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Post by Cate on Jun 10, 2005 0:59:27 GMT -5
Hmm... yeah, I will read the Higham book. You're right, most things written about Laura are from another point of view so it would be interesting to read something based on an actual interview.
Catherine
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Post by smith on Jun 10, 2005 8:15:21 GMT -5
Just a couple of thoughts re: Laura
Try and put yourself in Katharine's shoes in 1932 . You have been married for about 4 years . You are asked to travel to the other side of the country - to a place that you have heard all sorts of things about and you really don't want to go but the studio makes an offer of $1500 a week . This involves leaving your husband behind on a 2-3 day journey cross country train trip .
No wonder Katharine needed someone to be with her . And apparently she thought that she would be in Hollywood for about 5 weeks !!!. In fact she didn't even hang around to see the picture, as soon as it was finished she went back to New York and she and Luddy went to Europe . The studio then had to contact them and tell them it was a success and could Katharine please come back!!!
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Post by karina on Jun 10, 2005 8:49:14 GMT -5
Yes, Laura was a pretty loyal & devoted friend (as indeed was Katharine), and stuck around for Kate, being there, setting up house with her, supporting her even when she disapproved of some of her escorts/male friends. I see her in the role Phyllis Wilbourn would assume in the "2nd" part of Kate's life. What was the turning point for Laura though - I mean when did she "opt out" of Kate's life?
And Smith - your comments are also interesting for the light they shed on Katharine's outlook at the time. She seemed to be rather blase about everything - her new career, her husband.... as though neither were particularly important to her and both just done "for a laugh". Fortunately this wasn't the case and she started to work seriously on what was to become the long & glorious career for which we all admire her so much today. No more than she ever truly neglected Luddy either - witness your previous report of them holding hands by the fireside in old age on their "anniversary".
Um, er, this seems to be wandering a bit off topic and should probably be on another thread.....sorry!
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Post by webmaster on Jun 10, 2005 10:53:01 GMT -5
Sorry to interject, but yes, I was thinking a while back that there needs to be a different thread for the Laura Harding discussion! Unfortunately there isn't any way to move particular posts (only whole threads), so I'm not sure how to approach it. If the system will allow me to do so, I might try separating out the Laura content by signing in under the various members who have posted within this thread - will have a look this weekend. So don't be alarmed if it appears that someone else has been posting under your account.
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Post by Cate on Jun 10, 2005 13:30:25 GMT -5
Hm... yeah I'm not sure Katharine didn't want to go to Hollywood... She did want to become famous and Hollywood is the place to be. Maybe she acted like she wouldn't go unless she was paid $1500 a week so it would be worth the trip and she would already be getting paid a star's salary. Like Karina said, she was sort of blase about the whole husband/career thing in the beginning which makes me think it probably didn't bother her that much that she had to leave Luddy behind. Going to Hollywood was something that would help make her famous so I'm sure she wasn't going to let a man stand in the way!
Catherine
PS I would have started a new thread on Laura Harding instead of replying here again but I didn't know if that would mess up whatever you (the webmaster -- I still don't know your name) are going to do with the previous posts.
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Post by smith on Jun 10, 2005 14:35:44 GMT -5
Yep Katharine wanted to be famous but she didn't want to do it in Hollywood - I am sure of that . She wanted to be a stage actress - that was her initial ambition and usually actors of that period despised Hollywood . She actually asked for $1500 a week because she didn't think she would get it . In fact Katharine and Laura regarded the whole trip to Hollywood as a bit of a lark . The reason Luddy didn't go with Katharine was that he probably couldn't leave his work at that time .
Have you read the Leaming book . I really don't like it but there are some wonderful descriptions in it which are probably true . One of the more interesting sections is the part on the breakdown of Katharine's marriage . I think Katharine had some more traditional attititudes than you might think . At some point Katharine flew back to New York and told her husband that the marriage was over and that she was having an affair with somebody else . But Luddy wasn't phased by that and they actually kept sharing a house . Eventually Katharine told him that he would have to move out and he moved next door!!!. They were both very unusual people and after Spencer had died they resumed seeing each other . Interesting relationship
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Post by Cate on Jun 12, 2005 3:01:30 GMT -5
I didn't completely read the Leaming book because of my attention span. I'm horrible about finishing books unless they're extremely interesting. Not that a Katharine Hepburn biography wouldn't be interesting... but it didn't grab me. So I don't recall reading that. The only books on her that I have read cover to cover (and at least twice) are Me, The Making of the African Queen and Kate Remembered. I guess there are a lot of things about Kate I still need to read about. Sometimes I like to jump to conclusions I did figure out that she was a odd person which is probably the reason for my intense fascination. I'm not sure what you mean by traditional attitudes though... since the example you give is far from traditional.
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Post by smith on Jun 12, 2005 3:15:50 GMT -5
Catherine
I guess the post about having traditional attitudes was me . What I meant by that is that Katharine was married and she had an affair with somebody else . I think by her own standards she had crossed a boundary - did something that she shouldn't have done . Of course she continued the relationship with Leland but in her own mind her marriage was over . Luddy didn't seem to have the same attitude - he wanted to continue the marriage . In that sense that did have some definite ideas about what a marriage was about .
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Post by webmaster on Jun 14, 2005 19:57:08 GMT -5
To follow up on my message last week, unfortunately I can't move individual posts without causing some disarray (possibly re-setting accounts and passwords), so will have to leave it for now...until some better solution emerges. If you'd like to continue the Laura Harding discussion, please use the new thread which Smith recently started in the "Relationships" section - thanks!
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