Description:

Katharine Hepburn & George Cukor Signed "Pat & Mike" Publicity Photo

A publicity photo showing Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and George Cukor (1899-1983) on the set of the 1952 MGM romantic comedy "Pat and Mike," signed by Hepburn in blue ink as "Katharine Hepburn" at lower left; and signed and inscribed by Cukor in black and blue ink as "To the students of / Daycroft School - / Best wishes / George Cukor / During the filming of 'Pat and Mike' / with Donald Budge, Gussie Moran / and Frank Parker" at right. N.d., n.p. The vintage matte black and white photograph is stamped with serial numbers verso. Expected surface wear including file holes punched along the top edge and isolated minor wrinkles and scuffs, else near fine. 10.125" x 8.125." Provenance: From the collection of a relative of Teddy Getty Gaston (1913-2017), the fifth and last wife of J. Paul Getty (1892-1976).

"Pat and Mike" was the seventh on-screen collaboration of real-life partners Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Hepburn played Pat Pemberton, a frustrated golf and tennis champion; and Tracy co-starred as a dubious sports promoter, Mike Conovan. The film featured cameos of many star athletes of the era, such as the ones pictured flanking Hepburn, from left to right: Frank Parker, the singles and doubles tennis champion; Gertrude "Gussie" Moran, a top-ranking women's tennis champion; and Don Budge, a Grand Slam-winning tennis champion. The film was directed by George Cukor based on an award-nominated screenplay by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, real-life Hepburn and Tracy friends.

George Cukor dedicated this photograph to the pupils of the Daycroft School, a private co-educational boarding and day school that operated on several Connecticut campuses (including Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich) from its founding in 1928 to its closing in 1991. The mission of the school, established by area educator Sara Pyle Smart, was to fulfill both the academic and spiritualist needs of Christian Scientist children, from pre-school through high school. Timothy "Timmy" Getty (1946-1958), the only son of Teddy and J. Paul Getty, briefly but very happily attended the Daycroft School before he died of a brain tumor at age 12 in August 1958.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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