really brought the Great Kate back to life for me. By rescuing her from the shrouds of history, she brought her into our current lives and culture. Really, I loved this book -- fast and moving -- a heck of a read. I am giving it to all my friends the Spring.

Thank you -- I really think Katherine Houghton Hepburn would have gotten a huge kick out of this book. And who knows? Maybe Audrey would have too.

Hilarious.......2007-05-07

Karen Karbo has done it again! Kathrine Hepburn is an icon captured beautifully in Karen Karbo's, "How to Hepburn: Lessons in Living from Kate the Great". Less a "self help" book than the name suggests, this incredible page-turner is more a look at the career of the cultural icon that was Kathrine Hepburn and what we can infer from her life and behaviors in these modern times.

The layout of the book both embraces and pokes fun at the modern "self help" book by being broken into lessons, each preceded by a bit of wisdom from Kathrine Hepburn's many, and not shyly given, opinions on how to behave. That Hepburn was impossible on most fronts is a point that Karbo was able to bring home with both her characteristic good humor and elegant style.

If you want to pickup another wonderfully funny read by Karen Karbo, you can not go wrong with this book. Learn how to incorporate such useful tools as denial and self aggrandizement into your everyday self. Learn the value of having an aviator in your life. Find out that, to tie yourself to a married alcoholic and do everything for him is actually liberating! Thank you for another great read Ms. Karbo.

How to cash in on the name "Hepburn".......2007-05-06

Disappointing book in which the author tries too hard to be cute, clever and hip in using Hepburn's life and work to advance her premise.
Along the way she gets facts wrong, doesn't bother to source direct quotes, and uses a lot of re-cycled ideas. She also reveals a real lack of understanding of Hepburn's ability as an artist and makes some comments in regard to Hepburn's work that is laughable.
Bottom-line, I believe that Karbo does admire Hepburn but she also takes some cheap shots at Hepburn with comments for which she has no proof.
Left me with the nagging feeling that the real purpose of this book was to use the name "Hepburn" to make a couple of quick bucks off of a rather insubstantial book.

I find this book absolutely fascinating!.......2007-04-29

I find this book absolutely fascinating!

Karen Karbo has taken the power and wisdom of a legendary woman and created an enchanting manual for us to be `Hepburnized.' Kate has always been an inspiration for me in everyday life, and just the other day I thought someone should write a book about Kate's wit and wisdom. Ta da!! Here it is.....this lovely work I recommend to anyone ready to feel the fear and do it anyway and not to mention learning to find yourself absolutely fascinating!

I want to also say bravo to Karen for calling out William J. Mann and his preposterous "bio" on Kate. Read 'How to Hepburn' and find out what I'm talking about. Karen you are also a woman of substance. Kate would be proud.

Affair to Remember, An: The Remarkable Love Story Of Katharine Hepburn And Spencer Tracy

Average customer rating:

Spence and Kate: the secret romance
Memorable
Star-Crossed Lovers
A book for all the hopless romantics out there.
Very intriguing.

Affair to Remember, An: The Remarkable Love Story Of Katharine Hepburn And Spencer Tracy
Christopher Andersen
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380731584

Book Description

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get--only with what you are expecting to give--which is everything-- Katherine Hepburn

An Intimate Portrait of Films Legendary Lovers--On Screen and Off

During their twenty-six years together, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy mesmerized movie audiences worldwide with their famous on-screen chemistry like no other couple. Yet their private love affair--which ended only with Tracys death in 1967--remained shrouded in secrecy.

Now, international best-selling author Christopher Andersen draws on his own extensive conversations with the immortal Hepburn as well as others who knew the legendary duo intimately to tell the poignant yet often heartbreaking love story of these beloved American icons and the life they shared . Revealing the strength, wit and dignity that characterized this historic partnership, Andersen offers a captivating portrait of a great American romance.

Customer Reviews:

Spence and Kate: the secret romance.......2003-07-31

These two screen giants met on the set of Woman of the Year in 1942 and were together until Spencer died of a heart attack, shortly after wrapping up Guess Whose Coming to Dinner in 1967. This book chronicles their remarkable, romantic pairing in an era where a movie star's private life could remain hidden from a prying public. Spencer was married to a devoted Catholic, Louise, and he refused to divorce her. He also felt a tremendous sense of guilty about his deaf son. So marriage was out of the question, but Kate didn't care, she just wanted she be with Spencer, and she was, following him all over the world to sit worshipfully at his feet.

Andersen dutifully chronicles the nine classic Tracy-Hepburn films and gives some intriguing behind-the-scenes glimpses into each movie. There is also much information about Tracy's legendary bouts with the bottle, his brief fling with Gene Tierney in the early 50's and Kate's affair with Howard Hughes in the 1930's. All the bases are covered, but I wish Andersen would have interviewed more people close to the duo. Still, an engrossing read and essential for anyone enamored with either Spencer or Kate.

Memorable.......2002-03-26

I found An Affair to Remember a truly remarkable portrait of Hepburn and Spencer's lives (before and after they met). The book was interesting and well written. A great pick for anyone interested in either actor.

Star-Crossed Lovers.......2000-04-06

This novel opened up a world that I knew nothing about. The world that only Katharine & Spencer lived in, together... I've been a huge fan of the acting duo for years. Now I feel like I almost know them. Reading this book is like taking a quick peek behind the scenes. It gives details into their lives prior to their initial meeting. Then continues describing how they had to sneak around in order to keep their affair out of the papers. This novel is heartwarming & also tragic. I loved it. If you're a romantic, you'll love it, too.

A book for all the hopless romantics out there........1999-10-01

One of the best books I have ever read. A great love story for the romantic in all of us. Chronicals the ups and downs of a relationship on the sly with a love that would last a lifetime. Very sad, yet a love we all wish we could find. I couldn't put it down.

Very intriguing........1999-07-19

It was filled with great information about Katharine and Spencer - seperately and together. It is unbelievable that they existed in a 26 year relationship and nobody talked about it until Katharine started talking about it herself. Amazing.

Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story (Advocate Life Stories)

Average customer rating:

Kate the Great was gay
Unprofessional
Even one star is too generous.
Ruined By Rumor Mongering
Don't believe the jacket!

Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story (Advocate Life Stories)
James Robert Parish
Manufacturer: Advocate Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 155583891X

Book Description

In her remarkable 62-year career, Katharine Hepburn starred in over 40 films, appeared in over 10 Broadway plays, and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning four. Her relationship with actor Spencer Tracy is one of Hollywood's most famous romances; it lasted 25 years until Tracy's death in 1967-never mind that Tracy was married to another woman. In her life Hepburn was an icon of feminism and New England-style forthrightness; as an artist she was a national treasure. Hepburn's death on June 29, 2003, at the age of 96 did little to silence the almost -century-long conversation about her. But one topic remained taboo, despite Hepburn's reputation as being fearlessly honest. Was Katharine Hepburn a lesbian? This biography directly addresses and documents the numerous accounts of Hepburn's lesbian affairs, including her relationships with Laura Harding, Jane Loring, Elissa Landi, Irene Mayer Selznick, Phyllis Wilbourn, and others. In addition, it provides an eye-opening re-examination of the star's most noted "love affairs." Parrish details how Hepburn spun her relationship with billionaire Howard Hughes to appear to be a romance, when in fact it wasn't, and most explosively reveals what caused Hepburn to accept a masochistic, platonic relationship with alcoholic, bisexual actor Spencer Tracy, and to allow it to be characterized as one of the "great loves of the twentieth century." Extensive research and interviews with numerous friends, journalists, and acquaintances separate myth from fact to reveal the real, sometimes conflicted, frustratingly complicated, and always amazing woman behind the painstakingly self-crafted image.

James Robert Parish is the author of 20 books on Hollywood, including biographies of Whoopi Goldberg, Gus Van Sant, Rosie O'Donnell, and Whitney Houston. He lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews:

Kate the Great was gay.......2007-05-14

In my lifetime the two female Hollywood stars to elicit the most attention were Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn. In many ways the two were polar opposites. Vulnerable, soft and feminine Marilyn seemed to need a man's protection. Angular and feisty Kate on the other hand, didn't need anybody's help. She could get along by herself just fine. Hepburn would have been 100 years old this year and books are still being written about her. Since her death there has been a lot of talk about her sexuality. I did not realize that there was more than one "Kate-was-gay" book. I thought I was buying KATE--THE WOMAN WHO WAS HEPBURN when I bought this one. I'll probably get around to reading that one eventually, but in the meantime I was quite pleased with KATHARINE HEPBURN: THE UNTOLD STORY. I was expecting something sensational and salacious, but Mr. Parish's book is actually quite respectful of its subject and made Hepburn far more human to me that I had imagined her. In all the other books about her I have read she has been depicted as sailing from one triumph to another, with no real problems other than studios who regarded her as "box office poison" after some unsuccessful films. Parish examines what it was that actually made her "box office poison" in the minds of the public. Of course, the elephant on the coffee table was that Kate was mannish and no doubt many people assumed she was a lesbian at a time when it was not so cool to be one. I think Parish offers compelling evidence that Hepburn was at least bisexual and names names when it comes to her girlfriends. I didn't find it at all farfetched.

But what I really liked about the book was the depiction of the competitiveness that Hepburn demonstrated both in her personal and professional life. For example, in her early Hollywood years she was quickly crowned the queen of RKO. But after a lot of flops she was dethroned by none other than Ginger Rogers. Ms. Rogers was also feisty, but she, unlike Hepburn, came across as feminine. The success of Rogers, with her working-girl image, galled patrician Kate and perhaps sheds some light on Hepburn's famous analysis of the Astaire-Rogers partnership: "she gave him sex; he gave her class." And although Kate did probably prefer the company of woman, there were men in her life and several times she lost them to other women, most notoriously in the case of her losing Leland Hayward to Margaret Sullavan, who referred to Hepburn as "that dykey bitch." Despite all the bravado, she was plagued with certain doubts and insecurities after all. She had a discreet facelift before the filming of ON GOLDEN POND.

This is, on the whole, a well-written book, despite some sloppy editing. There are a lot of typos and one glaring misuse of the subjunctive. But Hepburn aficionados will find it quite provocative. Four stars.

Unprofessional.......2007-04-20

Groundless, biased assertions couched in meanspirted prose. The author appears to really dislike Hepburn, and that is neither professional nor engaging for the reader. A good biographer should 1) be able to substantiate sweeping claims, especially about a subject's sexual life, and 2) maintain a neutral tone when writing about the subject, no matter how distasteful the biographer finds the actions of said subject. This author has done neither. Don't waste your time with this book even at the library.

Even one star is too generous........2006-10-20

Parish's efforts are nothing more than a re-hashing of everything you already know. It certainly isn't the "untold story" the book jacket promises. Clumsily written and boring, Parish should have enlisted the aid of a better editor. One case in point: a good editor would have checked facts and known there is no such place as Tavasoon (where he notes they filmed part of "The Lion in Winter"), the town is actually called Tarascon. This book is pure drivel. Don't bother wasting your money.

Ruined By Rumor Mongering.......2006-06-16

I was thrilled to find a new biography of Hepburn because she's such an intriguing personna. In this book, however, Parrish puts forth many rumors and hearsay as fact without bothering to back them up. This ruined what could have been an interesting bio for anyone curious about the Katharine Hepburn outside of the stage lots. Save your money and look elsewhere.

Don't believe the jacket!.......2006-05-03

The books jacket says that it is well researched. In fact it is, but all the stuff about Kate and being bisexual is a matter of opinion. He never gives concrete information and uses what he does find he twist around to work in his favor. Although it is a good book for Kate facts, don't believe anything about her being bisexual.

Average customer rating:

Kate Remembered
Mixed feelings
Kate Remembered
If you want to remember why you love Kate, read this book!
Self Serving

Kate Remembered
A. Scott Berg
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425199096
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

Published a mere 13 days after the death of Katharine Hepburn, Kate Remembered is best appreciated as a valentine of devoted friendship. It's a moving study of mutual trust and admiration between Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer A. Scott Berg and legendary Hollywood icon Hepburn, who'd established an instant rapport in 1983, beginning a 20-year conversation that blossomed into this enchanting "biographical memoir." As a casual but authoritative survey of Hepburn's career, Berg's book offers little new information to anyone who's read previous Hepburn biographies or Me: Stories of My Life, Hepburn's bestselling 1991 memoir. But the duality of Berg's title reinforces his purpose: "More than my remembrances," writes Berg in his author's note, "this book intends to convey hers." As such, Kate Remembered offers a rare, unvarnished portrait of one of the 20th century's most influential women, achieving a personal intimacy while making the reader feel welcomed in Hepburn's private world of privilege.

Although Berg (the acclaimed biographer of legendary editor Max Perkins, producer/mogul Samuel Goldwyn, and aviator Charles Lindbergh) had written all but the final paragraphs by 2001, Hepburn insisted this book remain unpublished until after her death, which came, in quiet dignity at age 96, on June 29, 2003. Given the book's pre-publication secrecy, it's hardly tabloid-worthy, serving instead to correct or clarify details from Hepburn's glory days--especially her long-term affair with Spencer Tracy--while offering choice bits of Hollywood gossip, Hepburn's frequently scathing assessments of other actors, and amusing encounters with such luminaries as Michael Jackson and Warren Beatty (both of whom appear as mock suitors with selfish motivations). It's a brisk read but a substantial one, richly emotional and as dignified as Hepburn herself, whose faults and foibles make her even more appealing than her beloved public persona. --Jeff Shannon

Book Description

In 1983, Katharine Hepburn met Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer A. Scott Berg. Over the next twenty years he became her confidant, recording for posterity her thoughts and feelings on a remarkable life and career. Here are the candid and surprising stories from those intimate conversations.

Customer Reviews:

Kate Remembered.......2007-03-22

Wonderful insights into the life of this fascinating woman! Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the "Golden Age" of Hollywood.

Mixed feelings.......2007-01-09

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book.

As several people have already stated, the book is often more about Berg and his reaction to Hepburn, rather than a biography of Hepburn herself. It is often very touching and humorous in certain places, and is well-written enough to sustain interest.

However -- something just didn't feel right about the book. Berg was hardly the first or only person to interview her, so how exactly how did this relationship develop? I couldn't help feeling that Berg was exaggerating the extent of their friendship.

Additionally, I found his description of Kate's final years both depressing and exploitative. Berg seems to believe that he's describing her with respect and dignity, but I just found myself thinking - oh, sure, Hepburn would be THRILLED that all this would be in print. I certainly hope my "friend" would not write about my death that way.

All in all, this book contains interesting tidbits, but you can't help feeling that Berg is either a bit phony or opportunistic.

Kate Remembered.......2006-07-23

I had previously read The Making of the African Queen and Me, but Kate Remembered seemed to tie it all together. Actually, I picked up the book at Wal-Mart, on a table sale. Always having been a long-time fan, I grabbed the book and read it in 2 days. I think what comes through a lot, is not just Katharine Hepburn's life, but the relationshipt Scott Berg had with her, perhaps her only real confidante except for Spencer Tracy, and even then, perhaps not him, because she was there for him, not him for her. At any rate, it's a damn good read, and rather poignant at the end. I did shed a tear. Well worth the read.

If you want to remember why you love Kate, read this book!.......2006-07-12

No person in their right mind could write a biography of Kate and not be personally affected to this degree. The impact she had on Mr. Berg's life and vice versa showed through in even the most intimate of moments between them.

Anyone can find facts and anecdotes just about everywhere these days, but how often can such a personal glimpse offer the reader so much?

Kate came to life in this book. I saw her talking and felt her strong presense throughout. I was once again reminded of why I was such a fan. You can't help but fall a little bit in love with this woman and it shouldn't be a great surprise that even Mr. Berg was taken away by her presense, caring and passion. It shined in every passage.

Self Serving.......2006-04-25

I give this book two stars because I am a fan of Katharine Hepburn. The only thing I learned in this book is that the author wanted to make sure everyone knew how much Ms. Hepburn adored him and how witty he was with her, and how much influence he had on her later on in life; and I found that kind of creepy. If you want to hear her voice without Berg's slant, just read "Me".

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