The Best of Katharine Hepburn

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Growing up, I was homeschooled for nearly four years on account of illness. During that time, I watched an indescribable amount of television, some of it not so enlightening but a lot of it quite good - the best, undoubtedly, being Turner Classic Movies. TCM introduced me to hundreds of classic pictures, including the likes of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The African Queen and The Lion in Winter. From whatever was the first Katharine Hepburn film I watched (I think it may have been Desk Set, which admittedly isn't exactly one of her greatest), I took an instant and strong liking to her screen presence and, in no time, she emerged one of my very favorite actresses, which remains the case today.

So, in honor of her 109th birthday today, I present this list of my 10 favorite Hepburn performances...

10. Undercurrent (as Ann Hamilton)

9. A Woman Rebels (as Pamela Thistlewaite)

8. Mary of Scotland (as Mary Stuart)

7. The Rainmaker (as Lizzie Curry)

6. Woman of the Year (as Tess Harding)

5. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (as Christina Drayton)

4. Long Day's Journey Into Night (as Mary Tyrone)

3. The Lion in Winter (as Eleanor of Aquitaine)

2. Summertime (as Jane Hudson)

1. A Delicate Balance (as Agnes)