New Tracy/Hepburn DVD collection?

[Shaun]

I found this article today:
enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article313150.ece
Since when is Keeper of the Flame on DVD? Is this some UK release?

[Cate]

That's interesting. It has the same films as the one that's already out with the exception of Keeper of the Flame. In place of that is the documentary about Spencer narrated by Kate.

[karina]

Yes, it's interesting how different countries have different release dates for various DVDs For example, The African Queen has been available on DVD in the UK for ages now, whereas I believe you're all still waiting for it in USA. On the other hand, Desk Set has only just been released in UK this summer.

Wonder who makes the decisions - I mean in the case of this DVD compilation who assumed Keeper of the Flame would go down with British audiences better than the Spencer Tracy Legacy - and why? And if UK can release US films on DVD, then why can't US do the same?

[Cate]

It's very annoying! It's the same way with music. There will be albums by American artists that contain two or three extra songs that are released in Asia or Europe but we never see them. Perhaps they know that Americans will pay the extra price to buy the imports? I don't quite understand it... It's the same with The African Queen! You would think that being an American actress, they would have released the DVD versions of her movies before or at the same time as other countries. Maybe her following is larger in Europe... I know she has a large fanbase in Australia. What is also amazing is that The Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby are $22 each no matter where you go (at least in my town). I know they've just been re-released with new special features but I'm wondering how they justify charging that much money on a disc that costs about a dollar to make. I also wonder if the Hepburns get royalties anymore.

[Shaun]

I wasn't aware that Kate had such a large following in Australia. I thought that the crowds weren't too large or the reviews too favorable when she toured there with the Old Vic company in the 1950s. Am I wrong or has there been a recent change regarding their opinion towards Kate?

[Cate]

My impression was that she is well-loved in Australia. In the fifties perhaps people were not as interested in Kate doing theater... But it seems as though she is considered an icon everywhere people are able to watch movies... perhaps moreso in English-speaking ones. A lot of her estate was auctioned to private buyers (or a buyer) in Australia -- not that that speaks for the entire nation...

[Shaun]

Speaking of the Sotheby's auction, was anything there affordable?

[smith]

I am a sort of "expert" on Katharine's 1955 theatre tour of Australia . An expert because its been so neglected in the biographies and coverage of her life .

She toured for approximately 6 months and the tour was an enormous professional and financial success especially in Adelaide . The reviews were mixed but that had no effect on the tour as the crowds loved both Helpmann and Katharine . It is fascinating to read the coverage of the time - at one stage Helpmann got tired of asking whether he and Kate were an item . A ridiculous question as his sexuality was an open secret . It obviously went over the head of some journalists .

Katharine had the time of her life in Australia - The National Library of Australia has many extremely rare photographs and letters of Katharine from 1955 . For the rest of her life Katharine expressed a wish to go back to Australia - unfortunately she never made it . For the next 40 years she corresponded with many Australians including Lord and Lady Casey who became the Governor General of Australia in the 1960's and Pat Jarrett - an Australian journalist .

And for the romantics - Katharine and Spencer were in daily contact by telephone which must have cost them a small fortune .

[Shaun]

Thanks smith

[Cate]

Shaun: You can look at the lots at sothebys.com. You just have to register and then do a search on sold lots. It will bring up 36 pages of lots (707 total I believe).

The cheapest I saw was a "brief thank you note" for $315....

Most of the things that went for a lot were paintings, collections of portraits by famous photographers (i.e. Cecil Beaton) or items that would be collectible even if not owned by Kate.

This went for $102,000:

by Sir William Nicholson

And this for $243,200:

by George Bellows

But these only went for $6,000:

A lock of her baby hair and baby photographs (I think more than what is shown in the picture). It seems as though buyers were more into the collectibles than Kate merchandise.

But her Phyllis and Me painting went for $36,000

[Cate]

PS After further browsing... I saw that the bronze Spencer Tracy bust sold for $316,000! And a portrait of Phyllis Wilbourne by KH went for $33,000... so perhaps there were some avid fans there.

[Judy]

The $316,000 price includes the Sotheby's premium, as do all the prices listed online - I'm not that experienced with auction houses, but I think they all include their premiums when quoting final sales. The actual bidding ended at $275,000....I know, cause I was there. The winning bid did not come from the auction floor. It was on the phone. It was like a ping pong match. There were two separate tables on either side of the seated bidders on the floor. At each table were agents taking bids on the phone. The bids kept going from one side of the room to the other. It was quite exciting. The final bid got a huge round of applause. The person who won, though, has remained anonymous.

However, there were a great many Kate lovers in the auditorium. It was not just a group of dealers out to make a killing.

I'm sure they were there, but I met quite a few plain old folks like myself, who came away with small items and it was obvious that they just loved Kate.

Louis Vuitton bought the Vuitton trunk - which was just sensational to see in person.

David's Bridal bought her wedding dress.

Wayne Newton bought Gertrude, the canoe from ON GOLDEN POND.

An amazing couple of days.

JS

[Cate]

$275,000 is still pretty hefty. While it's fun to see pieces from Kate's personal life, it's kind of sad at the same time. Just auctioning off her life to random people. I can't imagine being part of her family and letting things like that bust or her paintings just be sold at auction.

I heard about Louis Vuitton buying her luggage and Wayne Newton () buying the canoe. Did you walk away with anything, Judy? How difficult was it to get into the auction house? I've never been to one... so I didn't know if it was possible to just walk in or make reservations. The things I'm missing out on!

[Judy]

Catherine:

While I was initially quite saddened at the thought of the auction, I came to look at it this way: This is what her family wanted, which leads me to believe that it was done with her knowledge and agreement. She said her family needed money, not things. And she usually meant what she said.

The best part of the whole experience was being in the exhibit room the week before the auction and having the opportunity to roam around at leisure and soak her in. And the MOST surprising and extraordinary part of that was seeing all of her paintings hung on the walls. Most were smaller than I'd imagined and they were everywhere. The cumulative effect was quite moving in a way that's hard to explain unless you were there.

The actual auction had a somewhat different mood and it WAS hard seeing item after item come rolling out only to be purchased and rolled away. I suppose I would not have felt as odd if it had been someone else. But it wasn't someone else, so it was an odd feeling. But I really did feel that the people in that room loved her and it didn't feel mercenary in any way. Again, hard to explain unless you were there.

And, of course, depending who you were your mood might have been different. Sarah Standing, Kate's friend and the daughter of Byan Forbes, wrote a piece about walking through the exhibit rooms and feeling a little like the air had been sucked out of the room. I can totally understand that.

When I stood back and looked at people oohing and aahing at stuff, I sort of felt the same way. But then I just immersed myself in my own exploration, and since I know what I felt about her and that I wasn't there to rob her grave, so to speak, I was okay and rather than feel like the air had left the room, I felt like her spirit was everywhere. And, as I said, it was extraordinarily moving.

I did win two items - a painting and a fireplace mantel, but I'd rather not say which painting. Suffice to say that I cherish them and am taking very good care of them.

Judy

[Cate]

You got the fireplace mantel and a painting! Soo cool. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I'm sure I would devote an hour each day to staring at the painting then perhaps another hour for the mantel. I think I understand what you mean by the cumulative effect of seeing all of Katharine's possessions surrounding you in one place. It would feel very surreal, I am sure. While she said she wasn't spiritual, and I was never brought up that way, there is still a part of me that hopes something lingers after... I can't seem to grasp the fact that she is just gone. There HAS to be a part of her out there somewhere! Whew! Deep. Alright I am done.