Katharine Hepburn, who demolished brontosaurus skeletons and male egos in "Bringing Up Baby" and held her own with the King of England in "The Lion in Winter," would have been 100 this past weekend. When she died four years ago at 96, she was hailed as an American icon, celebrated for her strength and independence.
But there was another side to Hepburn, too - more vulnerable, conflicted and ambitious than we knew. Though she liked to appear indifferent to vulgar stardom, she worked hard - very hard - for fame. And she never stopped, enduring fickle tastes and changing times because her desire to be great never waned. While she made us believe she was somehow above Hollywood hoopla, the truth was that long before stars employed staffs to micromanage and refine their public images, Hepburn was inventing a path for others to follow.
