All 4 Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn movies, ranked worst to best

It’s hard to decide who the most famous stars in Hollywood history are, but Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are undoubtedly on the list. Like most actors of their generation, Grant and Hepburn have partnered on several projects throughout their careers, four in total, How the studio executives took notice of their screen chemistry. Although the popularity and success of these movies varied when they were released, all of them are known as classics and are highly influential in modern cinema. While most of these films cast the actors as a romantic couple, their shared comedic timing is what stands out.

Many of Katharine Hepburn’s best movies were part of a collaboration with Grant, because both of their stars rose around the same time. This allowed the pair to work on similar projects, as audiences were eager to see them individually but even more excited to see them work together. All their projects are from the early part of their careers, viz Their last film together, The Philadelphia Storywas released in 1940. However, the late 1930s were an interesting time for film, and the stories behind their work pushed boundaries in unexpected ways.

Throughout their careers, these actors are highlighted for their strengths and are not defined by their costars. Cary Grant’s best movies with Alfred Hitchcock show that he had chemistry with almost anyone he worked with. However, the fact that both Hepburn and Grant are forces of nature on their own means the dynamic of their characters is often approached through a more contemporary lens. The women Hepburn played were not secondary to Grant’s characters. They were just as important and enjoyed equal levels of respect and importance on screen. moreover, They each demonstrated the ability to provide a sharp-witted dialogue with ease.

4

Bring Up Baby (1938)

Directed by Howard Hawks

Bring up baby and other classic screwball comedies from the early days of Hollywood paved the way for the best enemies-to-lovers rom-com movies of the modern day. Rom-coms, in general, owe a lot to screwball comedies and amazing acting duos like Hepburn and Grant. In the film, Grant plays David Huxley, a paleontologist who is swept away by the chaotic life of Susan Vance (Hepburn), who fell in love with him. Throughout the film, David tries not to be charmed by Susan’s devil-may-care attitude, but it’s impossible for him and for the audience.

There are also compelling themes of gender role reversal, even if the movie is, first and foremost, a comedy. for a long time, Hollywood held Bring up baby a big mistake And it was a box office bomb at the time of its release. Time was good too Bring up babyAnd the critical reception to the film has warmed considerably, because it is considered a classic by today’s standards. Part of the reason that Bring up baby What was so different from other romance movies of the time was that it was much less concerned with realism than with entertainment.

It’s fair to say that the crazy plotting and improbable storyline may turn off some audiences, but viewing Bring up baby Through an absurdist lens is a way to see past the stupidity. Unlike their other collaborations, Bring up baby Is not as in conversation with relevant social and political issues and does not push cultural boundaries like some other works. However, this does not change the fact that Bring up baby Is pure fun and does not waste a moment. Every minute is full of jokes and physical comedy What modern comedies imitate.

3

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

Directed by George Cukor

Probably the least well-remembered of all of Grant and Hepburn’s collaborations, Sylvia Scarlett were revolutionary for their time. It turns around Hepburn’s character, Sylvia Scarlett, who dresses as a boy to accompany her father On his secret journey across Europe. The gender-bending performance has roots in theater and is not an uncommon trope in older romantic comedies. However, for film in the 1930s, it was quite boundary-pushing. tonal, Sylvia Scarlett is a bit over the place, as there are moments of comedy, but there are also dark aspects of the script, with death and betrayal.

Sylvia Scarlett was the first movie Hepburn and Grant worked on together. While it’s not as seamless and familiar as their later work, it’s incredible to see their bond develop on screen. Surprisingly, although there is a romance, Hepburn and Grant do not end up together at the end of Sylvia Scarlett. Sylvia’s true love interest, Michael, is played by Brian Aherne. however, It’s obvious that Grant and Hepburn have superior chemistry, And most of their scenes together capitalize on the humor they share. Sylvia Scarlett Allowed the couple to be the character actors they are.

Both critically and commercially panned at the time, Sylvia Scarlett Has undergone a massive revaluation by critics and audiences. At the time, Hepburn’s string of box office flops, vi Sylvia ScarlettHurt her career and may have prevented her from ever becoming the iconic star she was. While Hepburn didn’t go on to play characters like Sylvia, she still gave a fantastic performance. She embraces the masculine traits that have given her such strong and independent female roles. Throughout her career. Similarly, Grant is not the suave leading man of his later years, but a seductive con man.

2

holiday (1938)

Directed by George Cukor

The same year as Bring up babyHepburn and Grant reunited with the director of Sylvia Scarlett For a more straightforward rom-com, holiday. holiday focuses on the differences in wants and aspirations between social classes, As Grant’s character, Johnny, is about to marry into a rich family with high expectations, but he wants to travel the world and discover what he wants from his life. Linda von Hepburn feels similarly, as though she belongs to the rich family, she has never asserted her independence because of her father’s influence. Johnny’s appearance in her life is the catalyst for change.

The budding romance between Johnny and Linda is forbidden, because Johnny is engaged to Linda’s sister, Julia, although Julia has nothing in common with the free-spirited Johnny. Grant is at his best as a representation of the younger generation who wanted to change the world, come into conflict with the traditional sensibilities of the older generation. This dichotomy exists in the films of every decade, and it is interesting to see the specificity of this dynamic, which played out in the late 1930s. Aside from the social commentary, it never gets old to see Grant and Hepburn fall in love.

Critics were much more interested in holiday Like audiences, and that’s why it’s not as famous as other collaborations between Hepburn and Grant. It’s no wonder that holiday Would appeal to cinephiles, as the main thrust of the plot is about imagining a better world and exploring creative possibilities. Grant and Hepburn are sweet and charming throughout the film, capitalizing on their physical chemistry with comedic stunt work. however, There is also an air of nostalgia that they perfectly capture, As the love between Linda and Johnny is one that they cannot act on for most of the story.

1

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Directed by George Cukor

For the latest collaboration between Hepburn, Grant and Cukor, the three creatives contributed everything to the screen adaptation The Philadelphia Story. Jimmy Stewart joins them as another one of the many suitors clamoring for Tracy Lord’s (Hepburn) affection. Based on the Broadway play of the same name, The Philadelphia Story Hepburn also starred on stage, and there was no one else who could so perfectly capture the snobbery, beauty and comedic timing of Tracy Hair. Grant plays her ex-husband, CK Dexter Haven, who hasn’t gotten over Tracy and attends her upcoming remarriage to win her back.

The movie was so popular that the movie musical High society was made in 1956 with the stars of Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Although the musical is enjoyable and features excellent songs, the movie remains the definitive version of the story, and a large part of that is thanks to Grant and Hepburn. In the early 1940s, divorce was still taboo, and The Philadelphia Story Comments on the social expectations of people with money and high social status Behave with flawless moral integrity. Dexter behaves as he likes and is not concerned about what people expect of him.

Conversely, Tracy tries to hide the imperfect parts of herself to maintain the illusion of control. However, it soon becomes clear that their character needs the other to balance them. After Hepburn starred in a series of poorly received films, The Philadelphia Story was her triumph and helped her turn the corner in her career. The film was a box office smash and saw Hepburn and Stewart were both nominated for Academy Awards for their performances, With Stewart Winning. Furthermore, the script was just as important as Hepburn and Grant, as the actors shine with strong dialogue to deliver.