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Engraved portrait of Spencer Tracy
Film & Screen · 1940s

Spencer Tracy

In memoriam 1900–1967

“The naturalistic master of American screen acting, admired for his honesty and unforced authority.”

Spencer Bonaventure TracyReal name
April 5, 1900, Milwaukee, WisconsinBorn
June 10, 1967, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaDied
2 consecutive Best Actor (1937, 1938)Oscar wins
Katharine Hepburn (nine films)Partner
The Turning Point

By winning the Best Actor Oscar for 'Captains Courageous' (1937) and again for 'Boys Town' (1938), Spencer Tracy became the first performer to claim the award in two consecutive years. The back-to-back triumphs confirmed him as Hollywood's most respected and naturalistic leading man.

Spencer Tracy in an MGM portrait
Spencer Tracy in an MGM portrait

Milwaukee to Broadway

Born in Milwaukee in 1900, Tracy found his calling in college theatricals and trained in New York. A decade of stage work preceded his 1930 film debut and a move to Hollywood.

Spencer Tracy in 'Fury' (1936)
Spencer Tracy in 'Fury' (1936)

Back-to-Back Glory

At MGM his unforced, honest style made him a star. Consecutive Oscars for 'Captains Courageous' and 'Boys Town' established him as the actor's actor admired by peers like Laurence Olivier.

Tracy and Hepburn

Beginning with 'Woman of the Year' in 1942, his nine films with Katharine Hepburn became a Hollywood institution. Their final pairing, 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner', was released just after his death in 1967.

Career Timeline

  1. 1900Born Spencer Bonaventure Tracy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  2. 1922Begins a stage career in New York
  3. 1930Film debut in 'Up the River'
  4. 1935Signs with MGM, his studio home
  5. 1937Wins first Oscar for 'Captains Courageous'
  6. 1938Wins second straight Oscar for 'Boys Town'
  7. 1942First teaming with Katharine Hepburn in 'Woman of the Year'
  8. 1949Stars with Hepburn in 'Adam's Rib'
  9. 1955Acclaimed in 'Bad Day at Black Rock'
  10. 1960Plays a lawyer in 'Inherit the Wind'
  11. 1967Final film 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'; dies that year

Biggest Hits

1937
Captains CourageousEarns his first Best Actor Oscar as a fisherman
1938
Boys TownWins a second straight Oscar as Father Flanagan
1942
Woman of the YearFirst of nine films with Katharine Hepburn
1949
Adam's RibClassic battle-of-the-sexes comedy with Hepburn
1955
Bad Day at Black RockTaut thriller earning an Oscar nomination
1967
Guess Who's Coming to DinnerHis final film, released after his death
Did You Know
  • He was the first actor to win the Best Actor Oscar in two consecutive years.
  • His 25-year partnership with Katharine Hepburn was both a screen and offscreen romance kept private during his life.

The Moment You Remember

In his final film, <em>Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</em>, the ailing Tracy delivers a closing speech on love directed toward Katharine Hepburn, a moment made more poignant by his death soon after filming.

Portrait: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (publicity) · Public domain (PD-US-not renewed) · via Wikimedia Commons

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