52 Katharine Hepburn Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

This 1940 romantic comedy revolves around a socialite named Tracy, who has split from her husband Dexter, due to his drinking and her overly demanding nature. Just before she is about to wed George Kittredge, she crosses path again with Dexter as well as a reporter Macaulay, which makes her confused regarding her feelings for all three men. 

The Academy Awards-winning film set in 12th century France features King Henry II, who summons his sons and family at Christmas, to name his successor. Though he favors his youngest son, John, his estranged, imprisoned wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, released for the holidays, wants the eldest son, Richard, to ascend the throne. The gathered sovereigns conspire to manipulate Henry and have their own way.

Bringing up Baby is a romantic comedy film, which revolves around a paleontologist, who is trying to secure one million dollars for his museum, as a donation. However, he is being pursued by a flighty and irritating heiress along with her pet leopard, Baby. 

Joanna is a young woman who was raised with liberal values. One day, when she brings home her fiance, who is an African-American widowed physician, her parent’s attitudes are challenged. 

Rose and her brother are missionaries serving in German East Africa. Although they are warned by steamer captain, rough and ready Charlie that the WWI has broken up, they refuse to leave. But after her brother’s death, Rose accepts Charlie’s offer of safe passage; but while planning their escape Rose persuades Charlie to use the steamer to destroy a German gunboat.  

This romantic comedy film tells the story of a man who has risen from humble beginnings, but his life takes a turn when he has to choose between his free-thinking lifestyle and the tradition of his wealthy fiancée’s family.  

Terry Randall is a woman from a very rich and influential family, who decides to see if she can break into the Broadway theatre on her own merit, without taking any help from her family. She moves into the theatrical boarding house, and is disappointed to see the kind of life the aspirants live.  

A young woman Chelsea visits her aging father Norman Thayer, and attempts to repair their long-strained relationship before it’s too late.

Adam and his wife Amanda who are both lawyers find themselves on the same case, on opposite sides. The case which involves a woman, who shot her cheating husband, turns their domestic life upside down.

Suddenly, Last Summer is a mystery drama film which revolves around a young woman, who is being  evaluated for lobotomy by a psychiatric doctor, after she feels traumatized by the mysterious death of her cousin. It soon seems that her aunt is trying to hide something from her.

Woman of the Year is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of Sam and Tess, two reporters working for a press who dislike each other. But eventually they fall for one another and get married. However, after Tess gets elected as ‘Woman of the Year’, her life gets busy and hectic and Sam begins to feel lonely.

Desk Set is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of a young woman named Bunny, who works at the reference library of the Federal Brodcasting Network. She feels bored with her relationship with Mike Cutler, a rising network executive. When a engineer named Richard Summer is hired to install an advanced machine at her library, she begins to fall for him.  

Little Women is a romantic drama film which chronicles the lives of Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth, four sisters as they grow up in New England during the 19th century.

Jane Hudson is an unmarried middle-aged woman who is on a vacation of her dreams in Venice, after saving money for it for several years. However, she feels quite lonely, being all by herself. Things take a turn when she meets a handsome Italian man, although he is married.  

Alice Adams is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of a woman named Alice, belonging to a working class family living in a small town. However, she aspires to be among the upper class. She soon gains the attention of a man named Arthur Russell, but she hides her true social standing from him. Meanwhile, her mother pressurizes Mr Adams to invest in a business venture, hoping that they can truly become part of the upper class.

After the defeat of Troy in Trojan War, Hecuba, Queen of Trojans, who has lost her son Hector, is left with ruins of her city and family. Hector’s widow, Andromache, dreads for her son Astyanax’s life, because the Greeks have ordered extermination of royal linage. Hecuba’s daughter, Cassandra suspects that she would be enslaved; whereas Helen of Troy fears possibility of execution.

US Marshal Rooster Cogburn is an aging one-eyed US Marshall, who has been stripped of his badge by Judge Parker, due to his drunkenness and his questionable use of firearms. To earn back his badge, he is sent to hunt for a gang of robbers, who have hijacked a shipment of explosives. His job becomes complicated because a girl, who was a victim of the robbers, insists on coming along with him.

The film presents a dramatized association between three renowned 19th century musicians. Clara Wieck Schumann, an accomplished concert pianist, staunchly supports her husband, composer Robert Schumann. Johannes Brahms, Schumann’s student, who lives with them, is drawn towards Clara. Disheartened with failure, Schumann suffers a breakdown, and later, dies. Brahms proposes to Clara, but she prefers to devote her life to Robert’s memory.

An uneasy yet peaceful relationship is preserved by the well-to-do couple Agnes and Tobias as they share house with Agnes’s alcoholic sister Claire. Then their 36-year-old daughter Julia returns home after her 4th divorce, and their friends Harry and Edna turn up unexpectedly with an intention to stay on. The presence of new arrivals prompts each one to discover their inner selves. 

Eva Lovelace is a girl from a small town who has always dreamt of becoming a successful Broadway star. Although she has tried in several auditions, she could never get a break. Her life however takes a turn when she is taken under the wing of several theatre veterans, who decide to help her, and mentor her to success.

In this adaptation of J.M. Barrie play Quality Street, Phoebe’s dull life takes a turn when her former beau Valentine returns after a decade of service in the British army. However, Valentine is disappointed by her worn out look. Angered, Phoebe puts on a beautiful dress and works on her looks to appear beautiful. Her new looks deceive even Valentine who thinks that she is Phoebe's niece Livvy.

After an embezzlement charge, widower Henry Scarlett escapes to England. He is accompanied by his daughter Sylvia, who disguises herself as a boy, in order to avoid being detected. They soon get acquainted with a con man named Jimmy Monkley, who decides to partner up with them. All this while, nobody recognizes that Sylvia is not a boy, but things get complicated when she meets Michael Fane, a handsome artist.

Adapted from Jean Giraudoux’s 1945 play La Folle de Chaillot, the movie follows Countess Aurelia and her three friends as they learn about a big conspiracy to drill oil from beneath the streets of Paris. The women decide to take action against the powerful men that include financiers, military men, and a religious opportunist by putting them on trial for crime against society.

When the Japanese invade a farming village and the men of the Tan family appease the invaders to be on the safe side, a courageous young woman named Jade is determined to oppose. She learns to read and fight to build up a resistance, which in turn inspires the entire village to follow suit.

The story centers on the relationship between an aspiring composer and a well-known conductor, who is also a reputed womanizer. They meet, fall in love and get married. But very soon, he reverts back to his old habit, which forces her to leave. However, they cannot forget each other,  which has a negative effect on their work.  

Grace Quigley is an old woman who is approaching the end of her life. When she witnesses a murder being committed by an assassin, she decides to blackmail him into killing her, as she has no will to live further.

Russian Captain, Vinka Kovelenko, lands her jet willingly in a West German territory, where the U.S. forces take her captive. But she is neither defecting nor on a mission, and Captain Chuck Lockwood is given the job to convince her to defect. Pursued by KGB agents and former lovers, the two eventually find love.