Katharine Hepburn Filmography in Pictures

This is the first installment of what may or may not become an ongoing series of articles. ESP stands for Every Single Picture and we’ve used “picture” to mean actual photographs as well as movies. You know how old timey Hollywood referred to movies as pictures? Well, there you go. What follows is a picture from every picture Katharine Hepburn was in. If you scroll through real fast, it’s a fast forward of her life and aging. My goodness, she was a beautiful woman.

At one point (I’m not sure how current my research is and I’m not about to investigate this further), she held the record for most Best Actress Oscar wins; out of 12 nominations, she won four. She was also nominated for five Emmys (she won one), two Tonys, and eight Golden Globes. She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star in American film history.

I accidentally read her autobiography, Me: Stories of My Life, a few years ago. It was horribly written and testimony why celebrities need ghost writers. It was this rambling stream of consciousness and she is no James Joyce if you know what I mean.  She was, by her own account, a hard woman who ruthlessly used others to further her career. I didn’t particularly want to know such things. Her long-standing affair with the married Spencer Tracy was one of the worst kept secrets of the time. She was born into a wealthy, patrician family. She was raised athletically and with a social conscience as her mother was a suffragette and the co-founder of Planned Parenthood. Her choice of career was not welcomed by her parents. I prefer to watch the movies and be awed by beauty than know such sordid details about the real person. My rose colored glasses suit me fine.

If you have a suggestion for the possible next ESP contestant, please leave a comment. Until then, long live the ballsy cheekboned Kate who got what she wanted no matter the cost.

1932: A Bill of Divorcement

Katharine Hepburn as Sydney Fairfield in A Bill of Divorcement

Katharine Hepburn as Sydney Fairfield

1933: Christopher Strong

Katharine Hepburn as Lady Cynthia Darrington in Christopher Strong

Katharine Hepburn as Lady Cynthia Darrington

1933: Morning Glory

Best Actress Oscar

Katharine Hepburn as Eva Lovelace in Morning Glory

Katharine Hepburn as Eva Lovelace

1933: Little Women

Katharine Hepburn as Jo in Little Women

Katharine Hepburn as Jo

1934: Spitfire

Katharine Hepburn as Trigger Hicks in Spitfire

Katharine Hepburn as Trigger Hicks

1934: The Little Minister

Katharine Hepburn as Barbara aka "Babbie" in The Little-Minister

Katharine Hepburn as Barbara aka "Babbie"

1935: Break of Hearts

Katharine Hepburn as Constance Dane Roberti in Break of Hearts

Katharine Hepburn as Constance Dane Roberti

1935: Alice Adams

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Alice Adams in Alice Adams

Katharine Hepburn as Alice Adams

1935: Sylvia Scarlett

Katharine Hepburn as Sylvia Scarlett aka Sylvester in Sylvia Scarlett

Katharine Hepburn as Sylvia Scarlett aka Sylvester

1936: Mary of Scotland

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Stuart in Mary of Scotland

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Stuart

1936: A Woman Rebels

Katharine Hepburn as Pamela "Pam" Thistlewaite in A Woman Rebels

Katharine Hepburn as Pamela "Pam" Thistlewaite

1937: Quality Street

Katharine Hepburn as Phoebe Throssel in Quality Street

Katharine Hepburn as Phoebe Throssel

1937: Stage Door

Katharine Hepburn as Terry Randall in Stage Door

Katharine Hepburn as Terry Randall

1938: Bringing Up Baby

Katharine Hepburn as Susan Vance in Bringing Up Baby

Katharine Hepburn as Susan Vance

1938: Holiday

Katharine Hepburn as Linda Seton in Holiday

Katharine Hepburn as Linda Seton

1940: The Philadelphia Story

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story

Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord

1942: Woman of the Year

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Tess Harding in Woman of the Y

Katharine Hepburn as Tess Harding

1942: Keeper of the Flame

Katharine Hepburn as Mrs. Christine Forrest in Keeper of the Flame

Katharine Hepburn as Mrs. Christine Forrest

1944: Dragon Seed

Katharine Hepburn as Jade Tan in Dragon Seed

Katharine Hepburn as Jade Tan

1945: Without Love

Katharine Hepburn as Jamie Rowan in Without Love

Katharine Hepburn as Jamie Rowan

1946: Undercurrent

Katharine Hepburn as Ann Hamilton in Undercurrent

Katharine Hepburn as Ann Hamilton

1947: The Sea of Grass

Katharine Hepburn as Lutie Cameron Brewton in The Sea of Grass

Katharine Hepburn as Lutie Cameron Brewton

1947: Song of Love

Katharine Hepburn as Clara Wieck Schumann in Song of Love

Katharine Hepburn as Clara Wieck Schumann

1948: State of the Union

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Matthews in State of the Union

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Matthews

1949: Adams Rib

Katharine Hepburn as Amanda Bonner in Adams Rib

Katharine Hepburn as Amanda Bonner


1951: The African Queen

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Rose Sayer in The African Queen

Katharine Hepburn as Rose Sayer

1952: Pat and Mike

Katharine Hepburn as Patricia "Pat" Pemberton in Pat and Mike

Katharine Hepburn as Patricia "Pat" Pemberton

1955: Summertime

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Jane Hudson in Summertime

Katharine Hepburn as Jane Hudson

1956: The Iron Petticoat

Katharine Hepburn as Captain Vinka Kovelenko in The Iron Petticoat

Katharine Hepburn as Captain Vinka Kovelenko


1956: The Rainmaker

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Lizzie Curry in The Rainmaker

Katharine Hepburn as Lizzie Curry

1957: Desk Set

Katharine Hepburn as Bunny Watson in Desk Set

Katharine Hepburn as Bunny Watson

1959: Suddenly, Last Summer

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Mrs. Violet Venable in Suddenly, Last Summer

Katharine Hepburn as Mrs. Violet Venable


1962: Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Best Actress Oscar Nom

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey Into Night

Katharine Hepburn as Mary Tyrone

1967: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Best Actress Oscar

Katharine Hepburn as Christina Drayton in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Katharine Hepburn as Christina Drayton

1968: The Lion in Winter

Best Actress Oscar

Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion In Winter

Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine

1969: The Madwoman of Chaillot

Katharine Hepburn as Countess Aurelia in Madwoman of Chaillot

Katharine Hepburn as Countess Aurelia

1971: The Trojan Women

Katharine Hepburn as Hecuba in The Trojan Women

Katharine Hepburn as Hecuba

1973: A Delicate Balance

Katharine Hepburn as Agnes in A Delicate Balance

Katharine Hepburn as Agnes

1975: Rooster Cogburn

Katharine Hepburn as Eula Goodnight in Rooster Cogburn

Katharine Hepburn as Eula Goodnight

1978: Olly, Olly, Oxen Free

Katharine Hepburn as Miss Pudd in Olly, Olly, Oxen-Free

Katharine Hepburn as Miss Pudd

1981: On Golden Pond

Best Actress Oscar

Katharine Hepburn as Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond

Katharine Hepburn as Ethel Thayer

1984: Grace Quigley

Katharine Hepburn as Grace Quigley in Grace Quigley

Katharine Hepburn as Grace Quigley

1994: Love Affair

Katharine Hepburn as Ginny in Love Affair

Katharine Hepburn as Ginny