Last week's "The Best Actress of the 20th Century" received a huge amount of e-mail responses. Most were applauding the choice of Bette Davis as the best actress of (the first half of) the 20th century. A few were happy to see Joan Crawford's work appreciated (with most noting that if you enjoy Crawford, you have to see Harriet Craig -- I'll put it in my Neftlix cue next time I'm picking out movies). But four of you were aghast that the article referred to Katharine Hepburn's same-sex affairs.
One insisted that Hepburn wasn't predominately lesbian, that she was bi-sexual, and that this should have been noted. Hepubrn lived to a very old age. It is true she experminted in the young years but after a certain point (the bulk of her adult life), she only slept with women.
One wanted to ask, "Do you not know that she was in love with Spencer Tracy!!!!" Spencer Tracy had a wife. And several boyfriends. Kids, he lived in George Cuckor's guest house for a reason.
Two of you insisted that Katharine Hepburn would never sleep with another woman. Keep dreaming. The two then stated that, although she wasn't a lesbian, she was being reduced to "second rank" because we thought she was.
Not true.
Katharine Hepburn was reducted to third rank. We put Bette Davis and Joan Crawford ahead of her.
Asfor the issue of sleeping with women, if you've never heard about all of Joan Crawford's same-sex affairs, you've led a sheltered life. We didn't rate Hepubn low because of her same-sex affairs. We did rate her low because she was a stilted actress who, at sixty and beyond, was still giving the performance she'd given when she first started in film. The exact same performance. Aged in Wood, as they might say in All About Eve.
We hadn't planned on mentioning her same-sex affairs in the piece when C.I. called a halt to it. "Wait, wait," she said. And we waited.
Finally she explained, "I really don't feel comfortable writing more than a sentence about Hepburn unless we note her same-sex affairs. Everyone nows about them, she's dead and so few will go public about them. If she'd gotten honest, it might have opened up her range. Instead, as soon as Spencer Tracy died and she knew the press that didn't want to call her a lesbian would gladly enshrine her as the Widow Tracy, she began repeatedly changing history year after year."
For those who don't know, I am gay. And I had heard tons about Hepburn from the two bosses I've had since moving to California (both are directors). I'd laughed at and enjoyed it. And filed it away and shared it from time to time.
But as C.I. was talking, I was kind of mad at myself. I never thought of suggesting we include anything about it in the article and I'm gay. I'm opposed to the closet and we're dealing with a woman who is dead. Why can't we just tell the truth?
A small number still can't deal with it. Hopefully the four includes some people just shocked to be hearing it for the first time and, as they get used to it, they won't be so appalled that their Great Hepburn was called [shudder] a lesbian.
The bulk of the e-mails wanted to share their favorite Bette Davis film and the top five (in this order) were:
1) All About Eve
2) Now Voyager
3) Dark Victory
4) Jezebel
5) Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?