Classic Movies of Legendary Couple, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

As we continue our Legendary Classic Movie Couples Month, we are proud to bring you another wonderful screen duo and as before we will first discuss their films together today, then on Wednesday we will discuss the male actor's individual films and on Friday, the female actor's individual films. Our twosome for today has been featured in an earlier post, but we feel they are so special, we must feature them again due to their status as the one of the most beloved couples to ever grace the silver screen.

Today, let's talk Classic Movies of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn! This terrific team was comprised of two dynamic and accomplished actors who created an amazing number of classic motion pictures both together and apart. He was a two-time, back-to-back winner of the Academy Award for best actor while she was an incredible four-time Academy Award winner for best actress. Many of their individual screen appearances will be discussed later in the week, but it is their nine films together that we wish to present today. Most are considered classics and include Woman of the Year (1942), a delightful comedy about two reporters from very different backgrounds who fall in love, marry, and find they have very little in common (except love, of course); Keeper of the Flame (1942), a serious drama involving the mysterious death of an idealized statesman; Without Love (1945), a very funny comedy co-starring Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn; Sea of Grass (1947), a Western drama of range violence and marital infidelity; State of the Union (1948) has Tracy’s character running for President of the United States; Pat and Mike (1952), another delightful comedy which displays Ms. Hepburn’s tremendous athletic ability; Desk Set (1957) humorously presents the dawning of the computer age; and of course, their final pairing in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) in which both were nominated for Academy Awards. Ms. Hepburn won, but Mr. Tracy did not. He, in fact, had died after the making of the movie and was nominated posthumously. After 25 years, the Tracy-Hepburn collaboration had come to an end, both on and off the screen.

Our favorite of all the Tracy-Hepburn vehicles is (drum-roll please) 1949’s Adam’s Rib. This hilarious “battle between the sexes” tale pits married lawyers, Adam and Amanda Bonner (Tracy and Hepburn), against each other in a courtroom/bedroom romp that truly is classic comedy. The great supporting cast of Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, and Jean Hagen add their considerable talents to the humorous antics in and out of the courtroom, making Adam’s Rib one of the most delightful romantic comedies ever filmed. The witty dialogue by married screenwriters, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, is also superb. Don’t miss the fun! If you’ve never seen it, see it soon! If you’ve seen it before, see it again! We love it! We hope you will, too. If you have a favorite Tracy-Hepburn film, let us know. We love to talk about classic movies!

**Trivia Question for Today: What are Amanda’s and Adam’s nicknames for each other in Adam’s Rib? The answer will appear in our next post. Check out Let's Talk Classic Movies every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Ginger Rogers appeared as the Queen in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s TV musical production of Cinderella in 1965. The cast also included Lesley Ann Warren as Cinderella, Stuart Damon as the Prince, Walter Pidgeon as the King, Celeste Holm as the Fairy Godmother, and Jo Van Fleet as the Wicked Stepmother.

Classic Movies - Katharine Hepburn

Today, let’s talk Katharine Hepburn Classic Movies! Voted the American Film Institute’s #1 actress of all time in 1999, this four-time Academy Award-winner starred in so many memorable films that it’s difficult to choose just one favorite to talk about. Whether appearing with or without actor, Spencer Tracy, with whom she made nine films, Ms. Hepburn’s movies have been audience pleasers for years. There was a time, however, in the late 1930’s, when she was considered “box office poison” in spite of winning an “Oscar” for best actress in Morning Glory (1933).

That was before the smash-hit, The Philadelphia Story (1940), jump-started her career in Hollywood. Bigger and better things lay in store for Katharine Hepburn in the decades ahead.

The string of classic films she went on to make with Spencer Tracy are legendary and include such hits as Woman of the Year (1942), State of the Union (1948), Pat and Mike (1952),

and of course, their final pairing in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), in which both were nominated for Academy Awards. Ms. Hepburrn won, but Mr. Tracy did not. He, in fact, had died after the making of the movie and was nominated posthumously. After 25 years, the Tracy-Hepburn collaboration had come to an end, both on and off the screen.


Our favorite of all the Tracy-Hepburn vehicles is (drum-roll please) 1949’s Adam’s Rib.

This hilarious “battle between the sexes” tale pits married lawyers, Adam and Amanda Bonner (Tracy and Hepburn), against each other in a courtroom/bedroom romp that truly is classic comedy. The great supporting cast of Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, and Jean Hagen add their considerable talents to the humorous antics in and out of the courtroom, making Adam’s Rib one of the most delightful romantic comedies ever filmed. The witty dialogue by married screenwriters, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, is also superb. Don’t miss the fun! If you’ve never seen it, see it soon! If you’ve seen it before, see it again! We love it! We hope you will, too.

If you have a favorite Katharine Hepburn film classic, let us know. We love to talk about old movies!

Check out more of Katharine Hepburn's video clips:

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Kate and Spence Filmography, Katharine Hepburn - A Legend, Movie Legends - Katharine Hepburn, Angel - A Tribute to Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy Tribute, Kate and Spence Tribute, Bringing Up Baby, Whenever You Remember, Kate's 99th Birthday Tribute, 100th Birthday Tribute to Kate, Kate's 33 Portrait Clips, Kate's Quotes

**Trivia Question for Today: In what Katharine Hepburn film did she utter the famous line, “The calla lilies are in bloom again”? Hint: It is not one of the films mentioned above.

Bonus Trivia Question: Two of Ms. Hepburn’s Academy Award-winning movies are listed above, but what are the other two movies for which she won that coveted award? The answers will appear in our next blog.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Baby Humphrey Bogart’s likeness, as illustrated by his mother, Maud Humphrey, appeared on labels of Mellin Baby Food.

For your information:

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the exotic locations depicted in many of the classic movies? Places such as the Holy Land, the Caribbean, the Far East, Paris, Rome, and London are just a click away. This extensive online travel store has everything for all your vacation needs including flights, hotels, cruises, resorts, tours, golf vacations, and all-inclusives. Make sure to check out the “Extras” tab to purchase concert and sports tickets, clothing, flowers, and more. CLICK HERE to book now.

Classic Movies - Humphrey Bogart

Today, let’s talk Bogart Classic Movies! Voted American Film Institute’s #1 actor of all time in 1999, Humphrey Bogart’s movies are legendary. Although he had been in Hollywood previously, with modest success, it wasn’t until he brought his stage rendition of gangster, Duke Mantee, in The Petrified Forest (1936), to the silver screen that he really burst upon the public’s awareness. He went on to star in such classic movies as The Maltese Falcon (1941), To Have and Have Not (1944),
The Big Sleep (1946),






The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948),
and of course, Casablanca (1942), perhaps his most popular film.


One of our favorite Bogart classics and the one we want to share with you today is 1951’s The African Queen, co-starring Katharine Hepburn. This remarkable film captured for Humphrey Bogart his one and only Academy Award for best actor. We believe it was well-deserved and long overdue.

Set in the East African Congo during World War I, The African Queen tells the tale of “two mismatched strangers joining forces in a common cause, and finding love along the way”. Bogart’s river rat, gin-guzzling, Charlie Allnut, and Hepburn’s straitlaced missionary, Rose Sayer, are two of the most memorable characters in motion picture history. You will never forget their perilous journey on the riverboat, “African Queen” as they hatch a plan to torpedo a patrolling German gunboat. Filmed in Technicolor, the lush scenery and wildlife are spectacular. The compelling story is both romantic comedy and dramatic adventure. Under the capable direction of John Huston, Bogart and Hepburn deliver two very fine performances in this wild and wonderful ride on The African Queen.

This film has been meticulously restored, and is now available on DVD for the first time ever. It includes an all-new feature on the making of the movie which is very entertaining in itself. We highly recommend The African Queen or any other Bogart classic to anyone who loves legendary motion pictures and the artists that make them great. Watch one today!

Do you have a favorite Bogart movie? Tell us about it. We love talking about old movies.

**Trivia Question for Today: Did you know that Humphrey Bogart’s mother, Maud Humphrey, was a famed child painter and commercial illustrator, and that she used baby Humphrey’s likeness for a famous baby product of that era? Do you know what the product was? We will reveal the answer to this question in our next blog.

Trivia Answer from Previous Post: The Big Country (1958). Charlton Heston co-starred with Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, and Carroll Baker in this sprawling Western Epic directed by William Wyler. It is one of the best westerns out there. Pay particular attention to the over-bearing, often amusing, “Oscar-winning” performance by Burl Ives as Rufus Hannesy. The dynamic musical score by Jerome Moross also makes this an unforgettable motion picture.

For your information:

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the exotic locations depicted in many of the classic movies? Places such as the Holy Land, the Caribbean, the Far East, Paris, Rome, and London are just a click away. Our extensive online travel store has everything for all your vacation needs including flights, hotels, cruises, resorts, tours, golf vacations, and all-inclusives. Make sure to check out the “Extras” tab to purchase concert and sports tickets, clothing, flowers, and more. CLICK HERE to book now at competitive prices.