Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story

Katharine Hepburn's sex life may not seem like a worthy topic for an entire book, but KATHARINE HEPBURN: THE UNTOLD STORY makes the case that this superstar's sexual orientation informed her performances, her choice of roles, and the way critics and the public perceived her. Author James Robert Parish also shows how Hepburn's offscreen life was shaped by the era in which she lived. Fans who do not want to hear that Hepburn was bisexual or that her affair with Spencer Tracy wasn't all that it seemed may not appreciate this investigation. Others should enjoy reading the many "Golden Age" anecdotes (some I've never heard before) and seeing the rare photos (I assume some have never been before published). And what could have been seamy and exploitative becomes compelling and well-crafted. This book is recommended!

While I've never been a fan of Katharine Hepburn's, I've always admired the work of James Robert Parish, and he does not disappoint in this richly detailed biography of the 4-time Oscar winner. He takes us, step-by-step, from her birth in 1907, through her dysfunctional family life, her affairs with men and women, her unprofessional and immature behavior with colleagues, her attempts to rewrite her life story, to her passing in 2003.

The law says you can't defame someone after she's dead, which is good news for "Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story" in which author James Robert Parish makes a pretty fair case for Kate's bisexuality, if not lesbianism. But that's the purpose behind Advocate Books' publication of this consummately researched, elegantly written biography of the screen iconoclast. Using previously closeted material, Parish untangles the web of cover stories and mythology that Hepburn carefully spun while she was alive, not only naming her probable lovers (one of whom was quite possibly NOT Spencer Tracy) but also adding resonance to her career choices. Although Parish enacts his publisher's obligation to mention whether someone was gay or bi, no matter how tangential they may have been to Hepburn's life, he delivers a compassionate portrait of a woman who chafed at the constraints of society even as she challenged them.

Parish, who has dominated the field of show business biographies for so long, has dared to do what Scott Berg only hinted at and no other biographer dared: depict Hepburn through the lens of her hidden sexuality, as well as explore the same of other players in the motion picture industry of the time. Those who object to this kind of scrutiny will simply ignore the fact that to this day, stars often battle their own sexual needs with the marketing of their public images. This is an important and respectful book on a fascinating woman.

Katharine Hepburn left us as such an icon that it is refreshing to read about her as a real person with real struggles. Her life spanned much of 20th century show business. This is a wonderful book that gives us much insight into her life and childhood and also the ups and downs of her career (many of her films and plays were far from successful). It also gives us a look at her many relationships and friendships with men and women (esp a look at her legendary relationship with Spencer Tracy). This book is very readable and leaves one with a new understanding of one of Hollywood most unique personalities.