The Acting Style of Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress, born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford and died on June 29, 2003, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA. She was known for her strong independence and lively personality. Hepburn became a star at Hollywood in 1930’s, due to her beauty, intelligence, and the erratic strength with which she permeated her characters. Her career lasted for more than six decades when she made a record of winning four academy awards for acting.  She blazed a trail for clever actresses in Hollywood, received an award for most acting Oscars and stars in a variety of world’s best comedies. Some of the movies that Hepburn appeared in were ‘Bringing up Baby’ in 1938 and ‘The Philadelphia story’ of 1940 among others.

The Acting Style

Hepburn had a strong-willed personality, sharp intellect and erratic strength which saturated every character she played and it all worked successfully. In the movie ‘Bringing up baby,’ Hepburn’s distinctive charm suited well to the comedy which made her excel as Susan Vance in Howard Hawks’ screwball classic. Hepburn’s uncommon and excitable heiress keeps bringing in trouble, initiating disgraceful scrapes and making her ill-starred to lead a man astray.  She always played a bold beauty that all the time walked off with the leading man. Her defiant and spontaneous character puts a new standard for the comedy. On the other hand, Grant was amused by the persuasion made by Susan, and his character is more understated to play second fiddle to the fatiguing Susan. From the movie’s opening, Susan Vance is seen to cause problems. In the scene, Huxley (Grant) accidentally steps on the train of Susan Vance cocktail dress and separates the back panel, revealing her innerwear. The pair then makes an unseemly exit after Huxley protected her dignity with the battered hat which amused the other diners. The comedy had one part calamity and two parts of physical comedy, but the element of tragedy was what allowed the extraordinary sequence to be aired.

When visiting the Roxy theatre in New York, Grant observed the Metropolitan Museum head catch his fly zip in his wife’s dress. The two then had to walk to the manager’s office where pliers were used to split the garments, and a real life incidence inspired this scene.  The scene in Vance’s home country when she was putting on a gown with marabou trim, Huxley announces to Vance’s relative that he “just went GAY!” The statement was changed on set to depict how it managed to slip past the censors. The main point there was to reveal Huxley as being influenced by Vance’s screwball behavior.  Howard Greer designed Hepburn costumes. He designed an elegant wardrobe for her in the movie ‘Bringing up baby’ which emphasized on her noble bearing always playing to her peculiarity including rolling veils and distracted loungewear. The film went far beyond to cementing Hepburn established style by running around the ground of her Connecticut home in loose fitting slacks and a tunic which proved that her style credentials were equal to that of any man.

In ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ Hepburn played the role of Tracy Lord, an arrogant socialite whose ex-husband C.K Dexter Haven (Grant) is seen to be about to remarry. The scenes highlight two forces against one which depicts their personality and uniqueness. Tracy acted as a free-spirited woman who deliberately placed herself within the cage, sharp rudeness, moody one-time drunk and one who was well blessed with good looks and cleverness. This does not seem fair to either Hepburn or Grant with the names Tracy Lord and C.K Dexter Haven respectively since it doesn’t take into account that both are a match and that the way they challenge one another is what keeps them spicy and going. An acting style is also observed where Tracy throws C.K Dexter Haven out of the house and impulsively snaps one of his golf clubs over her knee. A chauvinistic gesture is therefore portrayed putting the bold woman in her place. Test for Tracy on whether she should end up with C.K Dexter Haven was a suspension decision that was left until the very end.

Trace is seen wrestling the man down to the ground and covers him with dirt making him a more attractive specimen of rough and collapsed manhood. In the story, Tracy has been drunk twice, once with Haven he recalls, ”You were on the roof! Naked! Waiiiiiiling like a banshee!” and the second time was with mike. The story allows her to break loose from the Philadelphia social convections, sometimes have with Mike and figure out who she wants. Hepburn has an appreciable sex appeal when she plays the know-it-all women in control, who insists on knowing what they want. She is also seen to be glorious when she lets her hair down and luxuriate in mania. That’s the combination that without doubt seduces Mike, George, and Haven making Hepburn so bold, yet smart and charming.

Development

In her magnificent more than six decades, Hepburn’s unique talent pioneered new independence in Hollywood women.  Blessed with unique beauty and natural eccentricity, she was never a darling her patriarchal industry wanted her to be. She showed her gifts on her terms and took that spirit into a matchless collection of endearing and captivating performances. Hepburn developed her personal style and public image as a style rebel. Whether on stage, on screen or in private, she had movie grasp on the power of her appearance. Rather than submit to studio image makers, she is the one who controlled her image and drew her own proclivities to create a distinct fashion.

In the movie ‘Bringing up baby,’ Howard Hawks’s riotous screwball masterpiece earned little money on release in 1938 that saw Hawks fired from RKO and Hepburn had to buy herself out of contract. The plight encapsulated the spirit of the movie which itself got its kicks from disaster and hides a deep pessimism about the world in its lovable comedy. Hepburn performs as an anarchic socialite running rings around Grant’s dry, gauche paleontologist in search of his lost bone. The two are a match, their timing comic is excellent, and they had a mania gift.

In ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ Hepburn stars along Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and John Howard and get to pick her favorite role as spoiled glamorous Tracy Lord. She lets her hair down with the Cukor playing to her strength. Her glows, the know it all charm, and the fantastic sex appeal is well brought out. Probably this is her most erotically charged performance, and there is no greater example of this than her famous drink time on the terrace with Stewart where the slightest purse of her lips is loaded with sexual feelings.

Persona

Katharine has always shattered the gender stereotypes which dictate the roles of women that should be played on screen. She hesitated to accept the parts which underestimated the full vigor and intelligence of her performance. Due to the strength of her persona, most of the film roles that she did, her personality coincided more with it than it did for other actresses. She always was equipped as she says, ”I’m personality as well as an actress! Show me an actress who isn’t a personality, and you’ll show me a woman who isn’t a star”. Her unconventional looks, bold personality and strange gender presentation posed troubles for the early day’s films. She portrayed so much persona on boyish by wearing pants at the time when the ladies of the days did not do so. She had gorgeous high cheekbones and face that showed the light when filmed and the studio was not willing to film it without first blotting her dense freckles with her heavy makeup.

Hepburn was a part of the post generation of ladies, and her screen persona resonated well with that of the generation’s modern way of independence. Despite RKO’s determination to image her otherwise, she always succeeded in inventing herself. ”I was a success because of the times I lived in,” The costumes played a major role in fashioning her thus could vigorously be involved in all aspects of her dressing. The evolution of Hepburn’s look brought out a well remarkable reveal through her costume collection. She had close working relationships with those who designed her clothes that kept her shinning in all generations of her fans. When preparing for a role, Hepburn often gave the designers notes about her ideas for colors and fabrics. The reason was to portray a role’s character as she believed that, ”A star practically always asks for a designer, if she has any sense.” For footwear, she embraced the trends of the days in 30’s and 40’s she opted for open toed-sling on a chunky high heeled, V-shaped pumps and wedges with flora appliques on the vamp.

In ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ Hepburn had some fake accent where the grandeur and glamor in her voice was all a sham. The generation in the time, could not find it a big deal but in the days it is abandoned affectation from the period. In the 30’s and 40’s, almost all the films had their characters with the faux British fashion. Learning in aristocratic finishing schools or taught for use in theater, she carefully was groomed in the studio system which was a class for masses doled out through motion pictures.

From the elements of Schatz’s account, we can connect the roles played by Hepburn with the control of body expression, facial and persona to those she played in everyday life based on ideas. The acting technique used helped organize her human behavior into a coherence of personality and individuality. Her personality led her to commit to working on female-led films even when they were not commercially successful while she embraced her character by having boyish qualities which in turn made her loveable. The apparent authenticity and consistency of her image which initially helped her to rise to star status later became fraught with contradictions as she aged.