Tracy and Hepburn: A Review
Spencer Tracy. Katharine Hepburn. Both are giants of cinema in their own right, considered among the greatest stars to ever grace the silver screen. Tracy had over 70 film credits to his name. Hepburn had 50. For each, 9 of those credits included a partnership that changed their lives, personally and professionally. Before they even met in 1942, Hepburn had 16 films in her belt; Tracy had 40. He was only 7 years older than her, his debut only two years before hers.
Together they starred in some of the best and worst films of their respective careers. Combined their films grossed over $82.7 million (roughly $924.7 million today). Most of their movies made an average of $36 million by today’s standards. Only Desk Set, their penultimate film together, failed to make a profit. Their final film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, made $451.8 million by today’s standards. They were one of the most successful couples in film history.
Yet only a handful of their films are celebrated and remembered these days. Three of their films, including the celebrated Adam’s Rib, are not available on Blu-ray. Their availability to stream is spotty at best (State of the Union is practically nowhere to be found).
Let’s take a look at these films and discover what made some great and maybe why others are forgotten. With luck, you’ll discover something yourself worth hunting down.
Woman of the Year (1942)
Hepburn was actually responsible for her first project with Tracy. The outline of the story was written by Kate’s friend, Garson Kanin, a film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Now, by this point, Garson had directed half a dozen movies, some of which were highly praised. And he and his wife, Ruth Gordon, would go on to write the screenplays of a couple other films to be reviewed here later on. But Garson went off to fight in the war. So, after selling the outline to MGM, Hepburn and Garson’s brother, Michael, hammered out the script. Hepburn was also responsible for hiring director George Cukor, who had, at that time, recently filmed The Women and had earned a reputation of creating films with interesting women and an ability to handle difficult actors. That second skill would be very important on this project, as Hepburn would also make a decision that would affect the rest of her life: casting Spencer Tracy as her co-lead.
During the production Hepburn and Tracy began a lifelong affair. But Tracy had already developed alcoholism, which earned him a reputation of being difficult. Hepburn took it upon herself to be Tracy’s guardian, nursing him, getting him whatever he needed, and helping him get through the production.
As for the film itself, Tracy stars as a sports columnist who develops a relationship with an international columnist for the same newspaper with whom he traded barbs in print. At first, they are people from completely different worlds: she has no understanding of how the game of baseball works, and he is not used to foreign leaders, delegates, and other languages and customs. They get married, but her career and work life quickly overshadows their relationship. This is a bit of a fun and breezy romantic comedy that wrestles with gender roles and expectations and work/relationship balance. It may be one of the first movies to feature the “can women have it all?” question that, 70 years or so later, became tired and trite. But what’s important to recognize is the feminism on display in the film. Hepburn’s Tess has an aunt who is a world-famous feminist, a role model who has undoubtedly shaped Tess into the outspoken career gal and public figure she is. While Hepburn had not yet entered the “I only wear pants” era of her career, sporting cocktail dresses and the like in this film her character is intelligent, charismatic, and multi-lingual. And she’s not afraid of controversy, as she (somewhat innocently) asserts baseball should be abandoned during the war (women wouldn’t take over the sport until 1943).
The ending is a bit of a thinker, as it lands on a desire for Hepburn’s Tess to be both a housewife and a career gal, never feeling like she has to be one or the other completely. The specifics of the ending are interesting only because what we got was not what was originally filmed and was contested by Hepburn. Originally, Tess covers a boxing match for Tracy’s Sam in an effort to save Sam’s job and prove her devotion to him. That ending didn’t work so well in test screenings, so the producer Joseph Mankiewicz, director George Cukor, and studio head Louis B. Mayer changed the ending to a more comedic climax where Tess is trying to play the role of housewife by cooking Sam a breakfast, something she has clearly never done before and is out of her element. While this may be what may have been expected and desired of women on the whole at the time, it is a relief to see Sam ultimately reject these efforts and desire Tess to be herself while allowing more room for their marriage.
Ultimately, Woman of the Year isn’t the best film of the duo. But it is progressive and surprising at times.
Keeper of the Flame (1943)
This film follows Tracy as a reporter who wants to do a piece on a beloved civic leader who died suddenly. Things grow progressively mysterious the more he learns about the man.
This is a film where the first 20-30 minutes are interesting and the last 20 minutes are fascinating, but the middle 50 minutes are a bit of a slog. It is during that mid-section the film turns into a mystery. By the way, it’s worth noting that Hepburn doesn’t appear on screen for the first half hour of the film. She plays the widow with whom Tracy’s character is trying to get an interview. Hepburn plays a character that seems positioned as a sort of femme fatale type, but it’s not a role that ever fits comfortably on her. Crime drama is not a genre Hepburn dabbled in much to my knowledge and it’s clear why in this film.
What is notable about this movie is it turns into a political polemic that warns about the dangers of charismatic political leaders using their power and talents to manipulate the public towards destruction and their own assured positions of power. It is revealed that articles were to be printed in various niche publications to stir the pot between minorities and other groups, ultimately dividing the country and allowing hate to run rampant. This is incredibly prescient for 1943. We literally bore witness to a version of this in recent history and our country is still trying to heal and recover from it. It’s fascinating and an unexpected turn after sitting through 75-80 minutes of crescendoing dramatics.
Ultimately, Keeper of the Flame has its strengths, but is an uneven and often dull experience that even director George Cukor would become heavily critical of.
Without Love (1945)
Katharine Hepburn did a lot of stage work. Two of the plays she performed were by playwright Phillip Barry and were turned into films. One was The Philadelphia Story (1940) and this was the other. Barry wrote the role of Jamie Rowan for Hepburn and it was Hepburn, I believe, who was responsible for this film being made.
What’s fascinating about this romantic comedy about two federal government scientists who enter into a passionless and practical marriage is it not only stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, but also a pre-I Love Lucy Lucille Ball and a young Keenan Wynn. Now, if you’ve read my series on Disney Through the Years, you may recognize Wynn from 5 Disney films in the 1960s and 1970s like The Absent-Minded Professor. He’s a bit difficult to recognize here as he is without his trademark mustache and gruff voice, but he is prominent here in his sixth credited role. He’s also the son of Ed Wynn, a staple of Disney films for a time.
Admittedly, the stars are the best part of the film, as the premise and the work the leads are doing for flight and space travel are hokey. This film would be overshadowed by later greater films, but it’s a delightful mid-tier effort by the leads.
The Sea of Grass (1947)
For their fourth film together, Hepburn and Tracy star in a western drama about a man so determined to preserve 100 acres of untouched grass that he’s willing to sacrifice relationships to do so. There isn’t a lot of information about the production, so it’s unclear what drew the two stars to this project or even how they got contractually assigned to it, if that was the case. This is an early picture for director Elia Kazan, his second. Perhaps his inexperience explains studio interference that lead to Kazan discouraging people from seeing it. To cut costs, the studio utilized stock footage for the titular plains. The costumes were not approved by Kazan, who felt they were inappropriate for the film’s environment.
Those issues, while understandable, feel fairly standard for the time. The larger issues with the film have more to do with the script. It’s unclear if the film is trying to be historically accurate with its attitudes towards women and children, but most of the reactions by Tracy’s Colonel Jim are jaw-dropping. Hepburn’s Lutie has an affair with a rival character Chamberlain (Melvyn Douglas). Chamberlain feels with so many people migrating out west the development of the land is inevitable. When Jim learns of the affair he not only demands Lutie to leave, but to either choose splitting their two kids up forever (her son was actually fathered by Chamberlain) or to leave them both without a mother forever. It gets worse from there.
The entire film plays like a saga, spanning decades until their children become young adults. But it never engages in a meaningful way for the audience to get swept up in the saga. Also, Hepburn is absent for 1/3 of the film’s runtime as is the two leads’ chemistry, which really hurts the film. Overall, The Sea of Grass is watchable, but the pair’s worst film by far.
State of the Union (1948)
Frank Capra directed this political comedy that co-stars Van Johnson and Angela Lansbury with an appearance by Margaret Hamilton. This was one of Capra’s final five narrative films in his career, released a year after It’s a Wonderful Life. Hepburn and Tracy play a married couple with Tracy being talked into running for President - and being more progressive and plain-spoken than some around him would like.
In a way, this film is a return to form for the two leads - and their best film up until this point. However, its politics may surprise and turn off some. It’s important to remember the Republican Party was the progressive party until the early ‘60s. So, this film and others by Capra like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington boast humanitarian and empathetic ideals, including healthcare for everyone no matter their income.
But Hepburn and Tracy crackle in this film. And a 22-year-old (!) Lansbury lends a helping - albeit venomous - hand that is a real treat to witness. And seeing a smitten Margaret Hamilton, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West eight years prior, is a delight.
It’s worth noting that Hepburn was not originally contracted to star in this film. Claudette Colbert was to play the role of Mary Matthews. But Colbert and Capra had disagreements, she left the project, and Hepburn, who had already been helping Tracy prep for the production, stepped in.
At any rate, State of the Union is probably the best of the lesser-known or forgotten Hepburn and Tracy films.
Adam’s Rib (1949)
In what is arguably the duo’s best comedy, Adam’s Rib pits the couple against each other as liberal lawyers in a criminal trial. A woman (Judy Holliday) found her husband (Tom Ewell) with another gal (Jean Hagen) and shot wildly at the two, managing only to wound her husband in the shoulder. The husband pressed charges for attempted murder and our leads independently take on the case, Hepburn’s Amanda seeing it as a fight for women’s equality.
The entire affair is a social farce that is surprisingly topical and interesting even today while being consistently funny. The film was written by Kanin and Gordon for Tracy and Hepburn and they crackle on screen as both husband and wife and courtroom foes.
George Cukor maintains his status here as one of the Golden Age’s most underrated comedic directors. Cukor had already directed Dinner at Eight (1933), Holiday (1938), The Women (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), as well as several dramas like Little Women (1933), David Copperfield (1935) and Gaslight (1944). He would go on to direct Holliday in her star-making film Born Yesterday the next year and the classics A Star is Born (1954) and My Fair Lady (1964).
This was not Holliday’s first role, but it certainly was her first notable role. She would star in seven more films over the following 10 years before dying young of throat cancer in 1965. This was also Tom Ewell’s first notable performance. Many would know him best for playing a similar heel in the lead of The Seven Year Itch with Marilyn Monroe 6 years later. That would be his best-known film. As for Jean Hagen, this actually was her debut. She would go on to have a very successful career that included The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The Shaggy Dog (1959), and the TV series Make Room for Daddy (1953-1956).
Adam’s Rib was not only a highlight for the careers of the supporting cast, but for Tracy and Hepburn, too, in their run of 6 films together in the 1940s. It would be considered one of the greatest comedies of all time.
Pat and Mike (1952)
Kanin, Gordon, Cukor, Tracy, and Hepburn return three years later for this sports comedy. Hepburn plays a woman talented in numerous sports, including tennis, golf, and skeet shooting. But when her chauvinistic fiancee shows up to any of her games she loses confidence and tanks. He wants her to give it all up and be his wife. But Tracy’s tough-talking sports promoter sees her potential and takes her on as a client.
Tracy takes on a Boston Irish accent in this film and is less convincing than in his other performances. The chemistry between him and Hepburn here is largely dependent on him molding her into being a committed athlete rather than any personal relationship. And it mostly works. Whether or not the romance works or feels forced by the script is another thing. But what’s notable about Pat and Mike is screenwriters Ganin and Gordon wanted to highlight Hepburn’s real-life skills as an athlete and wrote a script around that desire. It’s actually a delight to watch. But also notable is the line of real-athlete cameos that appear in the film to play against Hepburn. Most of these names are lost to time as far as pop culture goes, but it definitely serves to pique one’s curiosity and learn about them.
George Cukor directed 9 films with Hepburn. This would be his last with her until 1975’s Love Among the Ruins and a TV-movie in 1979, The Corn is Green, one of Cukor’s last.
Pat and Mike is enjoyable, but a step down from the team’s previous classic.
Desk Set (1957)
The pair’s final traditional comedy was directed by Walter Lang (Shirley Temple’s The Little Princess, The King & I) and written by Nora Ephron’s parents, Henry and Phoebe based on a play by William Merchant.
Hepburn stars as the manager of a reference library for a network, a department that answers any trivial question called in by the public. She’s been in a relationship with a network executive and eagerly awaits his proposal. Meanwhile, Tracy plays an efficiency expert and inventor of a computer whose planning on having his invention installed in the research department and is sizing up the staff.
Mostly the film meanders more than majority of Hepburn and Tracy’s other films. But the highlights of the film are the scenes where the duo feature alone together, such as when Tracy quizzes Hepburn during a rooftop picnic in the cold.
Eagle-eyed cinephiles will notice former Busby Berkeley star Joan Blondell. She also starred in the original Nightmare Alley.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
The 23-year-old daughter (Katharine Houghton) of a newspaper editor (Tracy) and art gallery owner (Hepburn) surprises her parents with a whirlwind romance and engagement to a black man (Sidney Poitier). The four, along with the man’s parents and a family friend, gather for dinner to discuss the relationship and its possible challenges.
By this point Spencer Tracy’s health had declined rapidly due to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and respiratory disease - all brought on by his alcoholism and smoking. He had only starred in four other films in the ‘60s and hadn’t done any work in over three years prior to being approached for the film. Tracy was reportedly talked into giving this film an effort by director Stanley Kramer due to its social import. The rest of the cast reportedly signed on based on the concept alone.
Tracy and Hepburn’s films often had a social consciousness to them - and usually with an amusing or light tone. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is both different and similar than what came before. It’s similar in that it, too, features Tracy and Hepburn as a couple bickering over a central conflict or idea and that idea involving a form of social equality. It’s different in that their films had never spoken to racism before and the tone here isn’t as farcical or reliant on physical comedy as the predecessors. The tone balances amusement with sincerity - and it does it well.
Yes, the romantic leading characters are structured in a way to deliberately remove any objections beyond the speed of their romance and race; they are human ideals and lack any flaws as individuals. That’s okay, because they serve a greater purpose. Also, Sidney Poitier is able to sell his character through charm, conviction, and occasional wit. Katharine Houghton was an unproven actress at the time, getting the part largely due to being Hepburn’s niece. As such, it should come as no surprise that she is the weakest link. But she’s the weakest link standing side-by-side next to giants of film - even Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, and Roy Glenn, Sr., who aren’t as well known, were seasoned veterans comparatively. Kellaway had dozens of credits dating back to the early ‘30s, including Wuthering Heights (1939), I Married a Witch (1942), Harvey (1950), and The Shaggy Dog (1959). Richards, who was actually only 7 years older than Poitier, who played her son, was a Broadway actress, poet, and star of In the Heat of the Night (also 1967, also with Poitier), and was politically active. And Glenn, Sr. was also a prolific actor from the ‘30s who starred in such films as The Sound and Fury (1959), Porgy and Bess (1959), and A Raisin in the Sun (1961). So, when you add all of that talent up, along with Tracy and Hepburn, of course, you have a formidable cast that is going to bring a lot more weight than a newcomer.
Not only was the film historically important, but it served as a lovely curtain call for the legendary duo, Tracy and Hepburn. The film climaxes with a speech by Tracy’s patriarch that breaks down the evening’s conversations and his thoughts on the relationship in question. However, it also serves as a tribute to his relationship with Katharine Hepburn. Those tears you see glassing over her eyes during the scene? You believe those are real. And maybe your eyes become glassy, as well. The film even pauses a moment when Tracy is done speaking to allow the pair to exchange looks. It is an incredibly moving scene when considering their time together on the whole.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner isn’t necessarily the most entertaining of the Tracy and Hepburn movies. But it is one of the best for providing us with iconic monologues, performances, and a beautiful capper to one of the greatest duos ever to grace the silver screen.
The Ranking
Here is my ranking of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn’s nine films together.
Adam’s Rib
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
State of the Union
Woman of the Year
Pat and Mike
Desk Set
Without Love
The Keeper of the Flame
The Sea of Grass
What are your thoughts? How would you rank these films? Which is your favorite?
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