Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn, as “Lady Cynthia Darlington”, is here in her second movie, Dorothy Arzner’s Pre-Code romantic drama ‘Christopher Strong’ (1933), appearing statuesque in a fabulous ‘moderne’ and ‘art deco’ inspired ‘white moth’ costume for a costume party, in the photograph on the left, speaking with her co-star, British actor Colin Clive, whose most memorable role was playing Henry Frankenstein in ‘Frankenstein’ (1931), and ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935), appearing here in this movie as “Sir Christopher Strong”. The RKO Radio Picture was adapted for the screen by Zoë Akins from the 1932 British novel, of the same name, by Gilbert Frankau. The supporting cast includes Billie Burke as “Lady Elaine Strong”, Helen Chandler, best known for her earlier role as “Mina Seward” in Tod Browning’s horror classic ‘Dracula’ (1931), appearing here as “Monica Strong”, Italian actor Agostina Borgato, Margaret Lindsay, Jack La Rue, British actors Ralph Forbes, Desmond Roberts, and Pat Somerset, and British actresses Irene Browne and Gwendolyn Logan. The movie was groundbreaking in that it was directed by Hollywood’s first major female director, Dorothy Arzner, the screenplay was adapted by female screenwriter Zoë Akins, and Katharine Hepburn playing a groundbreaking female aviator in the story. In the second photograph, on the upper right, is Katharine Hepburn once again in the ‘white moth’ costume, and below that, in the lower right photograph, is pre-code movie cinephile me in a hallowe’en costume I made in 1978, soon after I saw the movie, inspired by Ms. Hepburn’s amazing costume in the movie. Of course my rendition of it was rather rough and not nearly as fabulous, but it was just such fun to base a hallowe’en costume on one I saw in a fantastic classic Pre-Code movie.