Biography
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. A recipient of a record four Academy Awards and an Emmy Award, she was ranked as the greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute. She was best known for her sophisticated, headstrong and outspoken screen persona that she cultivated through roles in a variety of film genres — from screwball comedies to literary dramas. Apart from her acclaimed...
Known For
Complete Filmography

True Blue
2025
as (Archive Footage)
Stamatis cannot get over his breakup with Katerina. He stays locked inside, until one night Katerina visits him with one purpose only: to get him out ...

Call Me Kate
2023
as Self (archive footage)
A feature documentary which captures Katharine Hepburn's spirit and determination, exploring her story using her own words, through a combination of h...

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Hopkins’ career has spanned several decades, which is why we will also use many interviews that he gave throughout his life, allowing us to put him ba...

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood
2019
as (archive footage)
A history of anti-Asian racism and yellowface in Hollywood after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018
as Self (archive footage)
A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer t...

In Search of Tracy Lord
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Playwright Philip Barry and actor Katharine Hepburn, both experiencing career downturns in the late 1930s, worked closely together to create the iconi...

Becoming Cary Grant
2017
as Self (archive footage)
For the first time one of Hollywood's greatest stars tells his own story, in his own words. From a childhood of poverty to global fame, Cary Grant, th...

Katharine Hepburn: The Great Kate
2014
as Self - Interviewee (archive footage)
A peep behind the scenes of the golden era of Hollywood to discover exactly how and why Katharine Hepburn became one of the most famous actresses in t...

Smash His Camera
2010
as Self (archive footage)
A film centering on the life and work of Ron Galella that examines the nature and effect of paparazzi.

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Self (archive footage)
In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Honorary Oscar. But the first...

Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen
2010
as Self / Rose Sayer (archive footage)
The epic story of how the film The African Queen (1951), directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was shot on real ...

Early Directors on Directing
2009
as Self
There were more women directors before 1920 than at any other time in history. The first director to put a narrative story on celluloid was, Alice Guy...

Broadway's Lost Treasures II
2004
as Coco Chanel (segment "Coco")
The annual Tony Award broadcast provides the only filmed record of Broadway's best for audiences to experience as if they were front-row-center on ope...

Cary Grant: A Class Apart
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Documentary that explores the life and career of leading man Cary Grant through film clips and interviews. Produced as S18E03 of the long running seri...
Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love
2003
as Self (Archive Footage)
A short documentary about the making of the 1956 film, High Society. Hosted by Celeste Holm.

Complicated Women
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, until 1934 when the Hays Code virtually neutered fi...

Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
1997
as Self (Archival Footage)
Documentary featuring more than one dozen musical outtakes from classic 20th Century-Fox films.

Bogart: The Untold Story
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Stephen H. Bogart narrates the rise to fame of his father, Humphrey Bogart through the use of film clips, written material and interviews of friends a...

Katharine Hepburn: On Her Own Terms
1996
as Self
Four-time Oscar-winner Katharine Hepburn called herself a "personality" as well as an actress, and rightfully so. This biography chronicles her life a...

The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story
1996
as Self (voice) (uncredited)
The childhood, adolescence, and incredible adult years of Al Hirschfeld, celebrated creator of thousands of line drawings of famous people - many in t...

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996
as Self (archive footage)
A documentary reflecting on women in film and the entertainment industry through the ages led and hosted by some of its most beloved female icons.

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995
as Self
The life and career of legendary Hollywood glamour portrait photographer George Hurrell is profiled by his contemporaries including other photographer...

One Christmas
1994
as Cornelia Beaumont
Based on Truman Capote's bittersweet tale of a young boy's adventures with the father he's never known in New Orleans in the 1930s..

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage
1994
as Mrs. Venable (archive footage)
A study of Tennessee Williams's life and work as a whole, ranging from his youth in Mississippi and in St. Louis to success and acclaim, followed by t...

Love Affair
1994
as Ginny
Ex-football star Mike Gambril meets Terry McKay on a flight to Sydney, which is forced to land on a small atoll. They become romantic on board a ship ...

That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to G...

This Can't Be Love
1994
as Marion Bennett
Two aging actors, who had a brief but intense marriage in the 1940s, are reunited decades later to find that issues between them are not resolved.

Katharine Hepburn: All About Me
1993
as Self
In a rare interview, Katharine Hepburn shares her memories and memorabilia.

Katharine Hepburn: All About Me
1993
Cinematography, Writer
In a rare interview, Katharine Hepburn shares her memories and memorabilia.

The Man Upstairs
1992
as Victoria Brown
Hepburn plays an elderly woman whose house becomes a hideaway for an escaped convict (O'Neal), and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship.
Fonda on Fonda
1992
as Self (voice)
Jane Fonda hosts a tribute to her father.

Night of 100 Stars III
1990
as Self
A celebrity benefit for The Actors' Fund of America, featuring music, songs, dance and comedy.
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
1989
as Self
A study of the Group Theatre, a company that changed the face of American drama. The Group was founded in 1931 by Cheryl Crawford, Harold Clurman and ...

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
This documentary revisits the making of Gone with the Wind via archival footage, screen tests, insightful interviews and rare film footage.

Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man
1988
as Self (archive footage)
A retrospective of the life and career of actor Cary Grant, including clips from his films and interviews with his friends and co-workers.

Bacall on Bogart
1988
as Self
Lauren Bacall tells the story of her late husband Humphrey Bogart, presenting clips from his movies and interview clips with his peers.

Laura Lansing Slept Here
1988
as Laura Lansing
With a glittering cast that includes Katharine Hepburn and Karen Austin in lead roles, Laura Lansing Slept Here is a humorous family movie. Hepburn pl...

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
1988
as Self
Music documentary directed by Patrick T. Kelly.

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
as Self
A TV special on the 100th anniversary of the birth of film.

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
as Self
Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.

Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry
1986
as Margaret Delafield
A rich widow shocks her snobbish WASP family when she decides to marry her Jewish, divorced, doctor. His family is equally shocked.

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
1986
as Self – Host
In this tribute to her frequent co-star and longtime love, Katharine Hepburn hosts a behind-the-scenes look at Spencer Tracy's personal and profession...

Grace Quigley
1985
as Grace Quigley
Grace Quigley is nearing the end of her life, living alone in her New York apartment. On the day she's being evicted, she witnesses a murder being com...

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
1985
as Self
Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.

On Golden Pond
1981
as Ethel Thayer
For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer on golden pond is filled with conflict and resolution. When their daughter Chelsea arrives, the family is for...

The Corn Is Green
1979
as Miss Lilly Moffat
A strong-willed teacher, determined to educate the poor and illiterate youth of an impoverished Welsh village, discovers one student whom she believes...

Olly Olly Oxen Free
1978
as Miss Pudd
Albie and his best friend Chris want to come up with something special to celebrate the birthday of their late-grandfather. Something everyone will re...

That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical num...

Rooster Cogburn
1975
as Eula Goodnight
After a band of drunken thugs overruns a small Indian Nation town, killing Reverend Goodnight and raping the women folk, Eula Goodnight enlists the ai...

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.

Love Among the Ruins
1975
as Jessica Medlicott
An aging actress and socialite, Jessica Medlicott has ended her engagement with a younger man and is now being sued by her former fiancé. Esteemed bar...

That's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.

The Glass Menagerie
1973
as Amanda Wingfield
Amanda Wingfield dominates her children with her faded gentility and exaggerated tales of her Southern belle past. Her son plans escape; her daughter ...

A Delicate Balance
1973
as Agnes
In their finely appointed Connecticut home, Agnes and Tobias have grown used to the imperfection and fragility of their marriage. Quietly nursing thei...

Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props. By extension th...

Directed by John Ford
1971
as Self
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

The Trojan Women
1971
as Hecuba
In the aftermath of the Trojan Wars, Queen Hecuba takes stock of the defeated kingdom. Her son has been killed, and his widow, Andromache, is left to ...

The Madwoman of Chaillot
1969
as Contessa Aurelia
An eccentric Parisian woman's optimistic perception of life begins to sound more rational than the traditional beliefs of others. The story is set in ...

The Lion in Winter
1968
as Eleanor of Aquitaine
Henry II and his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, battle over the choice of an heir.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
1967
as Christina Drayton
A couple's attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black.

The Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Tracy Lord (archive footage)
Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.

Long Day's Journey Into Night
1962
as Mary Tyrone
An Irish miser, his morphine addicted wife, their debauched older son, and a gravely ill younger son. A quiet Connecticut vacation home on one foggy d...

Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
as Self (voice) (uncredited)
Henry Fonda hosts this retrospective on the career and films of iconic filmmaker David O. Selznick, who epitomized the era of the auteur producer in t...

Suddenly, Last Summer
1959
as Violet Venable
The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. What the girl saw was so horrible that she went insane;...

Desk Set
1957
as Bunny Watson
A computer expert tries to prove his electronic brain can replace a television network's research staff.

The Rainmaker
1956
as Lizzie Curry
Lizzie Curry is on the verge of becoming a hopeless old maid. Her wit and intelligence and skills as a homemaker can't make up for the fact that she's...

The Iron Petticoat
1956
as Captain Vinka Kovalenko
Captain Vinka Kovalenko defects from Russia, but not for political reasons. She defects because she feels discriminated against as a woman. Captain Ch...

Summertime
1955
as Jane Hudson
Middle-aged Ohio secretary Jane Hudson has never found love and has nearly resigned herself to spending the rest of her life alone. But before she doe...

Pat and Mike
1952
as Patricia "Pat" Pemberton
Pat Pemberton is a brilliant athlete, except when her domineering fiancé is around. The ladies golf championship is in her reach until she gets fluste...

The African Queen
1952
as Rose Sayer
At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to g...

The Costume Designer
1950
as Self (archive footage)
This short focuses on the job of the costume designer in the production of motion pictures. The costume designer must design clothing that is correct ...

Adam's Rib
1949
as Amanda Bonner
A woman's attempted murder of her uncaring husband results in everyday quarrels in the lives of Adam and Amanda, a pair of happily married lawyers who...

State of the Union
1948
as Mary Matthews
An industrialist is urged to run for President, but this requires uncomfortable compromises on both political and marital levels.

Song of Love
1947
as Clara Wieck Schumann
Composer Robert Schumann struggles to compose his symphonies while his loving wife Clara offers her support. Also helping the Schumanns is their lifel...

The Sea of Grass
1947
as Lutie Cameron Brewton
On America's frontier, a St. Louis woman marries a New Mexico cattleman who is seen as a tyrant by the locals.

Undercurrent
1946
as Ann Hamilton
After a rapid engagement, a dowdy daughter of a chemist weds an industrialist, knowing little of his family or past. He transforms her into an elegant...

Without Love
1945
as Jamie Rowan
In World War II Washington DC, scientist Pat Jamieson's assistant, Jamie Rowan, enters a loveless marriage with him. Struggles bring them closer toget...

Dragon Seed
1944
as Jade Tan
The lives of a small Chinese village are turned Upside down when the Japanese invade it. An heroic young Chinese woman leads her fellow villagers in a...

Twenty Years After
1944
as (archive footage)
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.

Stage Door Canteen
1943
as Katharine Hepburn
A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of the theater and films appear and host a recreati...

Keeper of the Flame
1943
as Christine Forrest
Famed reporter Stephen O'Malley travels to a small town to investigate the death of a national hero.

Woman of the Year
1942
as Tess Harding
Rival reporters Sam Craig and Tess Harding fall in love and get married, only to find their relationship strained when Sam comes to resent Tess' hecti...

Women in Defense
1941
as Narrator (voice)
Short documentary extolling the virtues and necessity for women to participate in America's preparation for war, showing women working in scientific, ...

The Philadelphia Story
1940
as Tracy Lord
When a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
1940
as Self
This short documentary, presented and directed by MGM sound engineer Douglas Shearer, goes behind the scenes to look at how the sound portion of a tal...

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940
as Self (archive footage)
This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeche...

Holiday
1938
as Linda Seton
Johnny Case, a freethinking financier, has finally found the girl of his dreams — Julia Seton, the spoiled daughter of a socially prominent millionair...

Bringing Up Baby
1938
as Susan Vance
David Huxley is waiting to get a bone he needs for his museum collection. Through a series of strange circumstances, he meets Susan Vance, and the duo...

Stage Door
1937
as Terry Randall
The ups and downs in the lives and careers of a group of ambitious young actresses and show girls from disparate backgrounds brought together in a the...

Quality Street
1937
as Phoebe Throssel
In the 1810s, an old maid poses as her own niece in order to teach her onetime beau a lesson.

A Woman Rebels
1936
as Pamela 'Pam' Thistlewaite
A defiant young woman struggles against the norms and morals established by Victorian society and enforced by her autocratic father.

Mary of Scotland
1936
as Mary Stuart
The recently widowed Mary Stuart returns to Scotland to reclaim her throne but is opposed by her half-brother and her own Scottish lords.

Sylvia Scarlett
1935
as Sylvia/Sylvester Scarlett
When her father decides to flee to England, young Sylvia Scarlett must become Sylvester Scarlett and protect her father every step of the way, with th...

Alice Adams
1935
as Alice Adams
In the lower-middle-class Adams family, father and son are happy to work in a drugstore, but mother and daughter Alice try every possible social-climb...

Break of Hearts
1935
as Constance Dane Roberti
Constance, a poor but aspiring composer, meets the great conductor, Franz, through their old music teacher. They fall in love, despite Constance knowi...

The Little Minister
1934
as Barbara 'Babbie'
The stoic, proper Rev. Gavin Dishart, newly assigned to a church in the small Scottish village of Thrums, finds himself unexpectedly falling for one o...

Spitfire
1934
as Trigger Hicks
Dirt-poor mountain girl Trigger Hicks is a loner. Her faith-healing is mistaken for witchcraft by the community. She falls for an engineer building a ...

Little Women
1933
as Jo
Four sisters come of age during the American Civil War. With their father away fighting, the family, headed by their mother, experiences tribulations,...

Morning Glory
1933
as Eva Lovelace
Wildly optimistic chatterbox Eva Lovelace is a would-be actress trying to crash the New York stage. She attracts the interest of a paternal actor, a p...

Christopher Strong
1933
as Lady Cynthia Darrington
A romance develops between a happily married middle-aged British politician and an adventurous young aviatrix.

A Bill of Divorcement
1932
as Sydney Fairfield
A World War I veteran returns home after fifteen years in an asylum and finds that everything has changed — his daughter is grown and about to marry.