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Post by Cate on May 9, 2005 1:44:37 GMT -5
woohoo! hey george  nice to know i'm not the only weird 24-year-old who likes old movies. they were planted in my brain since i can remember... i grew up watching bringing up baby with my dad (along with an infinite number of war movies which i've never liked) it's funny because i just recently became enamored with katharine hepburn after i read a. scott berg's bio but i remember thinking when i was little that katharine hepburn had a really weird voice and she moved around funny. judy! congratulations. you have mastered the smiley  anyway, i'm wondering how porter went from travel guide author to tabloid novelist. |
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Post by smith on May 9, 2005 3:36:06 GMT -5
Who knows how Porter got to be a tabloid writer - his former partner used to be a gossip columnist for Hedda Hopper in the 1940's . He claims to have a journalism degree but I don't see any evidence of it in his books . I doubt that is his real name .
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Post by alucino on May 9, 2005 5:17:30 GMT -5
I can see how the rumors of Katharine Hepburn being gay/bisexual exists, but personally I don't believe them. As ppl had said before, she herself denied it, so why not believe her, instead of the rumors? And why is it that ppl always sees woman that don't want to be pushed down under a man in a marriage, as gays? Maybe their not gay, only independent! besides, what about her relationships with Spencer Tracy and Luddy etc? It puzzles me. I agree with Catharine that "if kate could read this conversation, i'm sure she'd be laughing her ass off." Oh she would, I'm sure... btw, I'm another of the younger fans- 19yrs. Glad I'm not the only young one fanatic over Hepburn and old movies, 'cuz I've never "met" anyone before  |
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Post by smith on May 9, 2005 5:42:52 GMT -5
Because now that Katharine had passed away it is unfortunately open season and people can say what they like and rumours sell books . Which is a pity because she had such an interesting life .
She always denied the rumours . I don't think she got too worried or really cared what people said .
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Post by karina on May 9, 2005 13:01:22 GMT -5
I wholeheartedly agree that Katharine wouldn't have bothered denying rumours if they were true. I can't see her being embarrassed about her sexuality if she had been gay. Even though plenty of things were hushed up in Hollywood during her early career, her family background & openess would have made a mockery of her hiding such a thing.
Quite the reverse in fact - she enjoyed making preposterous statements (a la not married with black children type) and I can just imagine her saying she was lesbian/bisexual to rub people up the wrong way - if you'll excuse the expression.
Generally speaking though, love, loyalty, affection and even the odd kiss & cuddle between women friends does not a lesbian make. Even if she flirted and experimented with more intimate behaviour (and I'm not saying she did), she was definitely more of a man's woman and felt completely at ease with men. She truly loved Spencer and surely such a deep and long-lasting love defines her "true" sexuality.
Besides, what does it matter? We all love and admire Kate the actor, Kate the "creature", Kate the public persona (I doubt any of us knew her in real life) and we're not going to change our opinions of her because of something as trivial as her sexual inclinations. It would be nice though, if the rumours could stop and writers would only present facts based on evidence to the public at large.
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Post by Cate on May 9, 2005 13:39:14 GMT -5
Hmm.. it doesn't matter really. It's just one of those characteristics about Kate that you wonder about... I guess I brought it up because of all the rumors about it and if you try to look anything up about her past relationships there is always something about Greta Garbo, Elissa Landi or Claudette Colbert (and of course Laura Harding). It's obviously just something for the media to use to get attention. I just think it is funny. It's easy for people to make up stories about her sexual adventures because she stereotypically looked like a lesbian outside of her work environment (pants, no make-up, independent, masculine attitude) so therefore people are going to speculate, even if it isn't to rile anyone up. Sexuality is just a big attention-getter especially if it has anything to do with homosexuality be it positive or negative attention. Perhaps for Kate's sake we should lay this subject to rest! Ciao Catherine |
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Post by smith on May 9, 2005 14:17:13 GMT -5
Hi Catherine
I just wanted to mention something and then I will drop the subject unless you wish to bring it up again . I have been a Katharine fan since 1991 and have read all the biographies and hundreds and hundreds of articles as well as sources that most people do not have access to including personal letters . By profession I am involved in research for people and I have a special interest in how stories change and the accuracy of the sources .
One of the things I can pick very well is how certain stories originated . For example the idea that Claudette and Katharine were involved is a Darwin Porter story which came out in his recent book . In all my reading I have never come across anything that indicated that they even met let alone had a relationship of about 8 years . If they were even friends or something else there would be pictures or letters of mentions of it by her contemporaries . Katharine was a prolific letter writer and once she made a friend it was for life .
Can I prove to you that they didn't meet . Of course not but I see no evidence that they ever met or had the sort of relationship that Porter is claiming . These sorts of stories get then online and are even mentioned in online encyclopedias .
Does this really matter whether Katharine had relationships with other women . No it doesn't and its best to keep an open mind . But you just have to be a bit skeptical of some sources
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Post by Cate on May 10, 2005 14:24:56 GMT -5
Hi Smith: I know the story of Claudette Colbert came from Darwin Porter and that's why it always ends up in some website with "facts" on Kate because the person setting up the page either didn't do much research or is also a gossip lover... She did meet Greta Garbo, though, and wasn't she a known lesbian/bisexual? Kate idolized her. So it's obvious Kate had many friendships with gays (Cukor being one of her closest) and the chances of her experimenting are large. I don't think a person can really negate the fact that she might have had relationships with women because way before I even read the Porter biography I thought she was... according to my fantastic gay-dar.  So uh... I guess this subject isn't going to be laid to rest! Does anyone know how she met Cynthia McFadden? And has anyone been to 244 E. 49th St.? Catherine  |
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Post by smith on May 10, 2005 14:38:24 GMT -5
Nobody can prove that Katharine wasn't gay and she certainly had ample opportunities if she was .
As far as Greta Garbo - everybody idolised her and Katharine remember used to be an avid movie star fan as a child . Yes Katharine had many gay friends both male and female but that there's perfectly normal .
I think we will have to disagree on this subject
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Post by Cate on May 10, 2005 18:53:06 GMT -5
Hm.. I think you're right because no one on this forum actually knows the truth. We're just going in circles and from the looks of it, most people want to believe she wasn't... even though she never denied it. It is a pretty interesting topic -- over 200 people have looked at this thread alone. That says a lot as far as the curiosity goes. Catherine  |
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Post by smith on May 11, 2005 5:57:23 GMT -5
Well I guess any topic about sexuality is interesting if it is handled well .
Feel free to keep expressing your ideas . By the way I have an article from the 1970's where Katharine talked about attitudes in Hollywood in the early 1930's . She said that people seemed to assume that if you weren't sleeping with every man that crossed your path then you must be sleeping with women and that she often did things which were quite innocent and people misinterpreted them . I don't think it worried Katharine as much as it worried Laura .
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Post by dreamer on Oct 15, 2006 8:14:05 GMT -5
Personally I don't think she was a lesbian. And if she was - who cares - the important thing is her art and what she left behind - her legacy. What makes me  is the fact that there are people out there, who are spitting on Kate's and Spencer's love. Why questioning what she told us. It is speculation and money-making on a prominent person - a sort of paparazzi-thing. Think it is a sick world - if you as a woman have women friends so easily are questioned! |
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Post by HollywoodHepcat on Oct 15, 2006 20:20:18 GMT -5
Tah!
Don't even worry about it. Everybody knows that they were a power-couple. And it ain't changing. LOVE YOU KATHSPENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3333333333333 *huggles*
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Post by Cate on Oct 23, 2006 21:57:41 GMT -5
Meh, old topic. I think we're pretty sure Kate wasn't a les. The question (though irrelevant) is whether or not she had girlfriends as well. Does it matter? No. Are we really going to change our points of view on her? No. Well, at least I wouldn't. It would strangely make my crush more justified though. wahaha.
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Post by dreamer on Oct 30, 2006 16:12:24 GMT -5
Found this one by google groups - what is interesting is that there probably will be a book with Kate's letters. - started a new thead - probably new book - so we can post about it there
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nice to know i'm not the only weird 24-year-old who likes old movies. they were planted in my brain since i can remember... i grew up watching bringing up baby with my dad (along with an infinite number of war movies which i've never liked) it's funny because i just recently became enamored with katharine hepburn after i read a. scott berg's bio but i remember thinking when i was little that katharine hepburn had a really weird voice and she moved around funny. 
So uh... I guess this subject isn't going to be laid to rest! 
is the fact that there are people out there, who are spitting on Kate's and Spencer's love. Why questioning what she told us.
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