Top 10 Films: Katharine Hepburn
- Lindsay Blenkarn
- Dec 16, 2025
- 14 min read
Updated: Mar 9
Katharine Hepburn was a star unlike any other. An upper-class Bryn Mawr graduate with the disciplined athleticism of a true tomboy, she was utterly uninterested in Hollywood glamour. Known for her casual slouchy style and independent spirit, Katharine Hepburn was an unyielding force with a mind of her own.
Tough and assertive both onscreen and off, it seems the only man capable of taming her was the man who became her most famous onscreen partner, Spencer Tracy. The real-life love affair of Tracy and Hepburn has since become legendary, lasting for over 20 years and through nine films until Tracy's untimely death at the age of 67.
But even beyond her films with Tracy, Kate managed to conquer Hollywood on her own terms. She mastered comedies, dramas, and everything in between. Throughout her career, she won a record-breaking four Oscars for Best Actress (a record that still stands) and racked up 12 nominations in total. Enjoying an incredible career that lasted for decades, on this list of her most popular films you'll find movies from the '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, and '80s. If you have yet to see the real Kate Hepburn on screen, I suggest you check out one of these...
10. On Golden Pond (1981)
On Golden Pond is the most recent film on this list and it, also, marks Katharine Hepburn’s very last Oscar-winning performance. Based on the play by Ernest Thompson and adapted by him for the screen, the film tells the story of Ethel (Kate) and Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda), an aging couple who have returned to their beloved lakeside cottage for the summer, as they've done many times before. But, Norman is starting to show the signs of senility and the knowledge of his own mortality immediately puts a damper on their vacation. In the hopes of brightening things up, Ethel invites their daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda), to the cabin for Norman’s 80th birthday. Chelsea and Norman’s relationship has always been a bit estranged, but out of love for her mother, Chelsea stops by the cabin. Only she doesn’t come alone; Chelsea also drags along her boyfriend Bill and his 13-year-old son Billy. As it turns out, Chelsea and Bill already have a vacation of their own planned and they hoped that Billy could stay at the cabin with her parents until they return. Surprisingly, both Ethel and Norman agree to take in Billy for the summer, an arrangement that Billy isn’t too happy about. But, despite the odds, this 13-year-old boy and cantankerous 80-year-old man may still be able to find common ground.
A moving film about aging and mending relationships while you still can, On Golden Pond’s two supreme stars elevated the material more than any screenwriter could dream. Henry Fonda’s Oscar-winning performance would wind up being his last as the actor was actually quite ill during filming. On the first day of shooting, Kate presented Fonda with a brown fedora that had belonged to Spencer Tracy (his “lucky hat”) for him to wear throughout the film. Fonda was so touched by the gesture that he painted a watercolor of the three hats he wears in the movie and gave it to Hepburn. He also had lithograph copies of the painting made to hand out to everyone else who worked on the film (each numbered and with a personalized thank you from Fonda). After Fonda’s death, Kate ended up giving the original painting to Ernest Thompson. She had discovered that the painting just reminded her of both Fonda and Tracy too much for her to bear keeping it.
9. Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Eugene O'Neill, Long Day's Journey Into Night centers on the dysfunctional Tyrone family. Set in 1912, the entire film takes place over the course of a single day in the family's life. The family's matriarch, Mary Tyrone (Katharine Hepburn) has recently returned from treatment for her decades-long morphine addiction. As her husband, two sons, and daughter gather together at the family home, they remain fearful that she might relapse, just as she has done many times before. As the day goes on, decades of resentments, guilt, and anger come to the surface, threatening to finally tear the Tyrone family apart for good.
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a tragic look at addiction and the devastating effect it can have on a family in ways one might not even expect. The story and characters were, actually, heavily inspired by Eugene O'Neill's own family and it's autobiographical nature is part of the reason the famous playwright insisted that the original play only be published posthumously. This film version is extremely faithful to the Broadway play, maintaining the majority of O'Neill's original script with very few changes. However, the only cast member to have, actually, been in the original Broadway production is Jason Robards as the Tyrone's oldest son, Jamie. It was, actually, Florence Eldridge who had originated the role of Mary Tyrone on Broadway, playing opposite her real-life husband, Fredric March, as James Tyrone, Sr.. But, it's really hard to imagine anyone more perfect for the role than Katharine Hepburn, who gives one of her best and most heartbreaking performances as the fragile and troubled Mary.
8. Adam's Rib (1949)
Directed by George Cukor, this classic romantic-comedy marks Katharine Hepburn's 6th pairing with co-star Spencer Tracy. The two star as Amanda and Adam Bonner, a married couple living in NYC who both happen to be lawyers. When a controversial court case involving a woman shooting (but, not killing) her cheating husband catches both of their attentions, they soon find themselves on opposite sides of the issue. When Adam is assigned to prosecute the case, Amanda volunteers to be the woman's defense attorney, firmly believing that her client's acquittal would be a boon to women's rights. It doesn't take long for the ensuing trial to devolve into a full-on battle of the sexes that threatens to unravel the Bonners' marriage in the process.
Adam's Rib was written specifically for Tracy and Hepburn by their friends Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, a married screenwriting team (Ruth would later grow to even greater fame as an actress thanks to memorable turns in Rosemary's Baby and Harold & Maude). Kanin and Gordon had, actually, based their script on a real-life lawyer couple that they knew: Dorothy and William Dwight Whitney. Just like the Bonners, the Whitneys had previously represented opposing sides of a high-profile court case. For the Whitneys, it was the divorce proceedings between actors Raymond Massey and Adrienne Allen. However, in real-life, the Whitneys' work on that case not only led to their own divorce, it included the extra twist of the Whitneys each marrying their respective clients afterwards! By comparison, the plot of Adam's Rib is not nearly as dramatic but, is consistently cited as one of Tracy & Hepburn's most memorable romantic pairings.
7. Stage Door (1937)
Loosely based on the stage play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman, this intelligent film focuses on the lives of a group of struggling stage actresses living in a New York City boarding house. Katharine Hepburn stars as Terry, a girl from a wealthy upper class family who has taken it upon herself to become an actress, despite the fact that she has no acting experience whatsoever.
The boarding house featured in Stage Door is based on the real-life Rehearsal Club, a residence in NYC that was founded especially for professional women of the theatre. After initially closing the original Rehearsal Club in 1979, the Rehearsal Club, actually, reinstated their iconic residency program in 2018, continuing the legacy of helping to provide an inspiring and supportive home for promising young women in entertainment.
Stage Door features an amazing group of talented female stars, including Eve Arden, Lucille Ball, and a 14-year-old Ann Miller (Miller had actually lied about her age in order to get cast, even using a fake birth certificate). But, the real standout (besides Katharine) is Ginger Rogers as Terry’s world-weary roommate, Jean. Rogers gives a scene-stealing and hilarious performance that marked a major turning point in her career as a straight actress.
Behind the scenes, director Gregory La Cava encouraged the actresses to ad lib, while the screenwriters actually listened to the girls joking during rehearsals and would incorporate their style of speaking into the film, as well. This naturalistic approach definitely pays off in Stage Door’s fast-paced and cutting dialogue.
6. Desk Set (1957)
Based on the Broadway play by William Marchant and adapted for the screen by Phoebe and Henry Ephron (yes, Nora Ephron's parents), this effervescent romantic-comedy once again pairs Katharine Hepburn opposite her beloved Spencer Tracy. Hepburn stars as Bunny Watson, the head of the research department of a major television network. The research department, basically, serves as a dedicated research library for the network. People call in with their questions and either Bunny or one of her highly educated staff help find the answers for them. This all works quite well until efficiency expert Richard Sumner (Tracy) introduces a computer called EMERAC into their lives, possibly threatening Bunny's job or even making her entire department obsolete.
The character of Bunny Watson was, actually, based on the real research librarian at CBS, Agnes E. Law, who retired shortly before the film was released. Meanwhile, EMERAC is a parody/reference to ENIAC, the very first programmable general-purpose computer. The design of EMERAC was even created with input from IBM, prompting a namedrop in the film and a special acknowledgement of their assistance in the film's credits.
Although Desk Set was Tracy & Hepburn's 8th film together, it's actually the very first one they had made in full color. When adapting the stage play to the screen, the Ephrons made sure to take advantage of Tracy & Hepburn's famous chemistry by building up the banter between Bunny & Richard Sumner from what had originally been written for the stage. Although Desk Set was only mildly successful when it was first released, this witty and stylish film has become increasingly popular over the years, likely bolstered by the film's seasonal Christmas setting, as well as its still relatable concerns over the influx of technology in the workplace.
5. The Lion in Winter (1968)
Set in 1183, The Lion in Winter focuses on the events surrounding the Christmas court of King Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his immensely dysfunctional family. Katharine Hepburn stars as the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry’s wife and queen, whom he has been keeping in prison since her last uprising ten years earlier. Henry, Eleanor, and their three sons (John, Richard, and Geoffrey) are temporarily reunited for the Christmas court and no sooner are they together than the mind games begin, as each family member makes their own bid for power in their own distinct way.
Based on the play by James Goldman (and adapted by him for the screen), The Lion in Winter features a bitingly clever script. The film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Kate’s brilliant performance as the quick-witted Eleanor won her a third Oscar for Best Actress. However, in an unprecedented tie, Kate actually had to share her Best Actress Oscar with Barbra Streisand for her performance in Funny Girl. It remains the only time in Oscar history that such a tie has occurred in any actress category.
Kate was actually Peter O’Toole’s first choice to play Eleanor, but after the death of Spencer Tracy, O’Toole was concerned she would turn the part down. Instead, her response was simply, “Do it before I die.” However, Hepburn did make it clear from the very beginning that she wasn’t going to put up with the tardiness and late night carousing for which O'Toole was infamous. No doubt intimidated by her, O’Toole dutifully obeyed her every command and in the end, Kate enjoyed working with him tremendously. She later claimed that his youthful energy helped restore her at a time when she really needed it the most. For his part, O’Toole even ended up naming his daughter Kate, in honor of Hepburn.
4. Holiday (1938)
Directed by George Cukor, Holiday is actually a remake of the lesser-known 1930 film of the same name, itself based on the play by Philip Barry. This heartfelt romantic comedy teams Katharine Hepburn with the ever-charming Cary Grant and their lighthearted chemistry is pure perfection.
Grant stars as Johnny Case, a hardworking man who has just gotten engaged to the beautiful Julia Seton after experiencing a whirlwind courtship over Christmas vacation. When the two return home to announce their engagement to Julia’s family, Johnny is shocked to discover that his new fiancée is actually extremely rich. While Johnny is immediately accepted by Julia’s down-to-earth sister Linda (Katharine) and their long-suffering brother Ned (Lew Ayres), her father Edward is not so easily convinced. He has very firm ideas about what his future son-in-law should do with his life and what Julia’s lifestyle should be. But, it turns out that Johnny already has plans of his own and his plans are not exactly what Mr. Seton or Julia had in mind.
Originally, Holiday was intended to reunite Grant with his Awful Truth co-star, Irene Dunne, but Cukor decided that Hepburn would be much a better fit. At the time, casting Kate was a big risk since she was considered to be “box-office poison” by the major studios. But, Hepburn was already familiar with the role of Linda. She had understudied the role on Broadway and even performed a scene from Holiday for her very first Hollywood screen test. Of course, Hepburn and Grant sparkle in this movie, showcasing the chemistry that would make all of their screen partnerships so memorable. A playful movie with great characters, this is a film about the virtues of being childish and the importance of living life to the fullest.
3. The African Queen (1951)
Based on the novel by C.S. Forester, The African Queen not only marks Katharine Hepburn’s first color production, but it's often considered to be her first foray into “middle-aged” roles. Set in 1914, the film stars Kate as Rose Sayer, a British missionary stationed in a small village in German East Africa with her brother, Samuel. Their only source of mail and supplies comes courtesy of Canadian expatriate Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart in an Oscar-winning performance) and his small steam boat, The African Queen. The Sayers’ peaceful ministry is suddenly destroyed when World War I breaks out, making them British citizens living in an enemy colony. The German soldiers quickly destroy their village and round up the locals to use as soldiers.
When Charlie and his boat are finally able to return with supplies, he finds Rose alone in an empty village, her brother having already died from a combination of fever and heartbreak. Rather than leave her alone, Charlie offers to take her with him, but Rose has riskier plans. Rather than simply leaving, she wants to help the British win the war against the Germans while she’s still in enemy territory. She’s devised a plan to turn the African Queen into a torpedo boat and blast the Germans’ key gunboat out of the water. It’s an insane idea that would require them to not only navigate treacherous waters, but also sneak right past a well-armed German fort. Charlie is sure she’ll eventually give up on these plans as they travel on, but Rose is not a woman who gives up that easily.
Directed and co-written by John Huston, the majority of The African Queen was filmed on location in Uganda and the Congo. However, any scenes that required the actors to actually get into the water were filmed in England due to the dangers of exposure. Despite that precaution however, most of the cast and crew still fought various illnesses throughout the African shoot, including dysentery, malaria, and even appendicitis. Both Bogart and Huston were spared from sickness by existing solely on imported whiskey and scotch, therefore avoiding the contaminated drinking water. Kate wasn’t quite so lucky. Disapproving of Bogart and Huston’s drinking habits, she had vowed to drink only water in order to maintain a level head. This plan backfired terribly when she contracted dysentery (at one point, she was actually throwing up into a hidden bucket in between takes).
2. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Considered by many to be the definitive screwball comedy, Bringing Up Baby is easily one of the fastest and funniest movies ever made. Katharine Hepburn plays the part of Susan Vance, a daffy heiress who meets paleontologist David Huxley (Cary Grant) on a golf course and somehow manages to completely upend his entire life with her madcap impulses—partially by accident and partially by design. Things only get more complicated as Susan begins to find more elaborate excuses to keep David by her side as long as possible (therefore preventing him from attending his wedding with the dull Miss Swallow). One of the first of these excuses is her “need” of help in transporting her new pet leopard, Baby, to her family’s country home in Connecticut. Once David reluctantly agrees to help, his life will never be the same.
Directed by Howard Hawks, Bringing Up Baby marks the second time Katharine Hepburn had starred opposite Cary Grant and the two play perfectly off of one another as polar opposites David and Susan. Original author Hagar Wilde adapted her own short story for the screen, alongside screenwriter Dudley Nichols. The two actually wrote the part of Susan with Kate in mind and, indeed, no one else in Hollywood could have pulled off the fast-talking, overconfident, and impulsive Susan Vance. Hepburn and Grant, actually, ad-libbed frequently while filming and production often became delayed simply due to the uncontrollable fits of laughter the two kept falling into.
In the original story, Baby was a black panther, but a reliable trained panther couldn’t be found. So, Baby was rewritten as a leopard and Nissa, a trained leopard who had already been appearing on film for 8 years, was used instead. To keep actor interactions with the actual leopard to a minimum, both split screens and a puppet leopard were used for certain shots. However, the scenes that featured Baby moving freely around Susan’s apartment were filmed with Kate and Nissa inside of a modified cage, with the camera and sound equipment merely poking through the fencing.
1. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The film that single-handedly revitalized Katharine Hepburn’s career, this smart and sophisticated romantic-comedy also provided Kate with one of her most iconic roles. She stars as Tracy Lord, a Philadelphia socialite who is days away from marrying her lower-class fiancé, George. But, Tracy’s wedding plans get seriously derailed when her ex-husband, Dexter (Cary Grant), crashes her wedding, along with a couple of tabloid journalists (played by Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey).
The Philadelphia Story is based on the successful Broadway play of the same name by Philip Barry (who actually wrote it with Kate in mind). After originating the role of Tracy on Broadway, Kate managed to buy the film rights to the play with the help of her friend, billionaire Howard Hughes. This gave the Hollywood bigwigs no choice but to cast her in the role of Tracy if they ever wanted to adapt the play for film. Thanks to a string of flops, Kate had recently been dubbed “box office poison,” but this film’s success changed everything. Since Kate owned the film rights, this also gave her approval over the film’s director, screenwriter, and cast. For the director, she chose her good friend and frequent collaborator George Cukor.
Originally, Hepburn intended the role of Dexter to be played by Clark Gable and the role of tabloid journalist Mike to be played by Spencer Tracy (whom she had yet to work with at this point). However, when both of her first choices proved to be unavailable, Kate turned to her frequent co-star Cary Grant to fill in as Dexter and MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer suggested Jimmy Stewart for the role of Mike (Stewart would go on to win a Best Actor Oscar for the role). The combination of Hepburn, Grant, and Stewart proved to be a brilliant combination, with all three giving career-defining performances. Surprisingly, The Philadelphia Story, actually, ended up being the very last film Grant and Hepburn would ever appear in together, marking the end of a screen partnership that had lasted through four films in a five year span.
Honorable Mention: Summertime (1955)
Directed and co-written by David Lean, Summertime tells the story of Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn), a middle-aged secretary from Ohio who is fulfilling her lifelong dream to visit Venice, Italy. But, as an unmarried woman traveling alone, Jane starts to feel lonely watching the romantic couples that surround her. Although it’s not too late for Jane to have the Italian romance she’s always dreamed of, it may not play out the way she always imagined.
This bittersweet romantic film is based on the play The Time of the Cuckoo by Arthur Laurents. The play had been written specifically for Shirley Booth (best known for playing TV’s Hazel), who won a Tony for her performance as Jane. Booth was originally going to reprise her role for the film, but the studio ultimately decided she was getting too old for the role and gave the part to the younger Hepburn instead.
Filmed entirely on location in Venice, Summertime acts as a virtual love letter to the ancient city. However, the Italian government was initially reluctant to allow Lean to film in Venice during the summer season, out of fear that the shoot would negatively affect the income of local businesses (particularly gondoliers) during the height of the tourist season. Lean was only given permission to film after United Artists agreed to give a sizable donation to finance the restoration of St. Mark’s Basilica. Lean also had to promise the Basilica’s cardinal (the Patriarch of Venice) that none of the cast or crew would be seen wearing short dresses or bare arms around the city’s holy sites. Of course, tourism in Venice exploded after the film’s release and Summertime was later cited as David Lean’s personal favorite out of his films. The film is entirely dependent on the power of Katharine Hepburn’s charms, but the shoot unfortunately left Kate with an unwanted souvenir. While filming a scene that required her to fall into the canal, Kate contracted an eye infection due to her time spent in the polluted water. This infection ended up turning into a rare form of conjunctivitis that would, unfortunately, plague Kate for the rest of her life.
To see this list on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/zs2Dw$3Kw8XZg9lNja2KFC
Which Katharine Hepburn Movie Is Your Favorite?
0%The Philadelphia Story
0%Desk Set
0%Summertime
0%Bringing Up Baby
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