Katharine Hepburn's Oscars go on public view (is she rolling over in her grave?)
Oscar's biggest acting winner, Katharine Hepburn, pretended not to care about Hollywood's highest honor. She never attended the ceremony as a contender even though she once held the record for most nominations among actors (12) in addition to most victories (four). However, she proudly showed off those golden statuettes at her home in Connecticut and, meantime down at her Manhattan town house, displayed all of her Oscars nomination plaques on a wall for all visitors to admire.
Today Hepburn's Oscar statuettes go on public display in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, up on the third floor as part of the exhibition "Twentieth-Century Americans," right next to Hepburn's 1982 portrait by Everett Raymond Kinstler. The Oscars will remain on view there indefinitely.
The statuettes can be seen in the photo above, from left: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), "On Golden Pond" (1981), "The Lion in Winter" (1968) and "Morning Glory" (1933).
I own two of Hepburn's Oscar nomination plaques ("Suddenly, Last Summer" can be seen at left in the photo below, "The Rainmaker" at right), which are on view (indefinitely too) at the Hollywood Museum — right next to further proof that Hepburn really did care about the Oscars. You can see two of Hepburn's academy membership cards (1997, 1977 — view photo of them by clicking the "Continue Reading" link below).'
Continue reading - CLICK HERE!
The Great Kate did condescend to drop by one Academy Awards ceremony late in life to bestow the Irving Thalberg Award to her ole pal Lawrence Weingarten. It was at the Oscarcast held in 1974 (for 1973 films). Her appearance was kept a secret, and she was greeted with a wild standing ovation. She told the crowd, "I am also very happy that I didn't hear anyone call out, 'It's about time.' I am the living proof that a person can wait 41 years to be unselfish." Watch Katharine Hepburn's only Oscar appearance on the academy's You Tube Channel.
Her sudden turn-around didn't last long. Hepburn went right back to being selfish, to use her word, when nominated for "On Golden Pond" (1981). Again she snubbed the ceremony and again she won.
Photos: National Portrait Gallery, Tom O'Neil Collection
Please excuse sloppiness of a bit of that post. The Tracy folks i know are not his daughter: Susie, but that of his now also gone son: John Tracy-(l924-2007)
THANX
Posted by: Jeff L. | September 02, 2009 at 06:07 AM
4 BIG STARS TO MR. 0'NEIL
& although I live in Tampa Bay, FL a marvelous lady from Brooklyn & works in Manhattan actually rushed over to "Sotheby's" & got that catalog for me
I've been friends with remaining members of *Spence, going on 8 & 1/2 years & this was even a neat surprise for them, as I always try to send them any new data I come upon
Long story short, the only 3 inch "bust" of *Tracy that she made & can easily be seen in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"-(the sequence where *Poitier is holding the sculpture in *Spencer's character's office for example)
Well, original bidding price for it started at $300 or so & eventually sold via anonymous phone call-(personally, I wager it was R.J. Wagner)
for a whopping ($316,000)
the "M. Falcon"-(now under glass at the WB's museum
sold for ($383.000)
& again "CHERCE!"
Posted by: Jeff L. | September 02, 2009 at 06:05 AM
To Mr. 0'Neil, excellent coverage
& to quote *"The Great: Spencer Tracy"-(l900-l967) in "Pat and Mike" (l952-MGM)
"CHERCE!"
Posted by: Jeff L. | September 02, 2009 at 05:44 AM
Bette Davis was an unabashed admirer of Miss Hepburn. She even declared that Katherine Hepburn gave, by far, the best performance by an actress, the year that "Alice Adams" was released; and she, Bette, won a consolation oscar, by consensus, for "Dangerous".
Posted by: a m | August 05, 2009 at 02:42 PM
Your about a year late on this, I saw them last summer in D.C., this isnt exactly even close to being news
Posted by: Tyler j. Pratt | August 05, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Tom,
Obviously the stand on the 1933 Oscar is the shortest, but it appears that by 1981 the stand is at it's "tallest". The 1967 and 1968 Oscars look the same. When did changes take place?
Posted by: Larry, Providence, RI | August 05, 2009 at 07:19 AM
I got Kate's noms certificates back when Sotheby's held her estate sale -- somewhere around 2003, I think it was.
Posted by: Tom O'Neil | August 04, 2009 at 08:38 PM
Anyone notice that all of them are different shades? Well obviously the MORNING GLORY trophy needs to be shined or refinished or something. Tom, how long ago did you the nom certs?
Posted by: JayDF | August 04, 2009 at 02:43 PM