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That time the American Film Institute ranked Katharine Hepburn the #1 greatest female star in movie history. Guess who was #2?

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1. Katharine Hepburn









2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo

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I absolutely STAN a legend that is considered the #1 female star in cinema history.

What say you?
 

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hmm this list is kinda garbage tbh.

the top 5 should include both Elizabeth Taylor and Greer Garson. Even Natalie wood should be higher.
 

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hmm this list is kinda garbage tbh.

the top 5 should include both Elizabeth Taylor and Greer Garson. Even Natalie wood should be higher.
Interesting. Elizabeth Taylor is actually #7 on the list, right behind Marilyn Monroe, who is #6. I always thought Monroe was way too high but the top 5 was perfect.

Who would you remove?
 

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They played my good sis Judy Garland.
She was #8.

This is the whole top 10

1. Katharine Hepburn
2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo
6. Marilyn Monroe
7. Elizabeth Taylor
8. Judy Garland
9. Marlene Dietrich
10. Joan Crawford

Monroe shouldn't be that high, for sure.
 

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i wonder if that scene in aviator where howard hughes told off hepburn's mom and family during lunch/dinner actually happened in real life?
 

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I'm glad you guys are pointing out that Marilyn, although highly influential, is not that great of an actress.
 
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hmm this list is kinda garbage tbh.

the top 5 should include both Elizabeth Taylor and Greer Garson. Even Natalie wood should be higher.

The list was reserved for individuals who had full fledged careers before 1950. Natalie Wood didn't really have much of a career until rebel without a cause so they left her off. Additionally, she didn't really contribute as much to old hollywood cinema so she was left off.

Other actresses such as Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Doris Day, Olivia De Havilland, Lana Turner, and Anna May Wong were nominees that were unfortunately left off this list.

I agree though that the list was a bit messy. Although, the top 4 was pretty solid choices just flawless.
 

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i wonder if that scene in aviator where howard hughes told off hepburn's mom and family during lunch/dinner actually happened in real life?

I would argue not. The Aviator was I will say a great revisionist tale on the life of Howard Hughes. Katharine Hepburn did not want to marry that man. So it's a blessing she never lived to see that film.

1. Katharine Hepburn









2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo

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I absolutely STAN a legend that is considered the #1 female star in cinema history.

What say you?

It's crazy how sidney poitier and sophia loren are the only living legends from this list.

Katherine is an awesome actress. But I have always preferred Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Catherine Denueve, Anne Bancroft, & Sophia Loren. I also don't feel Katherine's movies have aged as well in comparison to that of elizabeth taylor and doris day for example.
 

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I would argue not. The Aviator was I will say a great revisionist tale on the life of Howard Hughes. Katharine Hepburn did not want to marry that man. So it's a blessing she never lived to see that film.



It's crazy how sidney poitier and sophia loren are the only living legends from this list.

Katherine is an awesome actress. But I have always preferred Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Catherine Denueve, Anne Bancroft, & Sophia Loren. I also don't feel Katherine's movies have aged as well in comparison to that of elizabeth taylor and doris day for example.
Boy lol. Most of Katharine's movies have aged flawlessly. Most people will be able to name you a Hepburn classic as opposed to an Elizabeth Taylor classic. Doris Day? Lol
 

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I'm glad you guys are pointing out that Marilyn, although highly influential, is not that great of an actress.
Yeah. She was way too high for me. I would give her top 15 just for name recognition and star power.

Joan Crawford should have been higher, as well as Barbara Stanwyck (who was #11).

The top 5 is perfect, although I can see someone like Garbo being lower. But Katharine, Bette, Audrey, and Ingrid are perfect where they are.
 

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Boy lol. Most of Katharine's movies have aged flawlessly. Most people will be able to name you a Hepburn classic as opposed to an Elizabeth Taylor classic. Doris Day? Lol

When I am referring to aging I'm referencing quality of said films. Outside of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner & The Lion in Winter. I find her other work not aged well and I felt as if she just played one note extensions of herself. I would even argue two of her wins weren't deserved given her competition at the time.

As far as memorability Elizabeth Taylor is the far more iconic actress of the two. So more people would be readily able to identify an Elizabeth Taylor film than Katharine this side of the century. Same goes for Audrey hepburn who is apart of the top 5.

I appreciate Doris Day's work in a cheeky sort of easy to digest way.

Overall it's just an opinion no need for the condescension or defensiveness.
 

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When I am referring to aging I'm referencing quality of said films. Outside of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner & The Lion in Winter. I find her other work not aged well and I felt as if she just played type casted extensions of herself.

As far as memorability Elizabeth Taylor is the far more iconic actress of the two. So more people would be readily able to identify an Elizabeth Taylor film than Katharine this side of the century. Same goes for Audrey hepburn who is apart of the top 5.

I appreciate Doris Day's work in a cheeky sort of easy to digest way.

Overall it's just an opinion no need for the condescension or defensiveness.
Katharine Hepburn is WAY more iconic and celebrated than Elizabeth Taylor is and ever will be. Hepburn has awards named after her, NYC Manhattan streets named after her and, ironically, influenced Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor said this when Hepburn died:

"I think every actress in the world looked up to her with a kind of reverence, a sense of 'Oh, boy, if only I could be like her,' " Elizabeth Taylor, who starred with Hepburn in the film "Suddenly Last Summer," said Sunday. "We never looked at her with envy or jealousy, because she worked with such grace and wit and charm. You only wish that one day you could be like her."

And the fact that you only named two Hepburn movies when she has about 10 either on the AFI's Greatest films of all time list (or nominated), says a lot.

The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, The African Queen, Suddenly, Last Summer, etc are ALL cinematic classics. And even if you don't like the films themselves, her performances are grade A hence why she was the nominated actress in Oscar history at one point (and still the biggest winner).
 

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