Ten years after her death, the spirited actress Katharine Hepburn perseveres as a timeless cultural icon.
Hepburn, star of classics such as "Bringing Up Baby" and "The African Queen," was known for her spunk. And her hatred of skirts.
She once threatened to walk around the set naked when film executives confiscated her pants — which weren't socially appropriate for women to wear in the 1930s — according to the biography, "Katharine Hepburn: Rebel Chic."
"Though she only stripped down as far as her silk underwear before stepping out of her dressing room, she made her point," fashion writer Nancy MacDonnel wrote, "and she got her trousers back."
Hepburn's flair for selecting roles that reflected her headstrong personality landed her top billing spots in "Morning Glory,""A Philadelphia Story," and "On Golden Pond."
She died on June 29, 2003 at the age of 96.
"Morning Glory" (1933): Katharine receives her first Academy Award for Best Actress as Eva Lovelace, a wildly optimistic aspiring actress who goes into a frenzy after tasting fame.
Watch the final scene.
"Alice Adams" (1935): Katharine's popularity declined until her starring role as Alice, a lovesick young woman climbing the social ladder out of the lower-middle class — earning her an Oscar nomination and her fan base back.
Watch a clip.
"Bringing Up Baby" (1938): In a role written for her, Katharine played Susan, a flighty heiress with a pet leopard and a crush on a paleontologist. The film tanked upon its first release, but is today considered a classic screwball comedy.
Watch a clip.
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