Editing Katharine Hepburn (section)

=== Hollywood success (1932–1934) ===
[[File:Abillofdivorcement.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Hepburn and David Manners acting in ''A Bill of Divorcement''. They are holding hands and looking at each other emotionally.|Hepburn's first movie appearance, in the melodrama ''[[A Bill of Divorcement (1932 film)|A Bill of Divorcement]]'' (1932). Critics praised her performance, and she became an instant star.]]

A scout for the Hollywood agent [[Leland Hayward]] spotted Hepburn's appearance in ''The Warrior's Husband'', and asked her to test for the part of Sydney Fairfield in the upcoming [[RKO]] film ''[[A Bill of Divorcement (1932 film)|A Bill of Divorcement]]''.{{sfn|Hepburn|1991|p=128}} Director [[George Cukor]] was impressed by what he saw: "There was this odd creature", he recalled, "she was unlike anybody I'd ever heard." He particularly liked the manner in which she picked up a glass: "I thought she was very talented in that action."{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=23}} Offered the role, Hepburn demanded $1,500 a week, a large amount for an unknown actress.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=21}} Cukor encouraged the studio to accept her demands and they signed Hepburn to a temporary contract with a three-week guarantee.<ref name="Time" />{{sfn|Haver|1980|p=94}} RKO head [[David O. Selznick]] recounted that he took a "tremendous chance" in casting the unusual actress.{{sfn|Haver|1980|p=96}}

Hepburn arrived in California in July 1932, at 25 years old. She starred in ''A Bill of Divorcement'' opposite [[John Barrymore]], but showed no sign of intimidation.{{sfnm|1a1=Haver|1y=1980|1p=96|2a1=Prideaux|2y=1996|2p=15}} Although she struggled to adapt to the nature of film acting, Hepburn was fascinated by the industry from the start.{{sfn|Higham|2004|pp=30–31}} The picture was a success and Hepburn received positive reviews.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=82}} [[Mordaunt Hall]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called her performance "exceptionally fine ... Miss Hepburn's characterization is one of the finest seen on the screen".<ref>{{cite news|last=Hall |first=Mordaunt |title=A Bill of Divorcement (1932) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9801E7D81331E633A25750C0A9669D946394D6CF |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 25, 2011 |date=October 3, 1932 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228070218/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9801E7D81331E633A25750C0A9669D946394D6CF |archive-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> The ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' review declared, "Standout here is the smash impression made by Katharine Hepburn in her first picture assignment. She has a vital something that sets her apart from the picture galaxy."<ref>{{cite news|title=A Bill of Divorcement |url=https://variety.com/1931/film/people-news/a-bill-of-divorcement-1200410643/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=August 25, 2011 |date=October 1932 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402205947/http://variety.com/1931/film/people-news/a-bill-of-divorcement-1200410643/ |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> On the strength of ''A Bill of Divorcement'', RKO signed her to a long-term contract.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=39}} George Cukor became a lifetime friend and colleague—he and Hepburn made ten films together.{{sfn|Hepburn|1991|pp=178, 181}}

[[File:Katharine hepburn little women.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Hepburn, dressed in 19th-century clothes, sat with tears in her eyes.|As [[Jo March]] in ''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933), which was one of the most popular movies of its day]]

Hepburn's second film was ''[[Christopher Strong]]'' (1933), the story of an aviator and her affair with a married man. The picture was not commercially successful, but Hepburn's reviews were good.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=84}} Regina Crewe wrote in the ''[[New York Journal-American|Journal-American]]'' that although her mannerisms were grating, "they compel attention, and they fascinate an audience. She is a distinct, definite, positive personality."{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=44}} Hepburn's third picture confirmed her as a major actress in Hollywood.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=86}} For playing aspiring actress Eva Lovelace—a role intended for [[Constance Bennett]]—in ''[[Morning Glory (1933 film)|Morning Glory]]'', she won an [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]. She had seen the script on the desk of producer [[Pandro S. Berman]] and, convinced that she was born to play the part, insisted that the role be hers.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=85}} Hepburn chose not to attend the awards ceremony—as she would not for the duration of her career—but was thrilled with the win.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=88}} Her success continued with the role of Jo in the film ''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933). The picture was a hit, one of the film industry's biggest successes to date,{{sfn|Haver|1980|p=96}} and Hepburn won the Best Actress prize at the [[Venice Film Festival]]. ''Little Women'' was one of Hepburn's personal favorites and she was proud of her performance, later saying, "I defy anyone to be as good [as Jo] as I was".{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=86}}

By the end of 1933, Hepburn was a respected film actress, but she yearned to prove herself on Broadway.{{sfnm|1a1=Berg|1y=2004|1p=89|2a1=Higham|2y=2004|2p=57}} [[Jed Harris]], one of the most successful theatre producers of the 1920s, was going through a career slump.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=91}} He asked Hepburn to appear in the play ''[[The Lake (play)|The Lake]]'', which she agreed to do for a low salary.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=92}} Before she was given leave, RKO asked that she film ''[[Spitfire (1934 film)|Spitfire]]'' (1934). Hepburn's role in the movie was Trigger Hicks, an uneducated mountain girl. Though it did well at the box office, ''Spitfire'' is widely considered one of Hepburn's worst films, and she received poor reviews for the effort.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=89}} Hepburn kept a photo of herself as Hicks in her bedroom throughout her life to "[keep] me humble".{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=90}}

''The Lake'' previewed in Washington, D.C., where there was a large advance sale.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=92}} Harris' poor direction had eroded Hepburn's confidence, and she struggled with the performance.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=60}} Despite this, Harris moved the play to New York without further rehearsal. It opened at the [[Martin Beck Theatre]] on December 26, 1933, and Hepburn was roundly panned by the critics.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=62}} [[Dorothy Parker]] quipped, "She runs the gamut of emotions all the way from A to B."{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013|p=311}} Already tied to a ten-week contract, she had to endure the embarrassment of rapidly declining box office sales.{{sfn|Hepburn|1991|p=166}} Harris decided to take the show to Chicago, saying to Hepburn, "My dear, the only interest I have in you is the money I can make out of you." Hepburn did not want to continue in a failing show, so she paid Harris $14,000, most of her life savings, to close the production instead.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=93}} She later referred to Harris as "hands-down the most diabolical person I have ever met",{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=91}} and claimed this experience was important in teaching her to take responsibility for her career.{{sfn|Hepburn|1991|p=4}}