Katharine Hepburn: From Hartford to Hollywood

Born and raised in Connecticut, Katharine Hepburn is an American icon who had a long career in stage, film and television that reflected the changing role of women in broader society. The story of her life-long ties to Connecticut will be recalled at the June 8 program of the South Windsor Historical Society and Wood Memorial Library.

The 7 p.m. presentation will be led by Natalie Belanger, an educator at the Connecticut Historical Society where she develops and teaches a variety of programs. She has worked at several area museums and currently teaches history courses at Manchester Community College, Asnuntuck Community College, and Goodwin College. She holds a B.A. in history from Smith College and an M.A. in women's history from the University of Maryland.

Belanger will trace Hepburn's life and career in her program "Katharine Hepburn: From Hartford to Hollywood."

Raised in Connecticut by wealthy, progressive parents, Hepburn began to act while studying at Bryn Mawr College. Four years in the theater with favorable reviews of her work on Broadway brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Her early years in the film industry were marked with success, including an Academy Award for her third picture, “Morning Glory” followed by a series of commercial failures. She masterminded her own comeback, buying out her contract with RKO Radio Pictures and acquired the film rights to “The Philadelphia Story,” with a lock on the lead role which led to decades of stardom. In 1999, Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema. She Hepburn died in 2003 at the age of 96.

The program is open to the public; admission is $5 per person ($3 for society or library members). Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 60-289-1783, or visit
www.southwindsorhistory.org or www.woodmemoriallibrary.org.