# Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227 "2003-06-29T22:27:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/1 "2003-06-29T22:27:20Z")
Just heard on the news. “No word yet on cause of death.” I’m banking it was a skiing accident. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/2 "2003-06-29T22:36:30Z")
My vote: child birth ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/3 "2003-06-29T22:36:51Z")
RIP. At least this recent round of dearly departed celebrities lived good, long lives. PS: I heard it was a bungee jumping incident. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/4 "2003-06-29T22:37:15Z")
Aw, darn. A toast, then – To Adam’s Rib. ---
**Author:** ![twit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/5 "2003-06-29T22:41:47Z")
Here’s the story: [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20030629/ap\_on\_en\_mo/obit\_hepburn](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20030629/ap_on_en_mo/obit_hepburn) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/6 "2003-06-29T22:55:12Z")
Jesus, that’s depressing. Here’s to _The African Queen_. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/7 "2003-06-29T22:59:24Z")
She was a great actress and a fine lady and her death deserves more respect than I’m seeing in this thread. Q ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/8 "2003-06-29T23:00:53Z")
Does she have survivors? No children, I’m guessing, but nieces and nephews and such? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/9 "2003-06-29T23:01:53Z")
A towering talent has been lost. One of the last queen’s of the silver screen. I roundly second **Quasi** ’s gentlemanly comment. Effing vultures. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/10 "2003-06-29T23:02:11Z")
Oh, and I bet she died from falling off her Harley. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/11 "2003-06-29T23:02:21Z")
I kind of have mixed feelings about her (despite being able to do one of the all time _great_ Katharine Hepburn imitations). She had this “if you’re not Katharine Hepburn you just don’t know what you’re missing” attitude that rubbed me the wrong way. Though I suppose if anyone had earned the right to be full of herself, it was her. And it took her a long time to learn how to act. I don’t mind that “she always played Katharine Hepburn.” But when you look at her praised early films–_Morning Glory, Alice Adams, Stage Door, Bringing Up Baby_–she was so fey and mannered that you just want to smack her. It wasn’t till the 1940s that she really learned how to act. I never did like her much in comedy–Claudette Colbert was much better; Kate just tried too hard. But she could be peerless in some of her later dramatic roles: _Long Day’s Journey, Lion in Winter, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner_. She was _awful_ in _Suddenly Last Summer_, but in such an enjoyable way! Ah, well, a good long life. Hope she’s up there kicking Specer’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/12 "2003-06-29T23:08:58Z")
She seemed to have been a neat and energetic lady. My top 5 of hers in order: African Queen, Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up baby, Pat and Mike, Adams Rib ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/13 "2003-06-29T23:13:53Z")
It _kills_ me that CNN is interviewing “biographer Barbara Leaming,” a dreadful researcher and equally dreadful writer . . . Does a negative, one-sided hatchet-job and now she’s on the news talking about “Kate,” like they were best pals. Oh, and **Quasi** and **Zen**? Go have a cup of tea and calm down, fer chrissake. Is this the only obit thread you’ve ever read? No one has even said anyything negative about her, except possibly my comments about her acting and her attitude. \*Honestly. \* ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/14 "2003-06-29T23:19:53Z")
Actress Katherine Houghton is one niece of Katherine Hepburn. [http://us.imdb.com/Name?Houghton,%20Katharine](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Houghton,%20Katharine) ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/15 "2003-06-29T23:21:50Z")
I don’t think its good taste to crack jokes, shes only just died. Its not like she was an evil person or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/16 "2003-06-29T23:27:03Z")
What we were all \*obviously \* joking about was the idiocy of the news statement, “No word on cause of death.” Now, for goodness sake, shall we get back to discussing the late Miss Hepburn (Kath **a** rine, not Kath **e** rine), and if y’all wish, take your objections to the Pit, where I shall _not_ join you. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/17 "2003-06-29T23:27:48Z")
For those of you wondering about more survivors [http://www.geocities.com/ssspiceey/Katharinehoughtonfamily.html](http://www.geocities.com/ssspiceey/Katharinehoughtonfamily.html) ---
**Author:** ![merrily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@merrily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrily)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/18 "2003-06-29T23:30:45Z")
**Philadelphia Story** was the best for my money. Her readings took ho-hum lines and made them very funny. Then **The Lion in Winter** , where she more than held her own against Richard Harris, is probably second. Again, she could get everything out of a line! And I’ve a certain fondness for **Desk Set**. I think I like it because her character is so smart, and not just a sidekick like most smart women. Thanks and good-by, Kate, we will miss your patrician pizazz! ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/19 "2003-06-29T23:31:13Z")
Eve, old people can get diseases or die unnaturally too you know. I don’t see why the news statement was idiocy. In fact, I’ve checked and it appears she was suffering from poor health recently and died of natural causes, but you can’t just assume that automatically. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227/20 "2003-06-29T23:32:04Z")
I must be missing something here – a little respect for Katharine, shall we? Please… –pause– and think about it, before posting a disrespectful comment. When you’re dead and gone, you’ll be wishing the same for yourself (and, you’ll have way less folks attending your funeral). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katharine-hepburn-1907-2003/185227.md?page=2)