A Day with Katherine Hepburn: Post-Production Magic at Warner Bros.
- Oct 13
- 3 min read
By Charel Morris
It was a blazingly hot day in the San Fernando Valley at Warner Bros. Studios. We were there for post-production work on "The Corn Is Green" (1979) - Katherine Hepburn's final collaboration with director George Cukor after 47 years of their legendary partnership. Cukor was with us to oversee the ADR session, where Katherine would re-record dialogue for the sound editors.
Our stage was specially designed for Foley work - creating synchronized sound effects that would perfectly match the on-screen action. We had two or three pits filled with squares of various materials that could replicate the sound of walking on cement, sand, gravel, wood, or any of another ten surfaces we might need. If we didn't have the right material, we'd create the sound from scratch.
We also maintained a massive area filled with props for recreating the sounds actors made when handling objects - picking up papers, magazines, coins. Surprisingly, actual dollar bills never sounded right on film, so we had to use substitutes that gave the proper audio texture. Our stage had the same high-quality recording equipment as the ADR stage, but with the added flexibility of live sound creation.
The reason Katherine and George ended up with us was practical: the actress originally scheduled for the ADR stage was struggling. It was clear she could talk all day and still not deliver the three simple lines the sound editors needed. Since our stage was available, Katherine Hepburn and George Cukor were transferred to work with us.
I was already on the stage when she arrived early, walking in by herself with quiet confidence. What happened next still takes my breath away - this screen legend, this four-time Academy Award winner, walked directly over to me and introduced herself. Simply, gracefully, as if we were equals meeting for the first time.
Almost immediately, she noticed the oppressive heat and how my long blonde hair was making me uncomfortable. Without hesitation, she reached into her bag, pulled out a few hairpins, and began carefully putting my hair up in a bun. "This will help with the heat," she said, her hands gentle and sure. It was such a tender, motherly gesture from someone who could have maintained any distance she chose.
Early in our session, the lead editor realized he had forgotten his script and notes for the day's work. It would take him at least 25 minutes to retrieve them - a delay that could have derailed everything. But Katherine's response was immediate and extraordinary: "That's fine," she said calmly. "I have everything written out myself. Just give me about 30 minutes to clean up my handwriting and I'll get you everything you need."
What followed was a masterclass in professionalism and artistry. Having worked with numerous actors during ADR sessions - most decent, some good - I can say without hesitation that Katherine's work was pure gold. Her clear, direct presence during the session was unlike anything I'd experienced. She gave the editors, writers, and Cukor so many different interpretations and options that it transformed the entire editing process. Instead of the usual technical exercise of matching dialogue to picture, this became a creative collaboration where they walked away with choices and ideas they likely never expected to have.
We worked for about three hours, and at one point, one of the editors leaned over to George Cukor with what he thought was a polite whisper. What he didn't realize was that I was wearing a headset connected to every microphone on the stage and in the control room, so I heard every word: "Has Miss Hepburn ever directed a film?"
There was a long, thoughtful pause. Then Mr. Cukor turned to him and responded with perfect clarity: "Not officially."
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