Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are one of the most famous movie couples of all time. Since Tracy’s death in 1967, movie buffs have been obsessed with their offscreen affair, which was one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets during their stardom. It’s unfortunate that modern viewers are so fascinated with their sordid personal lives that it’s eclipsed their films. Between 1942 and 1967, the duo made nine movies together, mainly dealing with the battle of the sexes.
One of their more obscure films is “Pat and Mike” from 1952. Their seventh film together, it was made ten years after their first pairing, “Woman of the Year.” In this movie, Miss Hepburn is a female athlete, and Mr. Tracy is her rough around the edges manager. Both stars were middle-aged by this point, but the story is tailored to their unique talents and qualities.
In addition to the clever dialogue and excellent acting, this movie has the added attraction of showing a hidden facet of Katharine Hepburn’s talent. In addition to being a phenomenal actress, Katharine was an accomplished sportswoman. Her athletic prowess and skills in both golf and tennis are displayed in this movie because it features many extended sports sequences, featuring real athletes to compete with Miss Hepburn’s fictional character.
A Sporting Story
Patricia Pemberton (Hepburn) is a physical education teacher at a California college. She is engaged to another professor there, Collier Wells (William Ching), but he makes her very nervous because she thinks he has no confidence in her. As the film opens, Collier has scheduled a golf game with Mr. Beminger (Loring Smith) and his obnoxious wife (Phyllis Povah), who are potential donors to the college. Although Pat is an excellent golfer, she can’t play well because Collier keeps unnerving her. Finally, fed up with the other woman’s constant golf tips, Pat tells off Mrs. Beminger and shows her how well she really can play.The bartender, Charles (Jim Backus), sees Pat’s exhibition and persuades her to enter a golf tournament. Pat quits her teaching job and qualifies in the Women’s National Golf Tournament. During the weekend, she meets Mike Conovan (Tracy) and his assistant, Barney (Sammy White), who try to persuade her to purposely come in second so they can place bets. She refuses, but it’s clear that Mike is very impressed with her. Pat ends up in the final round, but Collier’s appearance during the match makes her lose her focus and the game.
Instead of going back to California with Collier, she decides to go to New York and take Mike up on his offer to help her become a professional athlete. She begins entering and winning tennis matches across the country. Mike carefully manages Pat, along with his horse, Little Nell, and a punch-drunk boxer, Davie Hucko (Aldo Ray). Pat doesn’t want to admit that Collier jinxes her, although his presence always makes her lose matches. Meanwhile, she and Mike are discovering a growing respect and fondness for each other.
Unusual Characters
Katharine Hepburn’s most famous characters, especially her roles in movies with Spencer Tracy, were often feminist characters. In fact, the central premise of many of their film pairings was the strain her competition with him put on their relationship. In this story, Miss Hepburn’s character is a widowed teacher who is easily intimidated by her overbearing beau. She frequently wears pants when she’s playing sports, but it’s just for ease of moving rather than as a feminist fashion choice, as the actress did in real life. Later in the film, Mike is intimidated by her physical prowess when she defends him against his unethical gambling associates. When she sees how upset Mike is, she realizes how much she cares about him.This script was written by married writing team Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, who were close friends of Tracy and Hepburn. This was the second movie they wrote for the duo, following “Adam’s Rib” in 1949. “Pat and Mike” was specifically tailored to highlight the unique pair’s real-life personalities. She’s a refined intellectual, and he’s a rough-around-the-edges average Joe. However, like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Lady and the Tramp,” their chemistry is magical. Their relationship isn’t romantic when they first meet, but they gradually grow very fond of each other as they spend more time together.
Fun in the Fresh Air
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were amazing dramatic actors, each earning record-breaking numbers of Academy Award nominations and wins. Award-winning performances usually come from very serious and intense films, so most of their famous movies are very dramatic, whether made together or separately. It’s delightful to see them turn their talents to lighter fare with a fun movie like “Pat and Mike.”
Perhaps the mark of a great actor is the ability to be just as impacting in a comedy as in a drama. Hepburn and Tracy don’t act with less intention or motivation in this movie than in some of their heavier stories. However, the brilliant script and directing uses their performances for the perfect effect in this lighthearted departure. It’s not surprising that Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin were nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
If you’re looking for a playful movie with phenomenal actors, I recommend “Pat and Mike.” It’s a wonderful entry in the Hepburn and Tracy catalogue and the perfect choice for those occasions when you just feel like watching an enjoyable movie which isn’t too heavy or dramatic but still has amazing actors.
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