Walter Reade Sr. and Walter Reade Jr. were an American father and son who had extensive careers in the United States motion picture industry.
154-624: Walter Reade, Sr. (1884–1952) was the man behind a chain of theatres which grew from a single theatre in Asbury Park , New Jersey to a chain of forty theatres and drive-ins in New Jersey, New York and neighboring states that lasted into the mid seventies. Known as the “Showman of The Shore,” his name was associated with big, beautifully kept single movie theatres of Hollywood’s golden age. He lived in Deal, New Jersey , and considered Asbury Park
308-403: A B movie with poor prospects. Hepburn turned it down, and instead opted to buy out her contract for $ 75,000. Many actors were afraid to leave the stability of the studio system at the time, but Hepburn's personal wealth meant she could afford to be independent. She signed on for the film version of Holiday (1938) with Columbia Pictures , pairing her for the third time with Grant, to play
462-483: A Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Hepburn stayed active throughout the 1970s, focusing on roles described by Andrew Britton as "either a devouring mother or a batty old lady living [alone]". First she traveled to Spain to film a version of Euripides ' The Trojan Women (1971) alongside Vanessa Redgrave . When asked why she had taken the role, she responded that she wanted to broaden her range and try everything while she still had time. The movie
616-635: A "tremendous chance" in casting the unusual actress. Hepburn arrived in California in July 1932, at 25 years old. She starred in A Bill of Divorcement opposite John Barrymore , but showed no sign of intimidation. Although she struggled to adapt to the nature of film acting, Hepburn was fascinated by the industry from the start. The picture was a success and Hepburn received positive reviews. Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called her performance "exceptionally fine ... Miss Hepburn's characterization
770-675: A British Academy Film Award ( BAFTA ) for Best Actress . Hepburn's next appearance was in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), which she filmed in Nice immediately after completing The Lion in Winter . The picture was a failure critically and financially, and reviews targeted Hepburn for giving a misguided performance. By the end of 1969, she was voted the most popular female star in America by Quigley 's Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll , making
924-415: A break in her career to care for ailing Spencer Tracy. She did not work again until 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner , her ninth and final film with Tracy. The movie dealt with the subject of interracial marriage, with Hepburn's niece, Katharine Houghton , playing her daughter. Tracy was dying by this point, suffering the effects of diabetes and heart disease, and Houghton later commented that her aunt
1078-493: A burgeoning industry of local and national artists. Its dilapidated downtown district is undergoing revitalization while most of the nearly empty blocks that overlook the beach and boardwalk are slated for massive reconstruction. In 2005, the Casino's walkway reopened, as did many of the boardwalk pavilions. In 2007, the eastern portion of the Casino building was demolished. There are plans to rebuild this portion to look much like
1232-654: A capacity audience and was virtually sold out for 148 shows. The production then went on tour. Reviews for Hepburn varied, but she was noted as the only leading lady in Hollywood who was performing high-caliber material onstage. In 1951, Hepburn filmed The African Queen , her first movie in Technicolor . She played Rose Sayer, a prim missionary living in German East Africa at the outbreak of World War I . Co-starring Humphrey Bogart , The African Queen
1386-568: A child out of wedlock. Quality Street (1937) also had a period setting, this time a comedy. Neither movie was popular with the public, which meant she had made four unsuccessful pictures in a row. Alongside a series of unpopular films, problems arose from Hepburn's attitude. She had a difficult relationship with the press, with whom she could be rude and provocative. When asked if she had any children, she snapped back, "Yes, I have five: two white and three colored." She would not give interviews and denied requests for autographs, which earned her
1540-626: A crowd of 4,000, marking the reopening of Asbury Park and other parts of the Jersey Shore. The "Stronger Than The Storm" motto was emphasized at this ceremony. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city had a total area of 1.61 square miles (4.17 km ), including 1.43 square miles (3.70 km ) of land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km ) of water (11.18%). Unincorporated communities , localities and place names located partially or completely within
1694-428: A decade earlier, it proved that she could be a hit without him and fully reestablished her popularity. Hepburn went on to make the sports comedy Pat and Mike (1952), the second film written specifically as a Tracy–Hepburn vehicle by Kanin and Gordon. She was a keen athlete, and Kanin later described this as his inspiration for the film: "As I watched Kate playing tennis one day ... it occurred to me that her audience
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#17327936244751848-618: A fall into a canal and developed a chronic eye infection as a result. The role earned her another Academy Award nomination and has been cited as some of her finest work. Lean later said it was his personal favorite of the films he made, and Hepburn his favorite actress. The following year, Hepburn spent six months touring Australia with the Old Vic theatre company, playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice , Kate in The Taming of
2002-445: A female householder with no husband present and 52.8% were non-families. Of all households, 42.1% were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.33. 23.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
2156-473: A female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.36. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
2310-541: A full range of Victorian architecture . Coinciding with the nationwide trend in retail shopping, Asbury Park's downtown flourished during this period and well into the 20th century. In the 1920s, Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall complex, the Casino Arena and Carousel House, and two handsome red-brick pavilions were built in the Asbury Boardwalk area. Beaux Arts architect Warren Whitney of New York
2464-443: A grand entrance in this picture. Moviegoers ... think I'm too la-di-da or something. A lot of people want to see me fall flat on my face." Thus the film began with Grant knocking the actress flat on her backside. Berg describes how the character was crafted to have audiences "laugh at her enough that they would ultimately sympathize with her", which Hepburn felt was crucial in "recreating" her public image. The Philadelphia Story
2618-547: A highly versatile performance ... once or twice going in for her famous mannerisms and always being fascinating to watch." Hepburn herself was proud of the role. Her repertoire was further improved when she appeared in Sidney Lumet 's film version of Eugene O'Neill 's Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962). It was a low-budget production, and she appeared in the film for a tenth of her established salary. She called it "the greatest [play] this country has ever produced" and
2772-541: A home-state crowd for Jersey girl Debbie Harry , who was raised in Hawthorne . The New Jersey Music Hall of Fame was founded in Asbury Park in 2005. There have been plans to build a music museum somewhere in the city as part of the redevelopment. The West Side of Asbury Park has traditionally been home to Black music, including jazz , soul , gospel , doo wop , and R&B . African American artists such as
2926-475: A last-minute "Beach Commission" amendment to a municipal debt bill in the New Jersey legislature. When the bill became law, it ceded control of the Asbury Park beach to Governor Harold Hoffman and a governor's commission. The city of Asbury Park sued to restore control of the beach to the municipal council, but the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals (until 1947, the state's highest court) upheld
3080-555: A lukewarm response from critics did not stop it from being a financial success both at home and abroad. The same year, Hepburn portrayed Clara Wieck Schumann in Song of Love . She trained intensively with a pianist for the role. By the time of its release in October, Hepburn's career had been significantly affected by her public opposition to the growing anti-communist movement in Hollywood. Viewed by some as dangerously progressive, she
3234-460: A major actress in Hollywood. For playing aspiring actress Eva Lovelace—a role intended for Constance Bennett —in Morning Glory , she won an Academy Award for Best Actress . She had seen the script on the desk of producer Pandro S. Berman and, convinced that she was born to play the part, insisted that the role be hers. Hepburn chose not to attend the awards ceremony—as she would not for
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#17327936244753388-654: A production of The Woman in the Moon in her senior year, and the positive response it received cemented Hepburn's plans to pursue a theatrical career. She graduated with a degree in history and philosophy in June 1928. Hepburn left university determined to become an actress. The day after graduating, she traveled to Baltimore to meet Edwin H. Knopf , who ran a successful stock theatre company . Impressed by her eagerness, Knopf cast Hepburn in his current production, The Czarina . She received good reviews for her small role, and
3542-507: A rare occurrence of an actress over 50 to achieve such a position. From December 1969 to August 1970, Hepburn starred in the Broadway musical Coco , about the life of Coco Chanel . She admitted that before the show, she had never sat through a theatrical musical. She was not a strong singer, but found the offer irresistible and, as Berg puts it, "what she lacked in euphony she made up for in guts". The actress took vocal lessons six times
3696-479: A relationship on screen and off that lasted until Tracy's death in 1967 with them appearing in another eight films together. Released in 1942, Woman of the Year was another success. Critics praised the chemistry between the stars, and, says Higham, noted Hepburn's "increasing maturity and polish". The World-Telegram commended two "brilliant performances", and Hepburn received a fourth Academy Award nomination. During
3850-623: A remedy against grief. She received numerous scripts and chose to play Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (1968), a part she called "fascinating". She read extensively in preparation for the role, in which she starred opposite Peter O'Toole . Filming took place in Montmajour Abbey in the south of France , an experience she loved despite being—according to director Anthony Harvey —"enormously vulnerable" throughout. John Russell Taylor of The Times suggested that Eleanor
4004-529: A small release and received generally unfavorable reviews. In 1973, Hepburn ventured into television for the first time, starring in a production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie . She had been wary of the medium, but it proved to be one of the main television events of the year, scoring high in the Nielsen ratings . Hepburn received an Emmy Award nomination for playing wistful Southern mother Amanda Wingfield, which opened her mind to future work on
4158-465: A standing ovation, and joked with the audience, "I'm very happy I didn't hear anyone call out, 'It's about time'." The following year, she was paired with John Wayne in the western Rooster Cogburn , a sequel to his Oscar-winning film True Grit . Echoing her African Queen character, Hepburn played a deeply religious unmarried woman who teams up with a masculine loner to avenge a family member's death. The movie received mediocre reviews. Its casting
4312-568: A star, but Howard disliked the actress and again she was fired. When she asked Barry why she had been let go, he responded, "Well, to be brutally frank, you weren't very good." This unsettled the self-assured Hepburn, but she continued to look for work. She took a small role in an upcoming play, but as rehearsals began, she was asked to read for the lead in the Greek fable The Warrior's Husband . The Warrior's Husband proved to be Hepburn's breakout performance. Biographer Charles Higham states that
4466-495: A stifled society girl who finds joy with her sister's fiancé. The comedy was positively reviewed, but it failed to draw much of an audience, and the next script offered to Hepburn came with a salary of $ 10,000—less than she had received at the start of her film career. Reflecting on this change in fortunes, Andrew Britton writes of Hepburn, "No other star has emerged with greater rapidity or with more ecstatic acclaim. No other star, either, has become so unpopular so quickly for so long
4620-399: A third Emmy nomination. By the 1980s, Hepburn had developed a noticeable tremor , giving her a permanently shaking head. She did not work for two years, saying in a television interview, "I've had my day—let the kids scramble and sweat it out." During this period she saw the Broadway production On Golden Pond , and was impressed by its depiction of an elderly married couple coping with
4774-493: A time." Following this decline in her career, Hepburn took action to create her own comeback vehicle. She left Hollywood to look for a stage project, and signed on to star in Philip Barry's new play, The Philadelphia Story . It was tailored to showcase the actress, with the character of socialite Tracy Lord incorporating a mixture of humor, aggression, nervousness, and vulnerability. Howard Hughes , Hepburn's partner at
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4928-585: A visit to the West Side in 1928, Fats Waller wrote "Honeysuckle Rose" with Andy Razaf at 119 Atkins Avenue in a property that still stands. Billie Holiday , Tina Turner , Little Richard and the Four Tops all played at Cuba's on the West Side in the mid-century period. The former home of the Turf Club , once a well-known mid-century jazz and R&B joint across from what is now Springwood Park,
5082-463: A wealthy society girl trying to make it as an actress. Hepburn was praised for her work at early previews, which gave her top billing over Rogers. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but it was not the box-office hit RKO had hoped for. Industry pundits blamed Hepburn for the small profit, but the studio continued its commitment to resurrecting her popularity. She
5236-423: A week in preparation for the show. She was nervous about every performance and recalled "wondering what the hell I was doing there". Reviews for the production were mediocre, but Hepburn herself was praised, and Coco was popular with the public—with its run twice extended. She later said Coco marked the first time she accepted that the public was not against her, but actually seemed to love her. Her work earned
5390-448: Is one of the finest seen on the screen". The Variety review declared, "Standout here is the smash impression made by Katharine Hepburn in her first picture assignment. She has a vital something that sets her apart from the picture galaxy." On the strength of A Bill of Divorcement , RKO signed her to a long-term contract. George Cukor became a lifetime friend and colleague—he and Hepburn made ten films together. Hepburn's second film
5544-542: The New York World-Telegram wrote, "It's been many a night since so glowing a performance has brightened the Broadway scene." A scout for the Hollywood agent Leland Hayward spotted Hepburn's appearance in The Warrior's Husband , and asked her to test for the part of Sydney Fairfield in the upcoming RKO film A Bill of Divorcement . Director George Cukor was impressed by what he saw: "There
5698-539: The Berkshire Playhouse theater company in Stockbridge, Massachusetts . She left halfway through the summer season and continued studying with a drama tutor. In early 1931, she was cast in the Broadway production of Art and Mrs. Bottle . She was released from the role after the playwright took a dislike to her, saying "She looks a fright, her manner is objectionable, and she has no talent", but Hepburn
5852-480: The New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1874, from portions of Ocean Township . The borough was reincorporated on February 28, 1893. Asbury Park was incorporated as a city, its current type of government , as of March 25, 1897. A seaside community, Asbury Park is located on New Jersey's central coast. Developed in 1871 as a residential resort by New York brush manufacturer James A. Bradley ,
6006-569: The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress while Stewart won his only Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. Hepburn was also responsible for the development of her next project, the romantic comedy Woman of the Year about a political columnist and a sports reporter whose relationship is threatened by her self-centered independence. The idea for the film was proposed to her in 1941 by Garson Kanin , who recalled how Hepburn contributed to
6160-490: The New York and Long Branch Railroad from New York City and Philadelphia to enjoy the mile-and-a-quarter stretch of oceanfront Asbury Park. By 1912, The New York Times estimated that the summer population could reach 200,000. The country by the sea destination experienced several key periods of popularity. The first notable era was the 1890s, marked by a housing growth, examples of which can still be found today in
6314-587: The Printed Word described her performance as "arresting". She was given a part in the following week's show, but her second performance was less well received. She was criticized for her shrill voice, so she left Baltimore to study with Frances Robinson-Duff , a renowned voice teacher in New York City. Knopf decided to produce The Big Pond in New York, and appointed Hepburn the understudy to
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6468-535: The greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute . Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, the second of six children. Her parents were Thomas Norval Hepburn (1879–1962), a urologist at Hartford Hospital , and Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn (1878–1951), a feminist campaigner. Both parents fought for social change in
6622-415: The poverty line , including 46.5% of those under age 18 and 37.1% of those age 65 or over. Portions of the city are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) with Long Branch , one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The city was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within
6776-579: The 1960s with bands such as the Jaywalkers and many others, who combined rock and roll , rhythm and blues , soul and doo-wop to create what became known as the Sound of Asbury Park (S.O.A.P.). On December 9, 2006, founding members of S.O.A.P. reunited for the "Creators of S.O.A.P.: Live, Raw, and Unplugged" concert at The Stone Pony and to witness the dedication of a S.O.A.P. plaque on the boardwalk outside of Convention Hall. The original plaque included
6930-403: The 1970s, she began appearing in television films, which later became her focus. She made her final screen appearance at the age of 87. After a period of inactivity and ill health, Hepburn died in 2003 at the age of 96. Hepburn famously shunned the Hollywood publicity machine, and refused to conform to societal expectations of women. She was outspoken, assertive, athletic, and wore pants before it
7084-557: The Asbury Jukes , Patti Smith , Arthur Pryor , Count Basie , The Clash , U.S. Chaos , Johnny Thunders , The Ramones , The Exploited , Charged GBH , and Gary U.S. Bonds . In 1973 Bruce Springsteen released his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. On his follow-up album, The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle , one of the songs is entitled " 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) ". Several books chronicle
7238-686: The Atlantic Coast Electric Company (precursor to today's Jersey Central Power & Light Co.) to offer electric service. Along the waterfront, Bradley installed the Asbury Park Boardwalk , an orchestra pavilion , public changing rooms, and a pier at the south end of that boardwalk . Such success attracted other businessmen. In 1888, Ernest Schnitzler built the Palace Merry-Go-Round on the southwest corner of Lake Avenue and Kingsley Street,
7392-754: The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel (formerly the Berkeley-Carteret Oceanfront Hotel), The Empress Hotel , the St. Laurent Social Club (formerly known as Hotel Tides), Asbury Park Inn, Oceanic Inn, Mikell's Big House Bed & Breakfast as well as The Asbury Hotel and The Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, both developed by iStar, the master developer for the Asbury Park Waterfront. Demolished: Local media includes: The Asbury Park music scene gained prominence in
7546-538: The Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, founded the Hip Hop Institute to teach music and life skills education relevant to young hip hop enthusiasts. The Asbury Park Museum hosts an exhibit on the history of music on the West Side, spanning the decades from 1880 to 1980. The Asbury Park African-American Music Project, or AP-AMP, created a virtual West Side museum dedicated to the history of Black music in
7700-540: The Easter break. On March 30, Hepburn discovered the body of her adored older brother dead from an apparent suicide. He had tied a curtain tie around a beam and hanged himself. The Hepburn family denied it was suicide and maintained that Tom's death must have been an experiment that had gone wrong. The incident made the teenage Hepburn nervous, moody, and suspicious of people. She shied away from other children, dropped out of Oxford School (now Kingswood-Oxford School ) and
7854-519: The Flame (1942). A dark mystery with a propaganda message on the dangers of fascism, the film was seen by Hepburn as an opportunity to make a worthy political statement. It received poor notices, but was a financial success, confirming the popularity of the Tracy–Hepburn pairing. Since Woman of the Year , Hepburn had committed to a romantic relationship with Tracy and dedicated herself to helping
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#17327936244758008-560: The Jersey Shore's own Count Basie as well as Duke Ellington , Lenny Welch , the Broadways, Josephine Baker , Claude Hopkins , Bobby Thomas , Rex Stewart , Manzie Johnson , Sidney Bechet , and Clarence Clemons "either played or were inspired by the [Black]-centered Springwood Avenue club circuit on the West Side of Asbury Park" in the early to mid-century period at places like the Smile-A-While and Gypsy George's. During
8162-738: The Shrew , and Isabella in Measure for Measure . The tour was successful and Hepburn earned significant plaudits for the effort. Hepburn received an Academy Award nomination for the second year running for her work opposite Burt Lancaster in The Rainmaker (1956). Again she played a lonely woman empowered by a love affair, and it became apparent that Hepburn had found a niche in playing mature, unmarried women. Hepburn said of playing such roles, "With Lizzie Curry [ The Rainmaker ] and Jane Hudson [ Summertime ] and Rosie Sayer [ The African Queen ]—I
8316-666: The Three-Headed Monster in 1965. Reade also presented Behind the Great Wall , in "AromaRama", at the DeMille Theater in New York. The theater's air conditioning system was used to circulate various scents to provide an olfactory experience in addition to the sights and sounds. By three weeks, AromaRama beat a competing system, Scent of Mystery (1960), in Smell-O-Vision . Reade's biggest success
8470-630: The UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6 + 5 ⁄ 8 % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in September 1994, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in September 2025. At one time, there were many hotels along the beachfront. Many were demolished after years of sitting vacant, although the Sixth Avenue House Bed & Breakfast Hotel (formerly Berea Manor)
8624-900: The USA. In 1961, Walter Reade acquired Sterling Television, renaming it to Reade-Sterling and then as the Walter Reade Organization in 1966. The company posted a major financial loss in 1964, due to the failure of its foreign film releases with the American public (the company had been responsible for issuing most of the films of Jacques Tati , and for also releasing the Canadian film The Luck of Ginger Coffey ). The Walter Reade Organization also distributed and sometimes financed foreign films for showing in American theatres and sold packages of dubbed foreign films for American television. The company financed Ulysses (1967). Reade
8778-806: The United States: Thomas Hepburn helped establish the New England Social Hygiene Association , which educated the public about venereal disease , while the elder Katharine headed the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association and later campaigned for birth control with Margaret Sanger . As a child, Hepburn joined her mother on several "Votes For Women" demonstrations. The Hepburn children were raised to exercise freedom of speech and encouraged to think and debate on any topic they wished. Her parents were criticized by
8932-504: The advance reservations. All the motion picture industry elites turned out for the several months of that engagement, including Katharine Hepburn , Warren Beatty and Julie Christie , Mike Nichols , Joanne Woodward , and scores of others. Theater staffers were required to wear Russian tunics for this engagement, and the doormen wore full-length Cossack coats, fur hats and accessories. The second Walter Reade cinema in Beverly Hills
9086-416: The attention of Hollywood. Her early years in film brought her international fame, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her third film, Morning Glory (1933), but this was followed by a series of commercial failures culminating in the critically lauded box office failure Bringing Up Baby (1938). Hepburn masterminded her comeback, buying out her contract with RKO Radio Pictures and acquiring
9240-545: The backdrop of the fading resort, Alex Austin's novel The Red Album of Asbury Park tracks a young rock musician pursuing his dream in the late 60s/early 70s, with Springsteen as a potent but as yet unknown rival. A black-and-white multi-camera recording of Blondie in 1979, just prior to the release of their fourth album, Eat to the Beat , was taped at the Asbury Park Convention Hall on July 7,
9394-510: The biggest misfires of Hepburn's career. The screenwriter James Prideaux , who worked with Hepburn, later wrote that it "died at the moment of release" and referred to it as her "lost film". Hepburn claimed the main reason she had done it was the opportunity to ride in a hot-air balloon. The television movie The Corn Is Green (1979), which was filmed in Wales, followed. It was the last of ten films Hepburn made with George Cukor , and gained her
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#17327936244759548-571: The borough was $ 20,368 (+/− $ 1,878). About 31.1% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 44.9% of those under age 18 and 26.0% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 U.S. census , there were 16,930 people, 6,754 households, and 3,586 families residing in the city. The population density was 14,290.0 inhabitants per square mile (5,517.4/km ) making it Monmouth County's most densely populated municipality. There were 7,744 housing units at an average density of 5,416.7 per square mile (2,091.4/km ). The racial makeup of
9702-487: The box office. With the genre and Grant both hugely popular at the time, biographer A. Scott Berg believes the blame lay with moviegoers' rejection of Hepburn. After the release of Bringing Up Baby , the Independent Theatre Owners of America included Hepburn on a list of actors considered "box office poison". Her reputation at a low, the next film RKO offered her was Mother Carey's Chickens ,
9856-638: The city capitalized on the event, turning the wreck into a tourist attraction. In 1935, the newly founded Securities and Exchange Commission called Asbury Park's Mayor Clarence F. Hetrick to testify about $ 6 million in "beach improvement bonds" that had gone into default. At the same time, the SEC also inquired about rental rates on the beach front and why the mayor reduced the lease of a bathhouse from $ 85,000 to $ 40,000, among many other discrepancies that could have offset debt. The interests of Asbury Park's bond investors led Senator Frank Durand (Monmouth County) to add
10010-707: The city include North Asbury and Whitesville (located along the city's border with Neptune Township ). The city borders the Monmouth County communities of Interlaken , Loch Arbour , Neptune Township , and Ocean Township . Deal Lake covers 158 acres (64 ha) and is overseen by the Deal Lake Commission, which was established in 1974. Seven municipalities border the lake, accounting for 27 miles (43 km) of shoreline, also including Allenhurst , Deal , Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Neptune Township and Ocean Township. Sunset Lake, situated in
10164-493: The city on July 4, 1970 , resulted in the destruction of aging buildings along Springwood Avenue, one of three main east–west corridors into Asbury Park and the central shopping and entertainment district for those living in the city's southwest quadrant. Many of those city blocks have yet to be redeveloped into the 21st century. Although it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places , Palace Amusements
10318-478: The city resulted in the relocation of accountants, dentists, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. Moreover, the opening of Great Adventure (on July 1, 1974), a combination theme park and drive-through safari located on a lake in Jackson Township —and close to a New Jersey Turnpike exit—proved to be stiff competition for a mile-long stretch of aging boardwalk amusements. Riots that broke out in
10472-402: The city was 15.77% White , 67.11% Black , 0.32% Native American , 0.70% Asian , 0.07% Pacific Islander , 6.49% from other races , and 5.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 18.58% of the population. There were 6,754 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.2% were married couples living together, 26.9% had
10626-555: The city was named for Francis Asbury , the first American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. The founding of Ocean Grove in 1869, a Methodist camp meeting to the south, encouraged the development of Asbury Park and led to its being a "dry town." Bradley was active in the development of much of the city's infrastructure, and despite his preference for gas light, he allowed
10780-415: The city's population was 15,188, a decrease of 928 (−5.8%) from the 2010 census count of 16,116, which in turn reflected a decline of 814 (−4.8%) from the 16,930 counted in the 2000 census . In 2022, Asbury Park's beach was named one of the best in the world by Money and one of the best in the country by Travel + Leisure . Asbury Park was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of
10934-522: The city. With its long history as a resort town for varied social classes, Asbury Park is considered a destination for musicians, particularly a subgenre of rock and roll known as the Jersey Shore sound , which is infused with R&B . As of the 2020s, it is a frequent touring stop for both burgeoning and well-known acts. It is home to venues including: Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003)
11088-473: The community for their progressive views, which stimulated Hepburn to fight against barriers she encountered. Hepburn said she realized from a young age that she was the product of "two very remarkable parents", and credited her "enormously lucky" upbringing with providing the foundation for her success. She remained close with her family throughout her life. The young Hepburn was a tomboy who liked to call herself Jimmy and cut her hair short. Thomas Hepburn
11242-534: The cornerstone of what would become the Palace Amusements complex; other attractions followed. During these early decades in Asbury Park, a number of grand hotels were built, including the Plaza Hotel. Uriah White, an Asbury Park pioneer, installed the first artesian well water system. As many as 600,000 people a year vacationed in Asbury Park during the summer season in the early years, riding
11396-441: The country, Adam's Rib was a hit, favorably reviewed and the most profitable Tracy–Hepburn picture to date. The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther was full of praise for the film and hailed the duo's "perfect compatibility". The 1950s saw Hepburn take on a series of professional challenges, and stretch herself further than at any other point in her life at an age when most other actresses began to retreat. Berg describes
11550-422: The course of the movie, Hepburn signed a star contract with MGM. In 1942, Hepburn returned to Broadway to appear in another Philip Barry play, Without Love , which was also written with the actress in mind. Critics were unenthusiastic about the production, but with Hepburn's popularity at a high, it ran for 16 sold-out weeks. MGM was eager to reunite Tracy and Hepburn for a new picture and settled on Keeper of
11704-550: The decade as "the heart of her vast legacy" and "the period in which she truly came into her own". In January 1950, Hepburn ventured into Shakespeare, playing Rosalind on stage in As You Like It . She hoped to prove that she could play already established material, and said, "It's better to try something difficult and flop than to play it safe all the time." It opened on Broadway at the Cort Theatre in New York to
11858-637: The decades that followed the war, surrounding farm communities gave way to tracts of suburban houses, encouraging the city's middle-class blacks as well as whites to move into newer houses with spacious yards. With the above-mentioned change in the travel market, prompted by the opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1947 and the opening of Monmouth Mall 10 miles (16 km) away in Eatontown in 1960, Asbury Park's downtown became less of an attraction to shoppers. Office parks built outside
12012-426: The difficulties of old age. Jane Fonda had purchased the screen rights for her father, actor Henry Fonda , and Hepburn sought to play opposite him in the role of quirky Ethel Thayer. On Golden Pond was a success, the second-highest-grossing film of 1981. It demonstrated how energetic the 74-year-old Hepburn was, as she dived fully clothed into Squam Lake and gave a lively singing performance. The film won her
12166-578: The duration of her career—but was thrilled with the win. Her success continued with the role of Jo in the film Little Women (1933). The picture was a hit, one of the film industry's biggest successes to date, and Hepburn won the Best Actress prize at the Venice Film Festival . Little Women was one of Hepburn's personal favorites and she was proud of her performance, later saying, "I defy anyone to be as good [as Jo] as I was". By
12320-560: The early years of Springsteen's career in Asbury Park. Daniel Wolff's 4 July Asbury Park examines the social, political and cultural history of the city with a special emphasis on the part that music played in the city's development, culminating in Springsteen's music. Beyond the Palace by Gary Wien is a comprehensive look at the local music scene that Springsteen emerged from, and includes many photographs of musicians and clubs. Against
12474-405: The end of 1933, Hepburn was a respected film actress, but she yearned to prove herself on Broadway. Jed Harris , one of the most successful theatre producers of the 1920s, was going through a career slump. He asked Hepburn to appear in the play The Lake , which she agreed to do for a low salary. Before she was given leave, RKO asked that she film Spitfire (1934). Hepburn's role in the movie
12628-534: The failure of Spitfire and The Lake , RKO cast Hepburn in The Little Minister (1934), based on a Victorian novel by James Barrie , in an attempt to repeat the success of Little Women . There was no such recurrence, and the picture was a commercial failure. The romantic drama Break of Hearts (1935) with Charles Boyer was poorly reviewed and also lost money. After three forgettable films, success returned to Hepburn with Alice Adams (1935),
12782-576: The fifth Tracy–Hepburn picture. Critics responded positively to the film and it performed well at the box-office. Tracy and Hepburn appeared onscreen together for a third consecutive year in the 1949 film Adam's Rib . Like Woman of the Year , it was a "battle of the sexes" comedy and was written specifically for the duo by their friends Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon . A story of married lawyers who oppose each other in court, Hepburn described it as "perfect for [Tracy] and me". Although her political views still prompted scattered picketing at theatres around
12936-409: The film rights to The Philadelphia Story , which she sold on the condition that she be the star. That comedy film was a box office success and landed her a third Academy Award nomination. In the 1940s, she was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy . The screen partnership spanned 26 years and produced nine films. Hepburn challenged herself in
13090-493: The first time with Cary Grant . Her hair was cut short for the part, as her character masquerades as a boy for much of the film. Critics disliked Sylvia Scarlett and it was unpopular with the public. She next played Mary Stuart in John Ford 's Mary of Scotland (1936), which met with a similarly poor reception. A Woman Rebels (1936) followed, a Victorian-era drama where Hepburn's character defied convention by having
13244-459: The high-budget drama Dragon Seed . Hepburn was enthusiastic about the film, but it met with a tepid response and she was described as miscast. She then reunited with Tracy for the film version of Without Love (1945), after which she turned down a role in The Razor's Edge to support Tracy through his return to Broadway. Without Love received poor reviews, but a new Tracy–Hepburn picture
13398-483: The historic Steinbach department store building, as well as the rehabilitation of Convention Hall and the Fifth Avenue Pavilion (previously home to one of the last remaining Howard Johnson's restaurants). The historic Berkeley-Carteret Hotel, which is to be restored to four-star resort status, was acquired in 2007; the first residents moving into the newly constructed condominiums known as North Beach,
13552-615: The home base of his organization. He had six theatres there: The Mayfair, St. James, Lyric, Ocean, Paramount and Savoy. He soon became embroiled in fighting the corruption in Asbury Park from 1946 onward after he started a newspaper that had some unfavorable things to say about his adversaries. Walter Reade, Jr. (1916–1973) was the President and Board Chairman of the Walter Reade Organization, which owned and operated theatres in Manhattan , New Jersey , Boston and upstate New York . As
13706-550: The latter half of her life as she tackled Shakespearean stage productions and a range of literary roles. She found a niche playing mature, independent, and sometimes unmarried women such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Hepburn received three more Academy Awards for her performances in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981). In
13860-426: The leading lady. A week before opening, the lead was fired and replaced with Hepburn, which gave her a starring role only four weeks into her theatre career. On opening night, she turned up late, mixed her lines, tripped over her feet, and spoke too quickly to be understood. She was immediately fired, and the original leading lady rehired. Undeterred, Hepburn joined forces with the producer Arthur Hopkins and accepted
14014-458: The major film studios approached Hepburn to produce the movie version of Barry's play. She chose to sell the rights to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Hollywood's number one studio, on the condition that she be the star. As part of the deal she also received the director of her choice, George Cukor , and picked James Stewart and Cary Grant (to whom she ceded top-billing) as co-stars. Before filming began, Hepburn shrewdly noted, "I don't want to make
14168-543: The medicine, the better it was for you". Hepburn was a fan of films from a young age and went to see one every Saturday night. She would put on plays and perform for her neighbors with friends and siblings for 50 cents a ticket to raise money for the Navajo people . In March 1921, Hepburn, 13, and her 15-year-old brother Tom were visiting New York, staying with a friend of their mother's in Greenwich Village over
14322-552: The mid- to late-1960s, the Walter Reade Organization also operated two flagship foreign film movie theaters in Beverly Hills , California. The Beverly Hills Music Hall on Wilshire Boulevard was the exclusive exhibitor in the region of the 1969 Russian production of War and Peace . The six-hour epic, directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, was treated as a prestige product, shown in two parts on two separate days, requiring "hard ticket" roadshow treatment and separate management handling
14476-678: The names Johnny Shaw, Billy Ryan, Bruce Springsteen , Garry Tallent , Steve Van Zandt , Mickey Holiday, "Stormin'" Norman Seldin, Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez , Fast Eddie "Doc Holiday" Wohanka, Billy "Cherry Bomb" Lucia, Clarence Clemons , Nicky Addeo, Donnie Lowell, Jim "Jack Valentine" Cattanach, Ken "Popeye" Pentifallo, Jay Pilling, John "Cos" Consoli, Gary "A" Arntz, Larry "The Great" Gadsby, Steve "Mole" Wells, Ray Dahrouge, Johnny "A" Arntz, David Sancious , Margaret Potter, Tom Potter, Sonny Kenn, Tom Wuorio, Rick DeSarno, Southside Johnny Lyon , Leon Trent, Buzzy Lubinsky, Danny Federici , Bill Chinnock, Patsy Siciliano, and Sam Siciliano. An additional plaque
14630-436: The nickname "Katharine of Arrogance". The public was also baffled by her boyish behavior and fashion choices, and she became a largely unpopular figure. Hepburn sensed that she needed to leave Hollywood, so she returned east to star in a theatrical adaptation of Jane Eyre . It had a successful tour, but, uncertain about the script and unwilling to risk failure after the disaster of The Lake , Hepburn decided against taking
14784-411: The old Salvation Army building once stood, which has sat vacant for over a decade. The building itself was not torn down, but the entire inside was gutted and redone. Glass paneling was added to the front and all the original outside brickwork was kept. While located a block and a half from the beach, a great view of the ocean is still offered by the upper floors and rooftop. Currently open hotels include
14938-547: The organization in 1981, buying the company completely in 1985, but later sold it to the Cineplex Odeon Corporation on June 26, 1987. Asbury Park Asbury Park ( / æ z b ɛr i / ) is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey . It is part of the New York metropolitan area . As of the 2020 United States census ,
15092-418: The original; however, the interior will be dramatically different and may include a public market (as opposed to previously being an arena and skating rink). By 2020, the Casino building still remained unrestored and had no permanent use, although it had been used to host temporary art installations. There has also been more of a resurgence of the downtown as well as the boardwalk, with the grand reopening of
15246-492: The performance. Despite this, Harris moved the play to New York without further rehearsal. It opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on December 26, 1933, and Hepburn was roundly panned by the critics. Dorothy Parker quipped, "She runs the gamut of emotions all the way from A to B." Already tied to a ten-week contract, she had to endure the embarrassment of rapidly declining box office sales. Harris decided to take
15400-567: The proviso that a bond repayment agreement was created; Asbury Park was the only beach in New Jersey affected by the Beach Commission law. Extensive and lush floral plantings were present in Asbury Park's Bradley Park during the 1930s, as can be seen in archival footage. In 1943, the New York Yankees held their spring training in Asbury Park instead of Florida . This was because rail transport had to be conserved during
15554-433: The rehabilitation of Ocean Avenue, and the opening of national businesses on Asbury Avenue. After Hurricane Sandy , Asbury Park was one of the few communities on the Jersey Shore to reopen successfully for the 2013 summer season. Most of the boardwalk had not been badly damaged by the massive hurricane. On Memorial Day Weekend 2013, Governor Chris Christie and President Barack Obama participated in an official ceremony before
15708-552: The role of a schoolgirl in These Days . Her Broadway debut came on November 12, 1928, at the Cort Theatre , but reviews for the show were poor, and it closed after eight nights. Hopkins promptly hired Hepburn as the lead understudy in Philip Barry 's play Holiday . In early December, after only two weeks, she quit to marry Ludlow Ogden Smith, a college acquaintance. She planned to leave the theatre behind but began to miss
15862-553: The role of morphine-addicted Mary Tyrone "the most challenging female role in American drama", and felt her performance was the best screen work of her career. Long Day's Journey Into Night earned Hepburn an Oscar nomination and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival . It remains one of her most praised performances. Following the completion of Long Day's Journey Into Night , Hepburn took
16016-503: The role was ideal for the actress, requiring an aggressive energy and athleticism, and she enthusiastically involved herself with its production. The play opened March 11, 1932, at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway. Hepburn's first entrance called for her to leap down a narrow stairway with a stag over her shoulder, wearing a short silver tunic. The show ran for three months, and Hepburn received positive reviews. Richard Garland of
16170-565: The screen, Hepburn starred in a film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' controversial play Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift . The movie was shot in London and was "a completely miserable experience" for Hepburn. She clashed with director Joseph L. Mankiewicz during filming, which culminated with her spitting at him in disgust. The picture was a financial success, and her work as creepy aunt Violet Venable gave Hepburn her eighth Oscar nomination. Williams
16324-441: The script. She presented the finished product to MGM and demanded $ 250,000—half for her, half for the authors. Her terms accepted, Hepburn was also given the director and co-star of her choice, George Stevens and Spencer Tracy . On Hepburn and Tracy's first day on set together, she allegedly told Tracy "I'm afraid I'm too tall for you" to which Tracy replied, "Don't worry Miss Hepburn, I'll soon cut you down to my size." It started
16478-532: The show to Broadway. Towards the end of 1936, Hepburn vied for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind . Producer David O. Selznick refused to offer her the part because he felt she had no sex appeal. He reportedly told Hepburn, "I can't see Rhett Butler chasing you for twelve years." Hepburn's next feature, Stage Door (1937), paired her with Ginger Rogers in a role that mirrored her own life—that of
16632-454: The show to Chicago, saying to Hepburn, "My dear, the only interest I have in you is the money I can make out of you." Hepburn did not want to continue in a failing show, so she paid Harris $ 14,000, most of her life savings, to close the production instead. She later referred to Harris as "hands-down the most diabolical person I have ever met", and claimed this experience was important in teaching her to take responsibility for her career. After
16786-507: The small screen. Her next project was the television movie Love Among the Ruins (1975), a London-based Edwardian drama with her friend Laurence Olivier . It received positive reviews and high ratings and earned Hepburn her only Emmy Award. Hepburn made her only appearance at the Academy Awards in 1974, to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Lawrence Weingarten . She received
16940-475: The son of the company founder, Walter Reade Jr. served as an executive in the company. When his father died in the early 1950s, he assumed control of the company, and continued in that position until his death. In addition to its movie theatre operations, the Walter Reade Organization owned and operated television station WRTV in Asbury Park, New Jersey , between 1954 and 1955. Reade Jr. started Continental Film Distributors in 1954 to distribute foreign films in
17094-492: The southwestern part of the city, stretches over 16 acres (6.5 ha). It is a popular destination for both residents and visitors, offering a serene setting and a variety of recreational activities. The 2010 United States census counted 16,116 people, 6,725 households, and 3,174 families in the city. The population density was 11,319.5 per square mile (4,370.5/km ). There were 8,076 housing units at an average density of 5,672.4 per square mile (2,190.1/km ). The racial makeup
17248-401: The star, who suffered from alcoholism and insomnia. Her career slowed as a result, and she worked less for the remainder of the decade than she had done in the 1930s—notably by not appearing on-stage again until 1950. Her only appearance in 1943 was a cameo in the morale-building wartime film Stage Door Canteen , playing herself. She took an atypical role in 1944, playing a Chinese peasant in
17402-506: The story of a girl's desperation to climb the social ladder. Hepburn loved the book and was delighted to be offered the role. The film was a hit, one of Hepburn's personal favorites, and gave the actress her second Oscar nomination. She received the second most votes, after winner Bette Davis . Given the choice of her next feature, Hepburn decided to star in George Cukor's new project, Sylvia Scarlett (1935), which paired her for
17556-434: The summer of 1952, Hepburn appeared in London's West End for a ten-week run of George Bernard Shaw 's The Millionairess . Her parents had read Shaw to her when she was a child, which made the play a special experience for the actress. Two years of intense work had left her exhausted, however, and her friend Constance Collier wrote that Hepburn was "on the verge of a nervous breakdown". Widely acclaimed, The Millionairess
17710-492: The time, sensed that the play could be her ticket back to Hollywood stardom and bought her the film rights before it even debuted on stage. The Philadelphia Story first toured the United States, to positive reviews, and then opened in New York at the Shubert Theatre on March 28, 1939. It was a big hit, critically and financially, running for 417 performances and then going on a second successful tour. Several of
17864-476: The tour performing in a wheelchair. That year, she was voted "Favorite Motion Picture Actress" by the People's Choice Awards . During the summer of 1976, Hepburn starred in the low-budget family film Olly Olly Oxen Free . The feature failed to find a major-studio distributor and was finally released independently in 1978. Because of its poor distribution, it played in relatively few theaters, resulting in one of
18018-465: The validity of the law in 1937. When Durand pressed New Jersey's legislature to extend the state's control of Asbury Park's beach in 1938, the lower house staged a walk out and the Senate soon adjourned, a disruption that also prevented a vote for funding New Jersey's participation in the 1939 New York World's Fair . In December 1938, the court returned control of the beach to the municipal council under
18172-734: The war, and Major League Baseball 's spring training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River . With the opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1947, Asbury Park saw the travel market change as fewer vacationers took trains to the seashore. While the Asbury Park exit on the Parkway opened in 1956 and provided a means for drivers to reach Asbury Park more easily, additional exits further south allowed drivers access to new alternative vacation destinations, particularly on Long Beach Island . In
18326-683: The work and quickly resumed the understudy role in Holiday , which she held for six months. In 1929, Hepburn turned down a role with the Theatre Guild to play the lead in Death Takes a Holiday . She felt the role was perfect, but again, she was fired. She went back to the Guild and took an understudy role for minimum pay in A Month in the Country . In the spring of 1930, Hepburn joined
18480-842: The worst movie of her career. Tracy and Hepburn reunited on screen for the first time in five years for the office-based comedy Desk Set (1957). Berg notes that it worked as a hybrid of their earlier romantic-comedy successes, but it performed poorly at the box-office. That summer, Hepburn returned to Shakespeare. Appearing in Stratford, Connecticut , at the American Shakespeare Theatre , she repeated her Portia in The Merchant of Venice and played Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing . The shows were positively received. After two years away from
18634-477: Was Christopher Strong (1933), the story of an aviator and her affair with a married man. The picture was not commercially successful, but Hepburn's reviews were good. Regina Crewe wrote in the Journal-American that although her mannerisms were grating, "they compel attention, and they fascinate an audience. She is a distinct, definite, positive personality." Hepburn's third picture confirmed her as
18788-530: Was "extremely tense" during the production. Tracy died 17 days after filming his last scene. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was a triumphant return for Hepburn and her most commercially successful picture to that point. She won her second Best Actress Award at the Oscars, 34 years after winning her first. Hepburn felt the award was not just for her but was also given to honor Tracy. Hepburn quickly returned to acting after Tracy's death, choosing to occupy herself as
18942-520: Was "the performance of her ... career", and proved that she was "a growing, developing, still surprising actress". The movie was nominated in all the major categories at the 41st Academy Awards , and for the second year running Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress (shared with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl ). The role, combined with her performance in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner , also received
19096-410: Was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 23,081, and the median income for a family was $ 26,370. Males had a median income of $ 27,081 versus $ 24,666 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 13,516. About 29.3% of families and 40.1% of the population were below
19250-495: Was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.9 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $ 33,527 (with a margin of error of +/− $ 2,802) and the median family income was $ 27,907 (+/− $ 5,012). Males had a median income of $ 34,735 (+/− $ 3,323) versus $ 33,988 (+/− $ 4,355) for females. The per capita income for
19404-427: Was 36.45% (5,875) White , 51.35% (8,275) Black or African American , 0.49% (79) Native American , 0.48% (77) Asian , 0.12% (20) Pacific Islander , 7.64% (1,232) from other races , and 3.46% (558) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 25.53% (4,115) of the population. Of the 6,725 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18; 18.2% were married couples living together; 23.1% had
19558-515: Was Trigger Hicks, an uneducated mountain girl. Though it did well at the box office, Spitfire is widely considered one of Hepburn's worst films, and she received poor reviews for the effort. Hepburn kept a photo of herself as Hicks in her bedroom throughout her life to "[keep] me humble". The Lake previewed in Washington, D.C., where there was a large advance sale. Harris' poor direction had eroded Hepburn's confidence, and she struggled with
19712-480: Was a big event and it was popular on release, selling a record number of tickets over the Easter weekend in 1945. Hepburn's next film was Undercurrent (1946), a film noir with Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum that was poorly received. A fourth film with Tracy came in 1947: a drama set in the American Old West entitled The Sea of Grass . Similarly to Keeper of the Flame and Without Love ,
19866-426: Was added on August 29, 2008, honoring John Luraschi, Carl "Tinker" West, George Theiss, Vinnie Roslin, Mike Totaro, Lenny Welch, Steve Lusardi, and Johnny Petillo. Musicians and bands with strong ties to Asbury Park, many of whom frequently played clubs there on their way to fame, include Fury of Five , The Gaslight Anthem , Clarence Clemons , the E Street Band , Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi , Southside Johnny and
20020-727: Was an American actress whose career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited personality, and outspokenness, cultivating a screen persona that matched this public image, and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. She worked in a varied range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, which earned her various accolades , including four Academy Awards for Best Actress —a record for any performer . Raised in Connecticut by wealthy, progressive parents, Hepburn began to act while at Bryn Mawr College . Favorable reviews of her work on Broadway brought her to
20174-460: Was cast in Howard Hawks ' screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby (1938), where she played a flighty heiress who loses a leopard while trying to woo a palaeontologist (Cary Grant). She approached the physical comedy of the film with confidence, and took tips on comedic timing from her co-star Walter Catlett . Bringing Up Baby was acclaimed by critics, but it was nevertheless unsuccessful at
20328-556: Was closed in 1988 and was demolished in 2004 despite attempts to save it. The complex had featured the famous face of Tillie , a symbol of the Jersey Shore. In 1990, the carousel at the Casino Pier was sold to Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina , where it continues to operate. From 2002 onward, the rest of Asbury Park has been in the midst of a cultural, political, and economic revival, including
20482-545: Was described by Joseph Strick , the director of that film, as "a big, bluff man who wore a fresh carnation every day". Reade declared "You can't take major awards to the bank" and began a program of more commercial releases such as a double feature of the British Hot Enough for June retitled Agent 8 + 3 ⁄ 4 to make it sound more like a James Bond spoof and the Japanese Ghidorah,
20636-563: Was eager for his children to use their minds and bodies to the limit and taught them to swim, run, dive, ride, wrestle, and play golf and tennis. Golf became a passion of Hepburn's; she took daily lessons and became very adept, reaching the semi-final of the Connecticut Young Women's Golf Championship. She loved swimming in Long Island Sound , and took ice-cold baths every morning in the belief that "the bitterer
20790-496: Was enough to draw some people to the box office, but it did not meet studio expectations and was only moderately successful. In 1976, Hepburn returned to Broadway for a three-month run of Enid Bagnold 's play A Matter of Gravity . The role of eccentric Mrs. Basil was deemed a perfect showcase for the actress, and the play was popular despite poor reviews. It later went on a successful nationwide tour. During its Los Angeles run, Hepburn fractured her hip, but she chose to continue
20944-402: Was fashionable. She married once, as a young woman, but thereafter lived independently. A 26-year affair with her co-star Spencer Tracy was hidden from the public. With her unconventional lifestyle and the independent characters she brought to the screen, Hepburn came to epitomize the "modern woman" in 20th-century America and influenced changing popular perceptions of women. In 1999, she was named
21098-506: Was missing a treat." Hepburn was under pressure to perform several sports to a high standard, many of which did not end up in the film. Pat and Mike was one of the team's most popular and critically acclaimed films, and it was also Hepburn's personal favorite of the nine films she made with Tracy. The performance brought her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . In
21252-460: Was not offered work for nine months and people reportedly threw things at screenings of Song of Love . Her next film role came unexpectedly, as she agreed to replace Claudette Colbert only days before shooting began on Frank Capra 's political drama State of the Union (1948). Tracy had long been signed to play the male lead, and so Hepburn was already familiar with the script and stepped up for
21406-557: Was one of the biggest hits of 1940, breaking records at Radio City Music Hall . The review in Time declared, "Come on back, Katie, all is forgiven." Herb Golden of Variety stated, "It's Katharine Hepburn's picture ... The perfect conception of all flighty, but characterful, Main Line socialite gals rolled into one, the story without her is almost inconceivable." Hepburn was nominated for her third Academy Award for Best Actress, and won
21560-424: Was playing me. It wasn't difficult for me to play those women, because I'm the maiden aunt." Less success that year came from The Iron Petticoat (1956), a reworking of the classic Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka . Starring opposite Bob Hope , Hepburn played a cold-hearted Soviet pilot, in a performance Bosley Crowther called "horrible". The film was a critical and commercial failure, and Hepburn considered it
21714-723: Was pleased with the performance, writing, "Kate is a playwright's dream-actress. She makes dialogue sound better than it is by a matchless beauty and clarity of diction". He wrote The Night of the Iguana (1961) with Hepburn in mind, but the actress, although flattered, felt the play was wrong for her and declined the part, which went to Deborah Kerr . Hepburn returned to Stratford in the summer of 1960 to play Viola in Twelfth Night , and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra . The New York Post wrote of her Cleopatra, "Hepburn offers
21868-610: Was poorly received, but the Kansas City Film Critics Circle named Hepburn's performance the best from an actress that year. In 1971, she signed on to star in an adaptation of Graham Greene 's Travels with My Aunt , but was unhappy with early versions of the script and took to rewriting it herself. The studio disliked her changes, so Hepburn abandoned the project and was replaced with Maggie Smith . Her next film, an adaptation of Edward Albee 's A Delicate Balance (1973) directed by Tony Richardson , had
22022-532: Was re-hired when no other actress could be found. It went on to be a small success. Hepburn appeared in a number of plays with a summer stock company in Ivoryton, Connecticut , and she proved to be a hit. During the summer of 1931, Philip Barry asked her to appear in his new play, The Animal Kingdom , alongside Leslie Howard . They began rehearsals in November, Hepburn feeling sure the role would make her
22176-537: Was recently decorated with jazz-themed mural art by a team of local artists to mark its heritage. At the present-day site of Springwood Park in 1918, Black entrepreneur Reese DuPree turned Lafayette Hall (later the Roseland Hall auditorium) into a popular nightclub. The location was also used for civil rights activities; Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois both spoke at Roseland Hall. The Asbury Park Music Foundation, working with Lakehouse Music Academy and
22330-521: Was recently restored after being abandoned in the 1970s—it is no longer operational and was sold as a single family home. Hotels like the Berkeley and Oceanic Inn have operated concurrently for decades, while the Empress Hotel and the former Hotel Tides were restored and reopened. The Asbury Hotel, located on 5th Avenue, was the first hotel to be "built" in Asbury Park in 50+ years. It stands where
22484-705: Was releasing and exploiting Night of the Living Dead (1968). The firm also owned the Charles Cinema in Boston , which opened in April 1967 and closed in December 1976. Major engagements included Easy Rider (1969) and Star Wars (1977). The space was later operated by other exhibitors, but finally closed in 1994. In 1969, the company's flagship Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City opened. At its peak in
22638-611: Was shot mostly on location in the Belgian Congo , an opportunity Hepburn embraced. It proved a difficult experience, however, and Hepburn became ill with dysentery during filming. Later in life, she released a memoir about the experience. The movie was released at the end of 1951 to popular support and critical acclaim, and gave Hepburn her fifth Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards while garnering Bogart his only Academy Award for Best Actor . The first successful film she had made without Tracy since The Philadelphia Story
22792-450: Was taken to Broadway. In October 1952 it opened at the Shubert Theatre , where despite a lukewarm critical response it sold out its ten-week run. Hepburn subsequently tried to get the play adapted into a film: a script was written by Preston Sturges , and she offered to work for nothing and pay the director herself, but no studio picked up the project. She later referred to this as the biggest disappointment of her career. Pat and Mike
22946-534: Was the Beverly Canon, which also exhibited the company's licensed foreign films and was the site of world premiere screenings that included Peter Bogdanovich 's Targets . Sheldon Gunsberg later took over the company from Reade when he was killed in a skiing accident in Switzerland ( St. Moritz ). The company filed for bankruptcy in 1977, emerging four years later. Columbia Pictures purchased 81% of
23100-574: Was the designer. He had also been hired to design the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel located diagonally across from the theater and hall. At the same time, Asbury Park constructed a state-of-the-art high school overlooking Deal Lake . On September 8, 1934, the wreck of the ocean liner SS Morro Castle , which caught fire and burned, beached itself near the city just yards away from the Asbury Park Convention Hall ;
23254-415: Was the first time she had been in school for several years, and she was self-conscious and uncomfortable with her classmates. She struggled with the scholastic demands of university, and once was suspended for smoking in her room. Hepburn was drawn to acting, but roles in college plays were conditional on good grades. Once her marks had improved, she began performing regularly. She performed the lead role in
23408-507: Was the last film Hepburn completed on her MGM contract, making her free to select her own projects. She spent two years resting and traveling, before committing to David Lean 's romantic drama Summertime (1955). The movie was filmed in Venice, with Hepburn playing an unmarried woman who has a passionate love affair. She described it as "a very emotional part" and found it fascinating to work with Lean. At her own insistence, Hepburn performed
23562-464: Was this odd creature", he recalled, "she was unlike anybody I'd ever heard." He particularly liked the manner in which she picked up a glass: "I thought she was very talented in that action." Offered the role, Hepburn demanded $ 1,500 a week, a large amount for an unknown actress. Cukor encouraged the studio to accept her demands and they signed Hepburn to a temporary contract with a three-week guarantee. RKO head David O. Selznick recounted that he took
23716-407: Was tutored privately. For many years she used Tom's birthday (November 8) as her own. It was not until her 1991 autobiography, Me: Stories of My Life , that Hepburn revealed her true birth date. In 1924, Hepburn was admitted to Bryn Mawr College . She initially agreed to attend the institution to satisfy her mother, who had studied there, but ultimately found the experience to be unfulfilling. It
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