Josie Andrews 412 Midterm Projects Main Menu Introduction The Ideological Function of Stars: Contradictions and Promises of Individualism. Prompt Analysis Little Women (George Cukor 1933) Tomboyism: Negotiating and Celebrating a Strong, Sprited Woman in the Great Depression Sylvia Scarlett (George Cukor, 1936) "Woman of the Year" (George Stevens, 1942) Conclusion Bibliography CATCH ME IF YOU CAN The Contradictions and Promises of Individualism in the Films of Katharine Hepburn 1933-1942

Philadelphia Story: Human Frailty

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This clip is ironically about the contradictions that Hepburn failed to negotiate or manage from 1935 to 1938 in Hollywood. Using this film as a vehicle, we see a “new Kate” construct a star image out of new intertextual messages that take into account this time cultural norms, while remaining true to Hepburn’s “independent” character arc.

Described as a “Virgin Goddess” without an “understanding heart,” Tracy disappoints the men in her life just as Hepburn has disappointed film audiences by her aristocratic arrogance and unfeminine independence. In this clip, her ex-husband Dexter (Carey Grant) tells Tracy that she is one of “a special class of American females: the Married Maidens.” He tells her she will never be a human being, let alone a woman, if she does not understand "human frailty." Dexter is trying to help Kate (and all of us remember that empathy, empathy, empathy is the core of goodness in mankind), and conduct like Tracy's cannot be condoned as part of anyone's "identity."

Contents of this annotation:

  1. The Philadelphia Story (2/10) Movie CLIP - Human Frailty (1940) HD