Summer of Stars is a MovieJawn celebration of actors that have shined on the silver screen. Follow along as we count down some of our favorite players from various eras in the magical cosmos of cinema.

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport

“I wear my sort of clothes to save me the trouble of deciding which clothes to wear.”

Kate is great.

I do not quite remember the exact moment in time when I was first introduced to the charismatic Katharine Hepburn, but I do recall how we met. It was around 2003ish and Katharine appeared in my living room via the small screen in the 1938 screwball comedy flick, Bringing Up Baby. At this particular time in my life, I was studying at Temple University as a journalism major and believed that I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. Everything changed when Katharine came into my life.

I credit her character Susan Vance as being the one that truly sparked my interest in classic film. Before this I don’t believe I had ever seen such a powerful personality portrayed on screen. In Katharine’s movements she exuded a total lack of fear. Prior to viewing Howard Hawks’s Bringing Up Baby, I had only seen a handful of films from the Golden Age of Hollywood (said to be 1930-1945, approximately). I obtained a copy of Bringing Up Baby, from Temple’s library and inevitably this was the beginning of my education on cinema.

After devouring countless DVDs from the expansive library, I decided that I wanted to take a stab at making motion pictures myself and enrolled in a screenwriting class. Prior to signing up for this course I did not realize that I could take a class that would teach me how to be a better fabricator. It was only a matter of time until I realized I quite enjoyed telling a tall tale more so than the truth. The writing was on the wall; the whole journalism idea probably was not the best career path for me. Regardless, without Kate, Old Sport never would have been born and imagine how much scarier the world would have turned out. If I had not met Kate, we would probably all be in some type of other alternate universe like Bifftown…. oh wait.

Anyways, we all know that Katharine Hepburn was one of the best actors of our time… with 12 Oscar nominations and 4 wins, I think her stats speak for themselves. However, not only was she superb at her craft, she was also a fashion icon. As I was diving into the classic cinema crypt, I found my wardrobe choices were being influenced as much as my film taste was. Here are some of my favorite Katharine flick fashions.

I’d love to know yours… please share your favorites in the comments below.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Written by Dudley Nichols and hagar Wilde
Directed by Howard Hawks
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Charles Ruggles

Cary Grant plays David Huxley, a bashful paleontologist that is seeking one million dollars for his museum. When he bumps into Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) on the golf course, the two don’t exactly hit it off. She continues to pester the poor soul and eventually charms him into submission with the help of her pet leopard, Baby. This movie is fantastic! The plot could not be more wild and the chemistry on screen between Hepburn and Grant is off the charts.

Notable Flick Fashion: The metallic dinner dress, which I will refer to as Susan’s space attire. This seems like the perfect dress for anytime, any day… even a quick jaunt to the grocery store. I also am quite fond of her striped dress as well, which seems perfect for lounging around the house.

The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Written by Donald Ogden Stewart, Waldo Salt (contributing writer) and Philip Barry (play)
Directed by George Cukor
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart

This is an all-time classic for me.

Tracy Samantha Lord is about to be remarried when her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and tabloid writer, Macaulay “Mike” Connor (James Stewart) show up on her doorstep. She soon finds herself tangled up in emotional torment as she swoons after her fiancé George (John Howard), Dexter and Mike.

This is quite the wild predicament to be in, I must admit. Grant and Stewart are top notch, but in the end I think Katharine makes the right choice.

Notable Flick Fashion: The high-waisted pants and dark blouse combo is a look that will never grow tired. Katherine’s pant wearing caused quite the stir in those day as few women of the time sported the look. Upon seeing this ensemble, I officially went on the hunt for a pair of my own high-waisted trousers. They soon became the official Kicks knickers.

Christopher Strong (1933)
Written by Zoe Akins (screen play) and Gilbert Frankau (novel)
Directed by Dorothy Arzner
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Colin Clive and Billie Burke

This is quite the interesting flick. This was Katharine Hepburn’s second feature film and was directed by one of the few women directing in Hollywood during the 1930s, Dorothy Arzner. This 1933 pre-code drama tells the tale of an illicit love affair between a famous aviator, Lady Cynthia Darrington (Katharine Hepburn) and a member of Parliament, Christopher Strong (Colin Clive).

Notable Flick Fashion: The shimmery moth costume (obviously). This attire is exquisite and something to truly behold. What I adore so much about this ensemble, is that in the movie it is referred to as being just a simple dress for a dinner party.

Summertime (1955)
Written by Arthur Laurents (play), H.E. Bates and David Leaan (screenplay)
Directed by David Lean
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi and Isa Miranda

David Lean is one of those filmmakers that has the power to make my heart hurt and this film is easily one of my favorite Katharine flicks.

This picture is superbly made and stars Katharine Hepburn as Jane Hudson, a single woman on vacation in Italy who finds herself in a bittersweet romance with a dashing married Italian man, Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi).

Notable Flick Fashion: The red shoes. As a small child I had a pair of red shoes and I felt so powerful in them. I love the scene when Katharine finds these shoes and the journey they take her on.

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
Written by Gladys Unger, John Collier and Mortimer Offner
Directed by George Cukor
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Edmund Gwenn

After Sylvia Scarlett’s (Katharine Hepburn) father, Henry Scarlett (Edmund Gwenn) has to flee to England young Sylvia must become Sylvester Scarlett in order to escape the police.

I recall wanting to love this film more than I did. One of my favorite moments though was when Katharine spoke of the type of mustache she wanted. There are so many interesting styles out there, I feel it would be hard to select a marvelous one.

Notable Flick Fashion: Of corpse, the high-waisted pants are superb! One of the best qualities of high-waisted pants is their ability to make one look and feel like a long noodle. However, I would remiss if I did not mention the fedora as well. I am typically a fan of nice crisp fedora… I guess I do still have that journo in me after all.

Woman of the Year (1942)
Written by Ring Lardner Jr., Michael Kanin and John Lee Mahin (contributing writer)
Directed by George Stevens
Starring Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Fay Bainter

After two rival journos Sam (Spencer Tracy) and Tess (Katharine Hepburn) fall head over heels for one another and decide to get married, their relationship becomes strained due to Tess’ chaotic work/life balance.

This is Tracy and Hepburn classic that is required viewing. I have a fondness for it due to the newspaper angle but also my love for seeing these two grand stars share the screen.

Notable Flick Fashion: I love many of Kate’s reporter outfits in this flick, especially the business type suits. However, the attire I most adore is the polka dotted pantsuit. I had a phase in my life in which I only wore dots and stripes. I had this theory that people would be so mesmerized with my outfit that I would be able to get away with anything… even murderrr.