Moments of Movie Wisdom: The Outstanding Woman of the Year

A promo shot for the 1942 film "Woman of the Year" starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. (MovieStillsDB)

Commentary

Katharine Hepburn was one of the brightest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was an excellent actress who appeared in dozens of outstanding films, so I often write about her. Whenever I do, I inevitably receive a comment about her feminism, her affair with Spencer Tracy, or her liberal lifestyle. These points often have nothing to do with the film or character discussed in the article, but the points are valid.

Katharine Hepburn was indeed a liberal feminist who is known to have had a long-term affair with her frequent co-star Spencer Tracy. She was a troublemaker around Hollywood, maddening the studio executives by refusing to conform to traditional standards of feminine appearance, such as wearing skirts and makeup. Some celebrities played against type to make their images more palatable to average American audiences, but not Kate. Many of her most famous characters are very strong women who challenge traditional feminine roles by being active in the workplace instead of being homemakers and competing with their husbands, often in a professional as well as a personal sense. Such films always have a strong message, however, about how this competition between husbands and wives is often fatal to marital happiness.

Cropped publicity still of Katharine Hepburn in the 1942 film "Woman of the Year." (Public Domain)

Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “Woman of the Year” from 1942. Much has been written about this first pairing of Hepburn and Tracy, which was directed by George Cukor. It focuses on two journalists from the same newspaper—international news columnist Tess Harding (Hepburn) and sportswriter Sam Craig (Tracy)—who get in a battle of the columns over wartime priorities. When they finally meet, they are instantly attracted to each other. They decide to get married, but Tess quickly shows that her marriage is going to take second place to her career.

Sam tries to make their marriage work, but Tess is self-centered and inconsiderate of him. For instance, she adopts a young Greek refugee orphan boy, Chris (George Kezas), without consulting her husband. Although Sam is against the idea, he is more concerned about the boy’s welfare. As Tess is dazzled by the honor of being named Outstanding Woman of the Year, Sam gets fed up with their non-traditional relationship. She realizes she has to compromise if she wants to save her marriage.

The Scene

The scene in question takes place on the night of the banquet where Tess will be named Outstanding Woman of the Year. It’s the turning point for the story, since it is in this scene when Sam realizes he doesn’t want to be Mr. Tess Harding any longer. He realizes that neither he nor her adoptive child is as important to Tess as taking bows. The trouble starts as soon as Tess learns the news, as she tells her aunt, Ellen (Fay Bainter), that it’s the greatest thing that has ever happened to her. On the night in question, Tess practically ignores Sam as she is getting ready, flinching when he tries to kiss her.

The straw that breaks the camel’s back for Sam is Tess’s callous disregard for Chris. She plans to leave the young boy alone in the apartment, asking the elevator boys to check on him, although he speaks no English. She is outraged when Sam wants to stay home with the boy, since she thinks it will look strange. She reveals how little she regards his work when she blurts out that no one would believe he has something important to do. Sam’s cold look stops her dead in her tracks, and he says that it’s too bad he isn’t covering the event, since he has a sensational angle: the Outstanding Woman of the Year isn’t a woman at all. She insincerely apologizes to convince Sam to come with her, but she ends up leaving alone.

The Significance

Sam’s statement of the film title is one of the most powerful moments in the movie. It’s a slap of truth to Tess, although it isn’t until later in the movie when she realizes how right he was. It also was a powerful message to emancipated women of the early 1940s. It seems strange to think about feminism in 1942, but this movie shows how the suffragists who fought for women’s rights in the 1910s continued to campaign throughout the 20th century. Tess’s aunt was one of those suffragists, and Tess eagerly follows in her footsteps. However, like so many suffragists, Ellen is an old maid who is lonely and alone in her middle-aged years. Tess doesn’t realize that her aunt’s life is empty, despite all the accolades, since she doesn’t have a loving marriage.

A behind-the-scenes photo from the film "Woman of the Year" (1942) with (L-R) director George Stevens, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy. (MovieStillsDB)

This message is ten times more poignant and important today than it was over eighty years ago. Sam’s statement is true of every woman who is honored for her outstanding achievements. Are feminine ladies honored for being traditional women, devoted wives, and loving mothers? No, the only women who receive recognition are those who break boundaries, defy stereotypes, and challenge traditional values. In the last few years, this has gone in a horrifyingly twisted direction, as many women being honored in sports, politics, and the media aren’t even females but biological males who “identify” as women.

A Woman’s Value

There is so much talk today about the patriarchy, male dominance, and female empowerment. However, these ideas are dangerous and demeaning to women because they mock and disrespect what it really means to be a woman. Just as one of the characters at the banquet talks about “glorious emancipation,” American women today revel in how far we have come from the lives our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers had. However, at what price?

This movie shows that women like Tess Harding, Katharine Hepburn, and other such emancipated females are missing out on some of the great joys of life when they try to compete with their husbands instead of supporting and loving them. By trying to beat men, such women end up being more like men.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.