Book World Live

Books have already been written about Hepburn, but this is a particularly comprehensive and absorbing account of her life and legend and the way she exerted her ferocious will on creating both. (Review: Kiss Me Kate, Post, Nov. 12).

William J. Mann, author of "Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn," was online to field questions and comments about his biography of the late film great.

A transcript follows.

William J. Mann is a film historian whose work includes a biography on director John Schlesinger and the history of gay Hollywood, 1910-1969. He is well known for his acclaimed novel, "Where the Boys Are."

Join Book World Live each Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET for a discussion based on a story or review in each Sunday's Book World section.

____________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: Would you agree that Katharine Hepburn is the greatest female movie star of the 20th century? Who would you compare her with, and how do they contrast?

William J. Mann: I think she is the most influential female movie star of the 20th Century and certainly she was able to sustain her stardom longer than anyone else. I think as an actress she did not have the range of Bette Davis and certainly someone like Elizabeth Taylor knew how to manage the glamorous aspects of stardom better than Hepburn but Hepburn became a symbol of the American character in a way none of the others did.

_______________________

Lyme Conn.: What does your book ad that no one has previously written about Katharine Hepburn? Did you use any resources that have never been explored before and, if so, what type of information did you find?

William J. Mann: I think what my book does is that it tries to draw a distinction between the legend and the real woman and to understand why and how the legend endured for so long. And also, the book looks at ways in which public lives are constructed and maintained in the celebrity spotlight.

I use many new sources including many friends and family members who have never spoken before as well as diaries and letters from many people in the Hepburn inner circle.

_______________________

Long Beach, NY: What is the difference between the woman, Kate Hepburn, and the myth or icon? Was she truly someone to be admired, or would she have driven you crazy within 30 minutes as she was portrayed in "Aviator?"

Sheila R.

William J. Mann: I think the difference between the legend and the woman was that the woman was far more honest, far more sophisticated and far more ambitious than she ever led on. She certainly had many personality quirks as The Aviator exhibited but she was, at heart, a compassionate and loyal friend. And I think the work that she did to maintain her stardom is actually more fascinating than the sentimental legend.

_______________________

Rockville, Md: Can you confirm the rumor that Cynthia McFadden is Katherine Hepburn's daughter with Spencer Tracy? She does bear a resemblance to her purported father.

William J. Mann: It is highly unlikely that such a rumor can be in any way true. Both Hepburn and McFadden enjoyed telling that story as a joke because of the fact that McFadden did indeed resemble Katharine Hepburn. I don't see the resemblance to Tracy but I do see the resemblance to Hepburn.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I am confused that in all your interviews you talk about how much you admire Hepburn, yet you really describe her as ruthlessly ambitious and dishonest. Hepburn was known for her integrity and for not engaging in the petty feuds that marked the careers of so many other women in Hollywood: Davis, Crawford, Fontaine, etc. You don't show me anything to admire.

And, the legend of her relationship was set in stone long before she ever been to discuss it publicly. It's not something she just made up.

William J. Mann: I do admire Hepburn quite a bit and I think that reading her full story and understanding her in the full context of her life is far more fascinating than the sentimental legend. I think when we understand someone's full humanity including all of their flaws we get a far more interesting portrait of a real person and not a manufactured image.

_______________________

Reston, Va: Whenever I think of a strong, independent-minded woman in film, I think of Ms Hepburn. I don't think that we've seen too many actresses in the last couple of decades show the strength of character/force of will that she brought to her roles. Do you point to any other current actresses in your book as particularly following in her footsteps?

William J. Mann: I don't think stars of today can truly be compared to the stars of the classical Hollywood era. It's because in the studio days in the Golden Age of Hollywood, movie stars played a far greater role in the public consciousness. Today movie stars compete with the Internet, television and so many other forms of celebrity. So I don't believe that there's any one star today who we can compare accurately with Hepburn.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: It was suggested in the review of your book that both Hepburn and Tracy had gay liaisons. Is this correct? If so, who was Tracy involved with and were there other starts involved with them in this fashion?

William J. Mann: I would suggest you read the book for the full details.

Yes, I believe Hepburn did have relationships with both men and woman and as for Spencer Tracy, it would appear he struggled with some unresolved issues that included his sexuality.

_______________________

Toronto, Canada: Mr. Mann, you rely on the testimony of one man -- "Scotty" -- for your whole thesis that Tracy had sexuality issues. This guy also admitted in an interview in "Variety" this July that he lied to biographers.

If you tried to use "Scotty's" testimony in a court of law, you'd be thrown out of court.

And how can you attribute Tracy's drinking problem to his sexuality issues when both his father and brother were heavy drinkers with depression problems just as he had? Aren't you asking "Scotty's" story to do too much?

William J. Mann: I would suggest that the questioner read my book thoroughly. I do not rely only on Scotty by any means. Scotty also did not say that he lied to biographers in the Variety article. I have verified Scotty's reliability as a source and as a journalist, I stand by my research. I'm sorry if this shatters some illusions for people.

_______________________

Anonymous: I think we were led to believe (years ago) that Hepburn had no interest in the Oscars. She rarely was part (I remember she filmed something for a show in the late 60s) of the show. But a recent book indicated that she liked her status of most-nominated etc. If she was "secretly" into the whole thing, why didn't she show up?

William J. Mann: Part of Hepburn's brilliance in maintaining her public image was convincing us that for her, stardom was a bore but in fact she was very, very conscious of her public image and her stardom and relished it. To show up to collect an Oscar would go against that public image and so she didn't do it but she was very happy to take home the prize.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Who do you feel is the superior Hepburn, Audrey or Katherine?

William J. Mann: It's comparing apples and oranges. They're both wonderful in their own way.

_______________________

New York, NY: William - I have always been fascinated by columnist James Bacon story of when he and Spencer Tracy got drunk, and insisted that he be driven to Kate Hepburn's house in, I think, Malibu. When Bacon walked in the door carrying a very drunk Spencer Kate threw a vase at him and screamed at him to go back to his wife.

Did you come across this story?

William J. Mann: Yes, I did, and years ago I interviewed James Bacon and I do believe that was perhaps the last great drinking episode of Tracy's life.

_______________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: Some have considered the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy romance as one of the great romances of the 20th century. How would you categorize it?

William J. Mann: It was a great, passionate, devoted friendship. I believe it was not often sexual but that shouldn't detract from the importance the relationship had in Hepburn's and Tracy's lives.

_______________________

University Park, Md.: Having recently read Scott Berg's "Kate Remembered" I am fascinated to think that much of what was detailed in that book could have been chalked up to Katharine Hepburn's ongoing efforts to shape the public's perception of her in the "third chapter" of her life/career. In your opinion, was Mr. Berg deceived, or was he complicit in covering up aspects of Ms. Hepburn's persona? I remember there are places in his book where Kate explicitly pooh-poohed any suppositions that she might have had lesbian relationships with Laura Harding or Phyllis Willbourn. And it seems almost sacrilegious to demythify the contention that Spencer Tracy was the great love of Kate's life. Would you say that some of these differences can be attributed to the process of creating a memoir vs. a more classic biography?

William J. Mann: I think Scott Berg's book was a lovely memorial to a friendship between two people. And to his credit that's exactly how his billed the book. He says up front that Hepburn deserves a more standard, thorough biography but that was not what he was doing. I think he understood that he was dealing with a legend and that he was hopeful that someone would draw the distinction between the legend and the real woman.

_______________________

Baltimore Md: Mr. Mann: I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your biography of William Haines, Firecracker. Until I read it, I had never heard of the man who, for a brief time, was the biggest star at Metro. It showed me how much of Hollywood history had been buried for years. I look forward to reading the Hepburn book. Thanks for your work.

William J. Mann: Thank you very much.

_______________________

NW Washington, DC: Hello,

As strong a woman as Kate was, why do you suppose she accepted the limitations of her relationship with Spencer Tracy? I know I am asking you to second guess, but why do you suppose she stayed in a relationship she knew didn't have a future?

Sign me, Cynical

William J. Mann: It's a good question. One of the things I try to do in the book is put Hepburn's life in context with her upbringing and if you haven't read the book yet, I would suggest you do so because there's quite a bit in the book about the conflict Kate felt around her own gender. She grew up the daughter of a very strong and independent woman who nonetheless was always deferential to the wishes of her husband. Through this dichotomy Hepburn spent her life with an essential tension between her impulse to live independently and unconventionally with her desire to emulate the lives of her parents.

_______________________

Columbia, SC: You probably go into this matter in your book, but I'll ask anyway. I've always rather liked "Suddenly, Last Summer," and I think Hepburn delivered a fantastic portrayal of overprotective motherhood at its most grotesque and incestuous (at an emotional level, anyway). Yet I understand she hated the film and wouldn't see it. Why?

William J. Mann: She felt that Joe Mankiewicz's script destroyed the metaphorical aspects of Tennessee Williams's play. She was offended by the final picture and also was very upset by the treatment of Montgomery Clift by the director. It was an experience she wanted to forget.

_______________________

William J. Mann: I'm pleased that so many are embracing this richer, more complex portrait of Katharine Hepburn. My intent has always been to understand the woman behind the legend. I think when we understand her in all of her complexity and all of her humanity we are left with a far more fascinating story than any of the legends that have come before.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.