Editing Katharine Hepburn (section)

=== Slowing in the 1940s (1942–1949) ===
In 1942, Hepburn returned to Broadway to appear in another Philip Barry play, ''Without Love'', which was also written with the actress in mind.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=457}} Critics were unenthusiastic about the production, but with Hepburn's popularity at a high, it ran for 16 sold-out weeks.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=178}} MGM was eager to reunite Tracy and Hepburn for a new picture and settled on ''[[Keeper of the Flame (film)|Keeper of the Flame]]'' (1942). A dark mystery with a propaganda message on the dangers of fascism, the film was seen by Hepburn as an opportunity to make a worthy political statement.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=175}} It received poor notices, but was a financial success, confirming the popularity of the Tracy–Hepburn pairing.{{sfnm|1a1=Curtis|1y=2011|1p=480|2a1=Kanin|2y=1971|2p=5}}

[[File:Tracy Hepburn Adams Rib.jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of Hepburn and Spencer Tracy sat in an open-top car in mid-conversation. He looks unimpressed.|The majority of films Hepburn did in this period were with [[Spencer Tracy]]. She later said the partnership did much to advance her career, as he was the more popular star at the time.{{sfn|Chandler|2011|p=149}} Seen here in ''[[Adam's Rib]]'' (1949).]]

Since ''[[Woman of the Year]]'', Hepburn had committed to [[#Spencer Tracy|a romantic relationship with Tracy]] and dedicated herself to helping the star, who suffered from alcoholism and insomnia.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|pp=508, 662, 670, 702, 727}} Her career slowed as a result, and she worked less for the remainder of the decade than she had done in the 1930s—notably by not appearing on stage again until 1950.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=179}} Her only appearance in 1943 was a cameo in the morale-building wartime film ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]'', playing herself. She took an atypical role in 1944, playing a Chinese peasant in the high-budget drama ''[[Dragon Seed (film)|Dragon Seed]]''. Hepburn was enthusiastic about the film, but it met with a tepid response and she was described as miscast.{{sfn|Dickens|1990|p=18}} She then reunited with Tracy for the film version of ''[[Without Love (film)|Without Love]]'' (1945), after which she turned down a role in ''[[The Razor's Edge (1946 film)|The Razor's Edge]]'' to support Tracy through his return to Broadway.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=522}} ''Without Love'' received poor reviews, but a new Tracy–Hepburn picture was a big event and it was popular on release, selling a record number of tickets over the Easter weekend in 1945.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=515}}

Hepburn's next film was ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]'' (1946), a [[film noir]] with [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] and [[Robert Mitchum]] that was poorly received.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=129}} A fourth film with Tracy came in 1947: a drama set in the [[American Old West]] entitled ''[[The Sea of Grass (film)|The Sea of Grass]]''. Similarly to ''Keeper of the Flame'' and ''Without Love'', a lukewarm response from critics did not stop it from being a financial success both at home and abroad.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=549}} The same year, Hepburn portrayed [[Clara Wieck Schumann]] in ''[[Song of Love (1947 film)|Song of Love]]''. She trained intensively with a pianist for the role.{{sfn|Higham|2004|p=131}} By the time of its release in October, Hepburn's career had been significantly affected by her public opposition to the growing [[Hollywood blacklist|anti-communist movement]] in Hollywood. Viewed by some as dangerously progressive, she was not offered work for nine months and people reportedly threw things at screenings of ''Song of Love''.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=555}} Her next film role came unexpectedly, as she agreed to replace [[Claudette Colbert]] only days before shooting began on [[Frank Capra]]'s political drama ''[[State of the Union (film)|State of the Union]]'' (1948).{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=182}} Tracy had long been signed to play the male lead, and so Hepburn was already familiar with the script and stepped up for the fifth Tracy–Hepburn picture.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=555}} Critics responded positively to the film and it performed well at the box-office.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=564}}

Tracy and Hepburn appeared onscreen together for a third consecutive year in the 1949 film ''[[Adam's Rib]]''. Like ''Woman of the Year'', it was a "battle of the sexes" comedy and was written specifically for the duo by their friends Garson Kanin and [[Ruth Gordon]]. A story of married lawyers who oppose each other in court, Hepburn described it as "perfect for [Tracy] and me".{{sfn|Hepburn|1991|p=246}} Although her political views still prompted scattered picketing at theatres around the country, ''Adam's Rib'' was a hit, favorably reviewed and the most profitable Tracy–Hepburn picture to date.{{sfn|Curtis|2011|p=587}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic [[Bosley Crowther]] was full of praise for the film and hailed the duo's "perfect compatibility".<ref>{{cite news|last=Crowther |first=Bosley |author-link=Bosley Crowther |title='Adam's Rib', 'Tight Little Island', 'Amazing Mr. Beecham' Among Movie Newcomers |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 25, 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E02E5DC1F3BE23BBC4E51DFB4678382659EDE |date=December 26, 1949 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228065121/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E02E5DC1F3BE23BBC4E51DFB4678382659EDE |archive-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>