Is It Is, Or Was It Not, True Love

 Tracy/Hepburn Meet in Woman of the Year

Permit me to rewrite Woman of the Year and submit an ending truer to reality than what MGM devised in 1941, reality I mean of a sort Hollywood routinely practiced in private (sometimes not even in private), while expecting us to Code-conform and buy their bromides. Bromide means “to soothe or placate,” but did Woman of the Year and ones like it really accomplish that? The ending was worked over, rewrote, reshot, left wanting still. Being a story of two people entirely mismatched, though physically attracted, it can only, by convention’s demand, resolve in marriage, which sets up the hopeless end. To treat that honestly would see the pair split, “Sam Craig” (Spencer Tracy) back to his sports desk, “Tess Harding” (Katharine Hepburn) carrying on with her column, both having enjoyed a two-to-three-month affair, if that, till fatigued enough to quit, a real life solution most with flexibility and resource would have chosen. Tracy and Hepburn had a “Great Love,” but did not marry: he already was, and she had no good reason to want that, having come from money and making enough on her own besides. A man merely slowed KH down, which was why she left a taken-in-youth husband curbside. Hepburn sort of lived with Tracy when both were in town, shacking up kept secret from a press, public, and his wife who built a wall of good works (treatment center for hearing-impaired youth) to block any discussion of divorce, which he didn’t want anyway, being strong Catholic, and besides, there were two children, and he liked peaceful retreat home afforded. These were people ruled by what was good for me-me, as all of us are, but unlike a majority, they had cake and ate too, even as stress of being public figures saw furtive coupling tough to maintain, Tracy/Hepburn as an offscreen pair not public-known until 1970 when Garson Kanin wrote his tell-most book.

Sport scribe Sam is a regular Joe, like Spencer Tracy we knew, while Hepburn as Tess is the waiter upon comeuppance that must visit all Hepburn creations before a fade, salve to 1942 sensibility, kerosene to 2021 insistence that any old film to be good must also be “progressive.” One thing viewers likely recognized then, as we surely must now, is that Sam-Tess have little business together outside a friends-with-benefits arrangement, a couple or three nights per week to scratch an itch, and freedom to pursue separate activities otherwise. Was Tess really going to give up a career, fry eggs for Sam (once she learns how), be a good and dutiful wife? You know a final split will come soon after an end title, a happy ending of the moment, but not forever. How many in 1942, or now, believe Sam and Tess will stay together, or would even desire such an outcome? Movie wraps are tricky because we all must approve them, or come close at least to consensus. Let novelty of Tess wear off, and chances are Sam will bolt, just as she would once reality of chucking fame and ongoing accomplishment sinks in. Face it, movies: Some couples just aren’t meant to be. Think Casablanca if Rick and Ilsa had stayed together. Would she live with him above the café, Sam the piano man, Carl, Sascha, constantly in and out, banging on the door, another Major Strasser to replace the one Rick shot? Here’s the thing: I don’t want Tess being such a sap as to give it all up to tend house for Sam or anybody. First off, she could hire it done (single Tess has servants). Are they going to live off his sport-write income? As was often said sarcastic back in the 30’s, Yes They Will.

 

Sam/Tess should have ended up like offscreen Tracy/Hepburn. Together when it suited them, apart when work or other demands called. That often as not meant pleasure trips alone, or with other companionship. Tracy had a few catch-as-can girlfriends over the haul, Gene Tierney of his Plymouth Adventure one. Hepburn surely knew of that, or was told, but she too had fish to fry, though notable is her always being there when he needed her, willing to personal sacrifice on his behalf. So, theirs really was a Great Love Story, or at least a Pretty Darn Good One, even if not of a sort most might experience. Tracy/Hepburn as real-life couple is quite the thicket given so many readings applied to it (most reliable interpretation? I say James Curtis in his Spencer Tracy book). We “believe” love and commitment as presented on screens, are less indulgent of pairs who linked off it. Gossips were for dismantling star marriages soon as vows were taken, or else worked to expose whoever ate berries w/o clergy approve. Tracy/Hepburn were off speculative limits, at least in print, being investment that had to be protected, and woe betide any columnist who rocked the boat. Tracy being married, and often seen/photographed with family, made balls easier to juggle, Hepburn seeming not a settle-down type to help still speculative waters. Fact secret was kept beyond even his passing (in 1967) was a trick no two could presently manage, but ask this … how much of a public would care what “stars” today are up to in private life?

There had been matings off screen before. With publicity enough behind them, a Gilbert/Garbo could be Antony/Cleopatra reborn. More importantly, their passion, if short-lived, would sustain a series of romances we’d watch on “real-thing” terms. Such was momentum studios longed for ... three, four (or more) profit-maker pics to feed off perception that co-stars were kissing in earnest, not just for camera sake. By the time Garbo signed off the relationship, it was time to move on anyway, for her and Metro, if not for discarded Gilbert. Lots of Hollywood couples stayed together for pure pragmatic reason, this to do mostly with career or money. That others of us do not operate, or cohabitate, on that basis, may save wear-tear on emotions, so were stars to be envied or not? Even at peak of a Gold Era, I wonder how many would actually trade place with a Garbo, let alone Gilbert, especially for what fate awaited his Great Lover, but after all, Antony didn’t wind up so well for himself either. So how many smooch teams got together and stayed together? People assumed Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler were married (they were not), MacDonald and Eddy ripe for continuous pairing on screen, even as she happy-married Gene Raymond, and why didn’t William Powell and Myrna Loy hook? It was easier to discount Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on backstage terms; something about them together did not suggest “together,” maybe because their characters mostly quarreled or were comedic when not dancing. Gable and Lombard had their love and marriage, but made only one picture together, too early (1932) to link reel with real. Bogart with Bacall was boffo to boxoffice, theirs an ideal for both personal and business. Was there another star couple that managed marriage and work so well? (Burton-Taylor to come perhaps, had they made more pictures people liked).

Tracy and Hepburn did a remarkable nine together, all the way to his end, none of the lot losing money, save Desk Set, result less of poor content than Cinemascope fatigue and television burrowing ever deeper. Hepburn had fails where not with Tracy, it guessed that audiences would not want her without him. Figures bore that out, at least during the 40’s, Dragon Seed a drag, Song of Love shedding a million. Undercurrent got by for curiosity to see Robert Taylor back from war service. What Hepburn had was instinct for rebranding herself for showman community that once wrote her off as poison to ticket-selling, The Philadelphia Story a spike she engineered, Woman of the Year done also at her instigation. You could credit Hepburn for the team-with-Tracy thing, for it was by most accounts her idea, and look what profits flowed from that. Mayer had reason to respect her judgment, and did. Impressive is fact she developed the Woman concept with writers, presented same to L.B., stood her ground for a (high) asking price, then took a commission as any sharp agent would. Had there been another actress at Metro to achieve a thing like this? Hepburn took command not just with smarts, but for comfort she came from, "background" as people used to call it (rare in her chosen rat-race), plus fact she stayed independent after buying ways out of pact with RKO in the 30’s. She made pictures afterward by choice, not obligation. Another thing that impresses me about Hepburn: She sent paychecks home to Dad, money invested by him, an allowance posted regular to her. Now that must be unique among annals of stardom.

Hepburn kept useful boyfriends, girl-friends too. She had confidence born of privilege and a family always boosting her. How rare is that? Someone truly stable could, can, thrive in Hollywood, or any circumstance for that matter, this a best-of-any adjunct to talent. Hepburn was sure enough of herself to be pushy at times, being right while others should hush and pay heed, anecdotage suggesting she ran much of shows that used her. I like the story where she crashed Tracy’s Malaya set to do a then-and-there story conference for Adam’s Rib, all but sending hapless director Richard Thorpe for coffee and buns. I used not to like Hepburn much. Obviously, that has changed. Scoring The African Queen for herself gave rescue from decline most of contemporaries faced, Summertime a Euro postcard encore in spinster-who-finds-love mode, this one by the way unavailable on US Blu-Ray, and should be, though there is a lovely Japanese disc that plays all-region, full-frame it’s true, but can be zoomed for 1.66 or so effect. More that is unique about Hepburn: She did class projects right to 2003 curtain, no degrading horrors for this vet. There are interviews by the score on You Tube, she really talked in latter years. The one with Cavett (two parts) is a darb. KH walks in and takes over the whole job, a delight to watch and listen to.

Tracy could be truculent. They invited him to be a guest villain on Batman in 1966. He agreed to do it if the episode were titled The Death of Batman. Jobs Tracy took in perceived (by him) “old age” (only 67 when he died) was contemplative and Kramer-ish, that producer-director a heavy pall at times. Courthouses ... cleric collars again ... let’s call the whole thing off. And just once, how about the other guy (F. March maybe) reducing to jello one of Spence’s windy I’m-always-right-when-morally-outraged speeches. Not Tracy’s fault: it was writers made him come across like a tiresome Moses on the Mountain. I wish instead he had led a Navarone sort of mission like other as-old male stars occasionally did. Despite admittedly fragile health, ST seems to me a potential action star in maturity that we unfortunately never had (Bad Day At Black Rock predicted what might have been). There was needed spike courtesy Woman of the Year, being a magnet to Hepburn and doing things on almost Gable terms, rather than standing behind in a Boom Town or Test Pilot where CG without contest got the girl. Not again would Tracy be so neutered, Hepburn the reason, his career the better for association with her. Woman of the Year was directed by George Stevens before he left comedy. Dialogue was smart and people grew to expect this of the co-starring pair. It was said their vehicles did better in the big towns (read sophisticated) than wider spaces. Adam’s Rib especially is very chic, Manhattan, cocktail-pouring, fun for "us" who made it and those in circles like "we" travel, mass viewership left w/ plain-spoke Spence to identify with and little else. Still, Adam’s Rib was funny, and clocked $3.9 million in worldwide rentals, this largely because Tracy made us-us welcome in his tent. Father of the Bride a following year made that manifest. Suppose anyone at Metro discussed Hepburn for Mrs. Banks before Joan Bennett was cast? And did Hepburn regret being left out of that hugely successful venture?

Hepburn officially let her Tracy cat out of the bag in 1985. This was two years after his widow, Louise, died. Hepburn in a meantime befriended the daughter, Susie. What with no family resistance, she could speak, and how she spoke. Hepburn was no star to withdraw in dotage, being ready and eager to review the life and career in print or in person, her calling shots of course, so let all comers adjust to that else find some other life to document. Hepburn had constructed a seeming most authentic persona. Was this the real her? I think she was less a vanguard feminist than someone used to getting her ways, always, and determined not to ever let it be otherwise. A friend of mine had a rare 16mm print of the Disney cartoon, Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, and somehow Hepburn learned of it, inviting him to come to the house and run the reel for herself and friends. Jerry told me she was exactly like the “Katharine Hepburn” of movies and legend, him in no way disappointed, even by her ingrained sense of entitlement (that’s me too, part-reason I’ve become such a fan). Here was KH persona, and who she really was as well, so take it or leave it. Jerry took it and liked it. She signed some stuff for him and was appreciative. Fun day for all. There are two documentaries Hepburn shepherded (yes, I suspect everyone else participating did so as sheep), one on Tracy, the other about her-her-her, and then there was a book, appropriately called Me. Then another book was her account of making The African Queen. Hepburn owned up often to being utterly selfish and self-absorbed throughout life. Points for her! We should all be so candid. Woman of the Year is had from Criterion, with plush extras, and there are Tracy-Hepburn Blu-Rays at Warner Archive (Without Love, Pat and Mike).