Tuesday 8 July 2008

Katharine Hepburn in 'The Philadelphia Story'

When the alarm clock went off this morning, I was dreaming that I was trying to tell one of the women I love the plot of a film called 'The Philadelphia Story'. I think in the dream, I got the whole thing mixed up with 'Now Voyager'.

They're both romantic comedies from the 1940's. 'Now Voyager' is the one where Bette Davis has psychotherapy. ‘The Philadelphia Story’, on the other hand, is (well, what did the posters say?)



"Broadway's howling year-long comedy hit of the snooty society beauty who slipped and fell - IN LOVE."


Katharine Hepburn plays Tracy Lord Haven, a wealthy, stubborn, arrogant railroad heiress - "married on impulse and divorced in a rage" - who's about to get married for the second time, but still has feelings for her first husband, the dashing and colourful C.K. Dexter Haven, played by Cary Grant.

There's also a lot of interest from a tabloid journalist (Mike Connor, played by Jimmy Stewart) who gets exclusive rights to cover the wedding by threatening to reveal a number of rude (but true) stories about various members of the family.

In true Jane Austen style, proto-husband number two is safe but dull, so you know he isn't going to get the girl. (Heck, he doesn't even get to be on the DVD cover.) In one scene, Hepburn's character considers contracting smallpox in order to postpone the wedding. As you do.


When I was growing up, Katharine Hepburn was probably the oldest woman I ever fancied. Intelligent, good-looking, redheaded and a feminist (you see, even as a teenager, I didn't go for the easy option), she still looked incredibly sexy when she was over ninety. Way to go, girl.

4 comments:

I, Like The View said...

"one of the women" you love. . .

how many do they number? if that is not an intrusive question - and do you ever get to have sex with them? I haven't had sex for so long, I think I've forgoteen how to decline the verb

(read that which ever way you please)

"intelligent, good-looking, redheaded and a feminist" if that's not the easy option, I shudder to think how dull and tedious the easy option actually is (apart from the hair colour thing)

I did have another comment, but my brain has suffered some damage recently and now I can't remember what it was

I, Like The View said...

oh! I know

I once read a fascinating biography of Ms H; it was given to me by a really fun and funky OAP who I met on the beach in Goa in early 1992; I think I still have it somewhere in an unpacked box from the cellar of the rented house. . . if I do (I might have given it to a book stall at one of the village's many charitable fund raising events) and if I find it, I shall send it to you

(if they ever let me out of this hell hole)

a fascinating read

I, Like The View said...

see: brain damage. . .

using the word fascinating twice in one comment

Kathryn said...

How very odd! I just finished reading a biography of Katharine Hepburn the other day. It's a new one by a guy called William Mann and to use I,LTV's word... it was fascinating.

Katharine Hepburn was always one of my favorites too. :)

BTW We still want an answer to the burning question.... how many women do you love?