KATHARINE HEPBURN READS A LETTER SHE WROTE TO SPENCER TRACY

and if it's half of what we felt that's everything I was given an Oscar for that last film but I always felt that the award was really meant for both of us through the years I've I've tried to capture the essence of Spence he had a wonderful head but he was a difficult man to know he didn't like to rehearse he certainly didn't like to talk about his problems one night not so long ago I went up those stairs sat down on the edge of my bed and I found myself writing him a letter and I've got that letter here I'd like to read it to you yes SP whoever thought that I'd be writing you a letter you died on the 10th of June in 1967 my golly SP that's 15 no it's 18 years ago that's a long time are you happy finally is it a nice long rest you're having make making up for all your tossing and turning in life you know I never believed you when you said you just couldn't get to sleep I thought come on you sleep if you didn't sleep you'd be dead you'd be so worn out then remember that night when oh I don't know you felt so Disturbed and I said well go on in go to bed and I'll lie on the floor and I'll talk you to sleep I'll just talk and talk and you'll be so bored you're bound to drift over well I went in and I got an old pillow Lobo the dog and I lay there watching you and stroking old dog I was talking about you in the movie we just finished Guess who's coming to dinner and my studio and your new tweet coat and the garden and all the nice sleep making topics and cooking and dull gossip but you never stop tossing to the right to the left shove the pillows pull the covers on and on and on finally and really finally not just then you quieted down I waited a while and then I crept out you told me the truth didn't you Spence you really could not sleep and I used to wonder then why why is B I still wonder you took the pills they were quite strong I suppose you have to say that otherwise you never would have slept at all living wasn't easy for you was it what did you like to do you love sailing especially in Stormy Weather you love Polo then Will Rogers was killed in that airplane accident and the fun went out of it for you didn't it tennis golf swimming no not really you'd b a few balls fair you were I don't think that you ever Swang a golf club is is Swang a word swimming well you didn't like cold water and walking no that didn't suit you that was one of those things where you could think at the same time of this of that of what Spence what was it was it some specific life thing like being a Catholic and you felt a bad Catholic no Comfort no Comfort I remember father click telling you that you concentrated on all the bad none of the good which your religion offered must have been something very fundamental very everpresent and the incredible fact there you were really the greatest movie actor I say this because I believe it and I've heard so many people up standing in our business say it from Olivier to Le Strasburg David lean you name it you could do it and you could do it with that glorious Simplicity that directness you could just do it you couldn't enter your own life but you could be someone else you were a killer priest a fisherman a sports writer a judge a newspaper man you were it in a moment you you hardly had to study you learned the lines in an instant what a relief you could be someone else for a while you weren't you you were safe you loveed to laugh didn't you you never miss those individual Comics Jimmy durandy Phil silver Fanny Bryce Frank McHugh Mickey Ry Jack Benny Burns and Alan Smith and Dale and your favorite Bert Williams funny stories you could tell them and brilliantly you could laugh at yourself you enjoyed very very much the friendship and admiration of people like the Canan Frank Sinatra boogy and Betty George cuore Vic Fleming Stanley Kramer the kennedies Harry Truman Lou Douglas you were fun with them you had fun with them you felt safe with them but then back to Life's trials oh hell take a drink no yes maybe then stop taking the drink you were great at that Spence you were great you could just stop how I respected you for that very unusual well you said on this subject never safe until you're 7 ft underground but why the escape hatch why was it always opened to get away from the remarkable you what was it Spence what was it I meant to ask you did you know what it was what what did you say I can't hear you

Channel: merrickart

Views: 230,182

Keywords: katharine, hepburn, spencer, tracy, love, films, movies, letter, documentary, comedy, actors

Id: 8szArd5dIBE

Length: 6min 44sec (404 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 09 2008