The Lady and The Duke

May 1907 and two cinematic legends are born: Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne.

"The First Lady of Cinema"

Katharine Hepburn  (b. 12 May 1907 - d. 29 June 2003)

Think of Katharine Hepburn and words like icon, legend, star, spring to mind, all of them true. She had a career that spanned 7 decades, and included 12 nominations for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, winning 4 times (a feat no other actor has managed to repeat) 3 BAFTA wins, and acting prizes at both Venice and Cannes Film Festivals. She was ranked #1 actress in the AFI's 50 Greatest Movie Legends of all time, and frequently appears in other top ten lists of movie greats. That's a lot of accolades and shiny statuettes for an actress the acerbic Dorothy Parker once reviewed on stage as running 'the gamut of emotion from A to B.'

Undeniably Hepburn enjoyed one of the most successful careers in Hollywood but what of the woman behind the star image? How did the fiery tempestuous star of legend, contemptible of the press, disdainful of the Hollywood publicity machine, and openly discourteous to her fans on occasions become the First Lady of the cinema? The world's favourite film star? Is it simply because she outlived the legends she starred alongside? As the lady herself said 'if you survive long enough, you're revered - rather like an old building.' Or is it because she had that elusive star quality and knew how to use it to her advantage?

Come along to the BFI National Library throughout May and June to discover all about the legend and the woman called Kate who created her.

View our brief list of recommended book titles (PDF, 112kb)

"The Duke"

John Wayne (b. 26 May 1907 - d. 11 June 1979)

"In that instant I realised the power and complexity of John Wayne. How can I hate John Wayne upholding Goldwater and yet love him tenderly when he abruptly takes Natalie Wood in his arms in the last reel of The Searchers?"

With these words Jean-Luc Godard sums up how John Wayne polarises opinion amongst film fans. Almost as famous in some circles for his right-wing politics as his acting career, the man christened Marion Morrison was a mass of contradictions, in his private and in his public life.

Born in Iowa in 1907, the young John Wayne fell into acting whilst working as a prop man on the 20th Century Fox set. At the same time he established what was to be a life-long friendship with the director, John Ford. It was Ford who directed Wayne in his breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid in 1939's Stagecoach. It had taken over 10 years of uncredited roles in quota westerns for him to become a star.

He holds the record for the most leading roles played by an actor - 142 in a career that spanned 50 years and made him synonymous with the Western and war genres. Oscar nominated for his role in The Sands of Iwo Jima in 1949, he finally won for his performance as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969).

Of his roles he said; "I've been very lucky. Most of my life I've been able to portray a decent man with a bit of bastard in him - a man against the odds and nature."

In our Reading Room display, throughout May and June, we revealed the man behind the icon, with selected materials from our collections.

View our selective bibliography (PDF, 187kb)