Did Katharine Hepburn deserve four Oscars?
Monday, May 11, 2020 at 9:21AM By Cláudio Alves...
Before we wrap up our coverage of 1981, we must talk about the Oscar record that was established that season and has never been broken since.
By winning the Best Actress trophy for On Golden Pond, Katharine Hepburn became the most awarded actor in Academy Awards history, with four victories. That's not the only factor that makes her awards run so interesting. Famously, she was part of the only Best Actress tie when she and Barbra Streisand both won in 1968. Then, there's the fact that her first win came from the biggest Oscar eligibility period ever (17 months, 1932-33) and that the gap between her first win and her last is the longest for any actor (48 years). All this and she was never present to accept her little golden men. Whether you love her or not, this Old Hollywood star was truly one of a kind...
After a mildly inconsistent career onstage, Katharine Hepburn made her first movie in 1932 for RKO. The picture was a drama called A Bill of Divorcement in which she shone, something that didn't go unnoticed by the studio that henceforth put all its efforts into making the ingenue into the next big star. Her three following movie roles saw her dress up like a silver moth, bring to life one of American literature's most beloved heroines, and offer 1930s audiences their version of Rachel Berry. It was for that last effort, Morning Glory, that Hepburn would be Oscar-nominated and eventually win, sealing the deal on her stardom.
For the past 87 years, many have wondered why the actress was nominated for that instead of George Cukor's Little Women. It certainly feels strange, considering that the Louisa May Alcott adaptation scored a Best Picture nod while Morning Glory wasn't recognized in any category beyond Best Actress. The nature of her role in Morning Glory was probably what pushed that film to Oscar glory. After all, the Academy has a well-known affection for actors playing actors, and the character of Eva Lovelace is defined by her ambitions as a performer. She's a young actress, eager to succeed in show business and Hepburn plays her with single-minded intensity from minute one.
It's a tiresomely consistent performance and only a drunken interlude offers the actress any opportunity to add variation to this obnoxious character. She's best when trying to be funny and worst when attempting to make sense of the movie's romantic conclusion. The problems of the script ultimately defeat Hepburn, but that didn't stop the Academy from handling her the Oscar. After that, it would take many decades before she would win again, though nominations continued to come her way. From 1933 to 1967, Hepburn's career took many sharp turns, from box-office poison to legend-status, through political controversy, a much-publicized romance with Spencer Tracy, and eight additional Oscar nominations.
That very same romance would be at the center of her second Best Actress win, which came in 1967 for the last film the lovebirds ever did together, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Stodgy, stale, and retrograde, this Stanley Kramer lecture on racial equality as seen through the eyes of white liberals is a dreadful thing. Still, the sentimental appeal the movie acquires thanks to the histories of Hepburn and Tracy adds some value to the enterprise. This was the actor's last movie, as he died not long after shooting wrapped. That real-life tragedy, as well as the movie's popularity with a certain crowd (it was a box office hit and Best Picture nominee), convinced the Academy to give Hepburn a second Oscar.
Honestly, I wish I could love this performance as some do, but it's a repetitive work with little to no depth. Hepburn seems to be always on the verge of tears, oscillating between beatific admiration for Tracy's patriarch and bland motherly devotion. Her initial reaction to Sidney Poitier as her daughter's black fiancée is so overdone that it's comical and only an acidic scene with a prejudiced employee sees the actress wake up from her sentimental stupor. Reading up on the behind the scenes details of the movie offers some explanation to Hepburn's lackluster work, but that doesn't make her victory any less undeserving.
The following year, Hepburn won again, becoming the second woman to win back-to-back Best Actress trophies after Luise Rainer in the 30s. In The Lion in Winter, Katharine Hepburn is Eleanor of Aquitaine, the imprisoned wife of Henry II, King of England in the 12th century. Not that the production makes any pretension of being remotely bound to the realities of history. This is a sordid melodrama first and foremost, a soap opera set in Medieval times whose narrative serves as a pretext to gather a bunch of illustrious actors and have them throw shade at each other in increasingly hyper-literate ways. It's glorious, that's what it is.
A lot of that is due to its perfect cast lead by Peter O'Toole and Hepburn, who sinking their teeth into the most succulent of roles and clash their contrasting acting styles with such force the screen seems to vibrate. As Elanor, Hepburn is a force of nature, elevating the Shakespeare-lite witticisms into blunt instruments of verbal warfare. Her insults are no vacuous wordplay, they are the overflow of poison that comes from a maltreated soul, one so consumed by cruelty that the barrier between love and hatred is nonexistent. It's a riveting spectacle, but also frightening, her wrath pulsing with genuine pain. To see her and O'Toole play against each other is to see the most toxic sort of foreplay, erotically charged and drowning in viperous abandon.
A marvelous performance indeed and undoubtedly Oscar-worthy too. The same, unfortunately, can't be said about her fourth win, for 1981's On Golden Pond. I confess I have little affection for this syrupy swan song to Henry Fonda, although there are some metatextual elements to do with its actors that make it mildly captivating. As for Katharine Hepburn's performance as the wife of Fonda's curmudgeon, it's a nice effort with little challenges but a couple of nice moments. At the very least, her chemistry with the coprotagonist is believable and the panic she projects during some dramatic scenes is admittedly moving.
It's still not even close to Oscar-worthy in my book. That's the sad thing about Hepburn's historic record. For one of the best actresses to have ever stepped in front of a camera, the most awarded performer in Oscar history, Katharine Hepburn's wins offer a rather lousy representation of her talents. Apart from The Lion in Winter, they are mediocre works that ask little of the actress and there's not even the excuse of her being such an overwhelming lock that another winner was impossible. Hell, in 1968 the results were so close they produced a tie.
All that complaining aside, I do love Katharine Hepburn and wouldn't want to finish a piece about her in such a sour note. Thinking of that and what was previously done for Meryl Streep and Paul Newman, here go some choices that might've made for more justifiable Oscar victories:
ALICE ADAMS (1935)
George Stevens was one of Hepburn's best directors and, in this 1935 melodrama cum comedy, he got her to give one of her most relaxed performances. She's hardly ever been funnier than here, but some of the most serious scenes are of equal mastery, showing realistic sorrow and desperation amid the laughs.
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
After a string of flops in the late 30s, Hepburn's movie career was at risk, but she was quick to buck the trend with a role made for her. The Philadelphia Story is a pivot point of great importance in the actress's illustrious career as well as her best movie star performance. It allows Hepburn to use her screen persona as a starting point for a razor-sharp characterization. There's also great romantic chemistry and hilarious drunken shenanigans for those interested.
;)
SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER (1959)
In this Tennessee Williams adaptation, Hepburn turns motherhood into a perversion viler and more disgusting than even the act of eating human flesh. This is a poisonous wonder, an actress relishing in her character's malevolence in such a way that it's impossible to take our eyes off of her.
LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (1962)
Speaking of grand plays adapted to the screen and the brilliance of Hepburn, there's nothing else in her career that comes even close to her Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey Into Night. Wrecked and broken, this performance is more akin to a demonic possession than a star turn, a public self-evisceration of a damaged soul that's upsetting in its grotesque excess and heartbreaking in its emotional honesty.
Those four highlighted performances are sterling achievements but, in truth, we could list half a dozen more and still have enough for another piece. Of her nominated works, David Lean's Summertime deserves an honorable mention for its lovelorn melancholy. Not that she could ever hope to win against Anna Magnani's titanic performance in The Rose Tattoo, but it's still one of her best. As for the non-nominated works, I'd like to mention her 1937 self-parody in Stage Door, the 1938 comedy double-whammy of Bringing Up Baby and Holiday as well as her work in 1949's Adam's Rib, her best movie with Tracy as far as I'm concerned.
So, in conclusion, the answer to the question of "did Katharine Hepburn deserve four Oscars?" is yes. Though, not for, at least, three of those performances.
More from our 1981 retrospective
- The 1981 Supporting Actress Smackdown
- Kathleen Turner's sizzling debut in Body Heat
- Meryl's first Best Actress nomination
- Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Jessica Harper in Pennies From Heaven
- Marilia Pera in Pixote
- Only When I Laugh and the Razzies
- Kathryn Harrold in Modern Romance
- Vintage: Pop Culture in 1981
- Vintage: Sexiest People Born in 1981
Reader Comments (64)
I can honestly answer no. I have seen most of her nominated performances, and in those cases where she did not win, the winner's achievement was always ahead of Hepburn's, except The Lion in Winter. I do think she can be very good but I have to agree with those who say nobody deserves four Oscars. I adore Bette Davis, who is probably the greatest ever, and I would not give her more than three. If Meryl wins a fourth, that will most definitely be a travesty. She already has one that is not deserved.
Definitely deserved for Lion in Winter, but so did Pete O'Toole. Don't think she should have won for On Golden Pond. Would have to think about her other nominations to determine if she was deserving a win.
I do believe Streep will eventually win a fourth. Of course Streep probably deserves 5-6 Oscars by now.
If we're not revising history to change the nominations, then yes, I think Katharine Hepburn deserved four Oscars--actually five--but not for most of the roles for which she won, except for "On Golden Pond." I think she's wonderful in it, but it's been forever since I've seen it, so maybe I'd change my mind if I rewatch it. Among her wins, I'm also impressed by her performance in "The Lion in Winter," but I'd place her second, after Streisand.
These are the years in which I think she gave the best performance out of the five nominated:
1935 "Alice Adams"
1956 "The Rainmaker"
1959 "Suddenly, Last Summer"
1962 "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (her finest performance ever)
1981 "On Golden Pond"
She's a great actress.
Kate deserved much more than 4 Oscars.
And some people must keep their mouth shut.
Period.
As you can see Claudio - it is a fantastic question to ask - and I think I asked myself plenty of times without going into detail. So thanks for that !!!
I join in to say I'm happy she is the queen but not for her winning performances - rather for her legacy & charisma (love her in "Lion", Philadelphia" & "Long Journey" so there's her 3) - and actually adore the fact that 4 outstanding Hollywood veterans where honoured in '81 ... when did that ever happen again?
And yes I believe if an artist is able to stun or move us that deeply or are creating legendary characters, of course they should collect their 3rd or 4th trophy. With Hepburn there was indeed a lot of sentiment involved. Who has the real talent, that actually is deserving of having 4 Oscars is another question. Baring in mind that for a long time studios didn't want actors to drift off to much from their created path. Hurray for Bette !!
In the lack of good movies, I revisited "Bridges Of Madison County" & "Blue Jasmin" on the weekend. My lord ... what a feast. An actress who is able to tell a whole life story in the first 60 seconds of her appearance in a movie is in my books such a gift. The beginning of "Bridges" is dreadful but Meryl lets you fall in love with her character within the minute she appears on the screen - and she's just setting a dinner table, it is really quiet incredible to witness, especially if you have seen the movie before. Blanchett & Streep couldn't be more different in how they tackle their character studies but they leave us with so much to digest.
So long story - yes I do believe some actors deserve their multiple Oscars but I think Meryl should have the honours of topping Hepburn - she never stopped reinventing her craft over and over again and still can leave us speechless. I can see a similar commitment in a very different way in Theron.
Sending good vibes from Africa
No maam. Next question. Her best was in The Lion's Winter. She lack the range. Period.
100% agreeance on Alice Adams. I really love her performance in that sublime little film.
Katherine should have gifted her Oscar for 'Guess Who's Coming For Dinner?' to Spencer Tracy's wife. Nobody deserves 4 Oscars. I think 3 is the most anyone deserves.
A great write up, Claudio!
Juz a minor quibble: U spelled her name wrong in the title itself! Its shd be KathArine, not KathErine, Thank U v Much! Hepburn herself wld be sooo annoyed tt a fan wld spelled her name wrong. lol
Yes, Hepburn gives many award worthy performances & those u listed r all v deserving of a win and it's a shame tt she had to win on her 3 worst nominations.
But to ans yo Q, did she deserve four Oscars?? We have to look to the wins of her nearest rivals, i.e. Bette Davis & Meryl Streep & even Ingrid Bergman for the ans.
Bette: She is as well beloved as Hepburn yet she only win twice outta her 10 (or 11) noms, and one of them is sadly a compensation win. Looking at her competition in the various yrs, I'd say she do deserve ano win, NOT for All About Eve (Swanson shld've won tt yr) but for her works in Of Human Bondage or The Letter (I'd prefer All This & Heaven Too, but...I'll settle for tor this strong work)
Ingrid: Sigh,, I luv Ingrid, but her win for Gaslight robbed Stanwych of a much more deserved victory for her iconic turn in Double Indemnity. I'm more ok w her subsequent wins althot Murder on Orient Express is def a sentimental win and even she acknowledged tt Valentina shld've won. I wld say she deserves two best actress wins for Notorious (sadly not nom) and Autumn Sonata.
Meryl; the Queen of Oscars wins only three times outta her record 21 noms, there's an average of one win per seven noms. I dun quite ustand the hate she gets from winning for The Iron Lady, when Hepburn herself wins for for barely serviceable works on Guess Who & Golden Pond. If there is anyone who actually deserves four Oscar, surely it shld be her, who consistently turns out good to great works
So in summary, Hepburn indeed gives many award worthy performances but taking into consideration tt her nearest above rivals only average three wins, I 'd say she deserve three wins & I'd have awarded her for Little Women 1933, Alice Adams 1935, & The Lion in Winter 1968. However, If I cld pick a fourth win for her, it wld be Summertime 1955. sry, but Magnani acting is too hammy for me, sorta like a female Lancaster (who ironically, IS her co-star in The Rose Tattoo, where they both try to out-ham ea other!! lol)
Claran -- Thanks for pointing that out. I can't believe I let that escape, though I should consider myself happy that I didn't misspell her name within the piece itself.
Truth be told, looking at my lists of personal Oscar picks, I'd give Hepburn four victories. In 1935 for Alice Adams, 1955 for Summertime, 1962 for Long Day's Journey Into Night and 1968 for The Lion in Winter.
As for Magnani, she'd be my pick for Best Supporting Actress of 1946 for Rome, Open City, and Best Actress of 1953 for Bellissima.
Bette Davis, as much as I love her, would only get one Oscar if I voted. Best Actress of 1942 for Now, Voyager.
Ingrid Bergman would get two victories. Best Actress 1957 for Elena et Les Hommes aka Paris Does Strange Things and Best Actress 1978 for Autumn Sonata.
Meryl Streep gets two wins for me, Best Supporting Actress 1979 for Kramer vs Kramer and Best Actress 1983 for Silkwood. She may get three, for I'm still undecided about Best Actress 1995, between Julianne Moore in Safe and Streep in The Bridges of Madison County.
Sorry for sharing all these personal Oscars unprompted, but I do think about these things a lot (and have probably hundreds of lists about the subject). Thanks for sharing your picks and for pointing out the mistake. I'm always doing these typos and they're always shameful.
@Claudio, no need to be so apologetic, we all get names wrong sumtime. I guess its b;cos its in the title but not the actual content, tt the misspelling goes undetected.
re:Ingrid, Elena & Her Men is a very inspired choice!! But since its released in 1956 (according to IMDB), She shld still be the best actress of 1956 (for you) but for a diff performance. lol
re Bette: I luv Now, Voyager too!! She actually is the runner-up to Garson tt year. I guess she won her 1st two Oscars too quickly tt the Academy dun see the urgency to award her a 3rd.
re Meryl: I luv Silkwood & Bridges too!! Maybe in your 1995 best actress choice, you cld have a tie!! lol
Claran -- Thank you for the kind words.
Regarding Elena et les homes, its original release was in 1956, but it was only eligible for the Oscar in 1957. You can check it out here:https://www.atogt.com/askoscar/display-reminder-list-text.php?yr=30&origin=list-cover
Elena is under Paris Does Strange Things, which was its original American release title.
Elena and Her Men's available on the Criterion Channel and was released years ago on Criterion DVD as part of its late Renoir box set.
My choices.. Alice Adams, The African Queen, Summertime, the Lion in Winter, She may have been Kate in most of her movies but she was always Glorious and Incandescent.