"The greatest role she ever played was herself ... An A-list star for over 60 years, Katharine Hepburn starred in more than 40 films and 10 Broadway plays, and she was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning a record 4. She was adored by generations of moviegoers, not just for her unforgettable performances in such immortal films as The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond but also as an icon of feminism and New England-style forthrightness." "Yet despite her reputation as being fearlessly honest, much of what is known about Katharine Hepburn is actually a carefully scripted and exactingly maintained persona, crafted by Hepburn herself." "In this rigorous examination of the late star's enigmatic life, entertainment reporter James Robert Parish separates the fact from the fiction, revealing the surprising truths behind the carefully constructed image." "Was her love affair with Howard Hughes the pairing of the starlet and the mogul, or was it a giant PR stunt? What did Hepburn gain by dedicating years of her life to a platonic relationship with the married Spencer Tracy, revealed here to be an abusive alcoholic bisexual, and why did she support its portrayal as the love affair of the century?" "Parish also addresses something seemingly banned from discussion of Hepburn's life: the numerous accounts of her intimate relationships with women, including Laura Harding, Jane Loring, Elissa Landi, Irene Mayer Selznick, Phyllis Wilbourn, and others." "Through extensive research and interviews with numerous friends, journalists, and acquaintances, Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story answers many of the lingering questions about Hepburn's life and pays tribute to her remarkable performance in the role of Katharine Hepburn, which transformed her from "box office poison" in the late 1930s to the most enduring star of the 20th century."--BOOK JACKET.