Let’s get real—Katharine Hepburn was not only a Hollywood legend, she was a force of nature. In a career that spanned seven decades, she accumulated four Oscars, broke rules willy-nilly, and recreated what it meant to be a leading lady. Whether sparring rapid-fire one-liners with Spencer Tracy, going toe-to-toe with Cary Grant, or sharing screen space with Humphrey Bogart, Hepburn’s energy could not be denied. Here’s a list of her top ten films—those that show off her wit, intelligence, and screen legend status.
10. Desk Set (1957)
Before Silicon Valley and workplace comedies, there was Desk Set. Hepburn stars as Bunny Watson, a whip-smart researcher, and contends with Spencer Tracy’s efficiency expert and his huge computer. It’s wacky, quick, and chock-full of Tracy-Hepburn chemistry at its finest. Their lighthearted energy makes the film ageless—particularly in moments when actual affection permeates the comedy.
9. Stage Door (1937)
Starring future legends Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball, this backstage melodrama is all spit and determination. Hepburn stars as Terry Randall, a young actress who finds her way through the brutal world of New York theatre. Her wicked repartee with Rogers is famous, and she earned her second Oscar nomination for the role.
8. Holiday (1938)
Homesteading Hepburn with Cary Grant is always enchanting, and Holiday is no exception. As Linda Seton, Hepburn is a free spirit who sees a kindred spirit in Grant’s nonconformist dreamer. Their dance number alone is worth the ticket price. Witty and romantic, the movie is in keeping with Hepburn’s concepts of independence and nonconformity.
7. Pat and Mike (1952)
Here Hepburn flexes her athletic muscles as Pat Pemberton, a talented athlete who continues to outwit the men in her life. Spencer Tracy is her coach and sparring partner, and the combination results in equal parts sports farce and romance. Hepburn’s athleticism and sense of timing make it one of the team’s favorite movies.
6. Woman of the Year (1942)
The movie that established the Hepburn-Tracy team. As international journalist Tess Harding, Hepburn spars with Tracy’s crusty sportswriter. The sparks fly in their acerbic repartee and define the battle-of-the-sexes comedy, while Hepburn’s turn earned her a fifth Oscar nomination.
5. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
Hepburn’s last film with Tracy is also one of her most emotional. As Christina Drayton, she responds with compassion, kindness, and sincerity when her daughter says she’s marrying a Black man—a topic daring for the times. Hepburn received her third Oscar for the part, further heightened by Tracy’s death only days after production had closed.
4. Adam’s Rib (1949)
This courtroom farce may be the greatest Tracy-Hepburn pairing. Portraying married attorneys on opposing sides of a salacious case, they convert legal banter into comedy gold. Hepburn’s wit and sarcasm mesh perfectly with Tracy’s down-to-earth delivery, and Judy Holliday comes close to stealing the film in her supporting role.
3. The African Queen (1951)
Across from Humphrey Bogart, Hepburn plays a proper missionary who is on a dangerous river trip during wartime Africa. Seeing her strict propriety gradually yield to humor, bravery, and love is a delight. The adventure earned Hepburn a second Oscar nomination and demonstrated her range in tougher, action-oriented storytelling.
2. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
This effervescent romantic comedy re-launched Hepburn’s career following a series of flops. In the role of Tracy Lord, a snappy socialite torn between her ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a meddling reporter (James Stewart), she gives one of her most subtle performances. Part witty, part vulnerable, it made her both relatable and untouchable.
1. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Hepburn’s screwball classic. Playing the unpredictable heiress Susan Vance, she sweeps Cary Grant’s stiff paleontologist into a maelstrom of comedic catastrophes—including a pet leopard named Baby. Hepburn’s daring comedic spirit and icy timing make this the ultimate demonstration of her genius—and the ultimate screwball comedy.
Katharine Hepburn wasn’t only performing—she was redefining the code of Hollywood. From screwball comedies to epic dramas, her finest movies feature a woman who could be laugh-out-loud funny, battering-ram fierce, vulnerable, and authoritative, usually simultaneously. To watch these ten movies is not merely an exercise in cinema history—it’s a reminder of why Hepburn is still the gold standard against which every leading lady would be measured.