3Thu-3B-10: The Films of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Class | Registration opens 1/19/26 10:00 AM

In-person: 10 weeks
Feb 26-May 14, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM on Th
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$100.00

3Thu-3B-10: The Films of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Class | Registration opens 1/19/26 10:00 AM

In this class, we’ll examine 10 films from legendary movie stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, including four they made together. The three Hepburn movies we’ll look at are: 1) Stage Door from 1937, a sparkling comedy directed by Gregory La Cava and co-starring Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball, 2) Holiday from 1938, a comedy directed by George Cukor and co-starring Cary Grant, and 3) The African Queen from 1951, an adventure drama directed by John Huston and co-starring Humphrey Bogart.

The three Tracy movies will be: 1) Fury from 1937, a political drama directed by Fritz Lang about a man wrongly accused of murder and the lynch mob that goes after him, 2) Bad Day at Black Rock from 1955, a neo-western directed by John Sturges about a man who enters an unwelcoming town with untold secrets, and 3) Judgement at Nuremberg from 1961, an epic drama directed by Stanley Kramer and with a stellar cast that includes Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland.

The four Tracy/Hepburn collaborations will be: 1) Woman of the Year from 1942, a comedy directed by George Stevens about erudite political columnist Hepburn who must get along with sports columnist Tracy, 2) State of the Union from 1948, a political drama directed by Frank Capra about businessman Tracy recruited to run for president and his skeptical wife Hepburn, 3) Adam’s Rib from 1949, a comedy directed by George Cukor about Tracy and Hepburn as husband and wife and also opposing attorneys for a murder trial involving Judy Holliday, and 4) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner from 1967, a biting drama directed by Stanley Kramer and co-starring Sidney Poitier, with Tracy and Hepburn as parents who must reconcile their liberal values with the realities of an interracial marriage.

Participants will need to watch the films before class, and preparation time will vary with the movie. These movies are available on streaming services and Minuteman. During class, we’ll cover background material and view selected clips, but the emphasis will be on a group discussion, focusing on script, acting and cinematography.

  • Books and Other Resources:

     

    None

     

Larry Rockoff

Retired from a career in IT, my current passions are with art and film. On the art side, I work primarily with gouache, and most of my work is abstract. In the past few years, I’ve exhibited with several community groups in the Chicago and Boston areas. On the film side, I’ve been active for years with a film club that meets weekly on zoom to discuss classic Hollywood films. A little more on my background: I hold a BFA in Art Education from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago. I have also published some poetry and prose, as well as a number of books on computing topics.