European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse The invincible Hepburn by Barbara Lovenheim new York times ver since Kai Hawie Hepburn won the first of Bor Lour Academy awards 1or playing thru Lolo of a stage struck Tomboy in morning glory m 1933, she has Woood audiences with he unique Blond of Sass and class unlike Many of her actresses who have Laded from vie she has Lakin on some of her most memorable and significant roles late in to she won three oscars alter she turned so Tor her performances in guess who s coming to dinner the lion m Winter and on col Jon Pond now. Still invincible As she approaches her 78lh Bihday she has just gone 1o Vancouver to make another film guest appearance a television comedy by James Pedeaux about a crusty newspaper woman who thinks she knows everything. She Aiso Matte net Long awaited debut As an author with the publication in october of the making of the african Queen or How i went to Alrica Wilh Bogart Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind Knippa 129-Pago Memoir illustrated wilh4s photographs that re creates her sojourn from Tho moment he producer Sam Spiegel called her and gave her the scrip. The both is on the new York times list of non Ilion Best Sellers. Ill never to the kind of Book that people try to do on me they re All slightly cockeyed because they contain stones int just Aren t so Hepburn said recently in her townhouse in Manhattan where she has lived for More than 50 years. Bui whal a person has Learned about Lilc is interesting to me she said and whal Aiso interests me Are films that were really disastrous or too successful or where something Wembly funny happened and i decided to Grilc Aboul the african of Ion because it was funny. I was a fascinating Story of How people Juggie choir own personalities and How they wind up. And i thought it should be published alone because to would be such a really Clever Book. With All the pictures of the movie it s like a Box of candies with All your favourites in Over the years Hepburn has attained the mystique o a Cui lure hero because of her outspoken views on women and abortion her distaste for Sham and convention and her fierce determination to be her own Boss and protect the privacy of her 27-year Liaison with Spencer Tracy. Even so she is first and Foremost an actress who has made More than 40 films and five television movies and has appeared in Mare than30 stage productions ranging from musical comedies to shakespearean dramas. Films Sta laments Are running amok because too Many filmmakers confuse realism w la the seamy aspects of life they have lost sight of the heroic qualities and romantic vision that Are also part and parcel of the human experience. And they simply Aren l dramatic. La s gone irom storytelling to Shock or a series of shocks she said. Some films Are Brilliant such As platoon Bui some make no sense a All they re studies in pornography. It seems a kind of sadism and thrashing depravity of people s private lives and you just go mad. Because if sex reduces itself to four Tetter words and visual stimulation thai is sad because love and excitement aia sofa away from that. What can life be if we see no Beauty in it what magic is a that makes us like and Trust and slave for someone 1 have found a Tot More excitement and wonder and Beauty in life than is now being handed to me in films some of the things done today Are funny such As Footsie of Annie Hall but Many Aro so vulgar. What is thrilling to me is a Beautiful Sunset or seeing a Deer run through Trie the great films of today she inst Sis Are those that explore human relationships without being vulgar or sensational. I think he ability to present the simple truth is slightly absent today but when a picture comes along that has nothing to do Wilh senseless violence or sexual such As a room with a View it can do bail Hanley because it will explore who we Are and Katharine Hepburn Here with Humphrey Bogart in the african Queen hit written a Book about hint film. Whal we re supposed to do and whal is the most charming and acceptable Tong lashing even though Hepburn has worked with a variety of leading directors ranging irom George Cukor in Many of her Early comedies to Sidney Lumel John Huston Stanley Kramer and David lean she dismisses the notion that the Cinema is turning into a medium dominated by either directors or cinematographers. It s the writing that counts. Films and theater Are still a writer s medium he s the one who gets the idea and does the work. And if the writing is interesting and you re not an absolutely Rotten actress you can make something of yourself in the my. But f do think a director can help a script a lot. Gregory la Cava certainly twisted stage door around tremendously. And George Cukor who was t a Good writer was a Brilliant director because he had a wonderful Way of presenting people he gave me entrances and eccentricities and fixed it so that i looked at the camera with Loving hands and he was a great Dee of help and Mark Rydell of on Golden Pond had the right sense of smell. And there s no question in my mind thai John Huston preferred shooting elephants to shooting the african Queen but he was an absolute Genius he knew exactly what to say la actors to get the right Early in her career Hepburn became known As a feminist because she wore pants when it was t the style she played Tennis and Golf she chose to have a career rather than raise a family and she spoke out Lora woman s right to Vole and have an abortion. Today. She is equally outspoken about the confusion created by women s dual roles As mothers and workers which she feels is working against them in films and in life. More opportunities for women in hts she said aghast her voice rising in a slight Crescendo. My second director was a woman and i was brought up to feel As though women were just As Good As men it never occurred to me that i was in inferior sex i was a Rifle real sex. But women have not benefited in stories because they re writing about Lunatic men. Or Young men. Or sexually depraved men. Or Gay men. Ana women have become a kind of cheap so object or a vulgar be object or an impossible Bossy object they re not writing anymore about great families when big big fascinating female stars used to dominate films. Who s Garbo today when i met har she was magic in your mind a Brilliant actress and fascinating and you did t think what she was really like. Who s Harlow or bottle Davis who Are they Jane Fonda May have done very Well with her Over exercising but the new female stars Are not As thrilling to me they re not romantic figures. They re not stars anymore a any Field and i have no idea Why because people obviously Tong for the actors and actresses today Are still just As capable As they were years ago she says but there s Loo much self absorption. Today they do a great Deal of acting All in capitals. There s too much talk about it and if i see the wheels going around in an actor a head or it it s Loo visibly worked upon it s exhausting. 1 Don l think Good directors Tell you Loo much whal to do. I like acting to be a kind of happening Spence could just do it without a lol of talk and Larry Olivier could do the same thing. Today the Only actor of that size who has come along is Robert Lindsay. He was magic in me and my girl absolutely magic. Bui there Are Only about four people i d put on that list Laurelle Taylor. Spencer and Wilfrid la sort a Brilliant charade actor in the loss of the pioneering spirit that invested filmmaking in its Early years has also eroded its idealistic Mission she declared. Making films today still has the same conviviality but there seems to be concentration on Money that we re aware of. Louis Mayer and Sam go Kwyn were remarkable creatures because they had a romantic appreciation of the business they had a sense of love Lor movies. And Loday its what s the record How Well did in do there it s become a business. Great big companies own companies and they Pul in Money and they want to see Are the times really out of joint or is this simply a reminder that filmmakers need to do some reassessing Aboul their Craft All Good stories can be made. I Don t think people Are limited in what they can do. Film was and is sit a. Romantic business just As life is romantic. Your possibilities Are romantic my possibilities Are romantic we have this Eno Inous thing to can do with this thing called Page 16 the stalls and stripes monday october 19,1987
