There were peaks and valleys during Katharine Hepburn’s career—an Oscar winner one minute, “Box Office Poison” the next. In her case, the latter was a consequence of her always striking and sometimes controversial personality. She wore trousers and exuded a feminist vibe (her mother was a Suffragette) before most people were ready for it. The New England accent sometimes grated, but she was bold and “out there” in a way few women were—exhilarating, physically nimble, androgyne and lady rolled into one. There was a reason her career spanned 67 years and boasted a still-record number of Best Actress Oscar nominations (12) and wins (4). Her career was more varied than she’s given credit for but it’s especially her screwball comedies (of which there’s a touch in all her best work) that she shines. Unique and irreplaceable, we are able to appreciate in our own time this woman who was so ahead of hers.

Curated by Molly Haskell