Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

{{Short description|Cinematic couple}}

File:Without Love promo image.jpg{{Katharine Hepburn sidebar}}{{Spencer Tracy sidebar}}

Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) and Spencer Tracy (1900–1967) were a legendary cinematic couple, both on- and off-screen. Hepburn and Tracy starred in nine films together, and had an affair—an open secret in Hollywood—that lasted 26 years, ending only with Tracy's death.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1435926/New-Hepburn-biography-examines-relationship-with-Tracy.html |title=New Hepburn biography examines relationship with Tracy |author=Hugh Davies |date=July 12, 2003 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cite magazine |url=https://people.com/archive/katharine-hepburn-spencer-tracy-vol-45-no-6/ |title=Katharine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy |date=February 12, 1996 |magazine=People}}

Allegedly when they first met, Hepburn said, "I fear I may be too tall for you, Mr. Tracy"{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/1434501/Katharine-Hepburn.html |title=Katharine Hepburn (obituary) |date=July 1, 2003 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}} or possibly "You know, Mr. Tracy, I'm afraid I'm a bit too tall for you."{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scIks6TovMEC&pg=PA178 |title=Joseph L. Mankiewicz: Interviews |author=Joseph L. Mankiewicz |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |year=2008 |page=178 |isbn=9781934110249}} In one version, Tracy supposedly replied, "Don't worry, I'll cut you down to my size."{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5q4XBa5jsy8C&pg=PA211 |title=Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations |editor=Ned Sherrin |publisher=OUP Oxford |year=2008 |page=211 |isbn=9780199237166}} In another, Joseph L. Mankiewicz reportedly said, "Don't worry, Kate, he'll cut you down to size."

They were initially cool to each other on their first production together, Woman of the Year, but that quickly dissipated, and within a week, they were calling each other Spence and Kate. Hepburn fell in love with Tracy. A common myth is that as a Catholic, he would not divorce his wife.{{cn|date=December 2023}} Under California law in effect at the time, however, his wife, Louise, may have had grounds, but he did not. California did not adopt no fault divorce until January 1, 1970, after his death. (After Louise Tracy's death in 1983, Hepburn finally acknowledged their decades-long affair.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/30/movies/katharine-hepburn-spirited-actress-dies-at-96.html |title=Katharine Hepburn, Spirited Actress, Dies at 96 |author=Caryn James |date=June 30, 2003 |newspaper=The New York Times}}) The normally fiercely independent Hepburn accommodated herself to Tracy, including seeing him through his periodic alcoholic relapses.

Tracy died shortly after completing their last film together, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.