Every Film Katharine Hepburn Received An Oscar Nomination For

In the ensuing years, Katharine Hepburn kept working steadily, even returning to the stage on a few occasions. In 1951, she was cast in "The African Queen" with director John Huston, who had made a name for himself with gritty thrillers like "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Treasure of Sierra Madre." 

"The African Queen" teamed Hepburn with Huston's usual leading man, Humphrey Bogart, who played a riverboat captain assisting Hepburn's character in a daring escape from German troops during World War I. According to Britannica, the shoot was challenging, since they filmed on location in Congo, Uganda, and Turkey. Anne Edwards explains in her Hepburn biography how the actors were challenged by torrential rainstorms, countless mosquitoes, sickness, and the tensions of being in close quarters for an extended period of time. However, the film also demonstrated Huston's understanding of the chemistry between his two leads, who he often encouraged to improvise dialogue. 

The film was a triumph. Not only did it snag Hepburn another Oscar nomination, but it also earned Bogart his only Oscar win (along with nominations for Huston and the screenwriter). As described by Roger Ebert in his essay on the film, this was not an inevitable hit, as it was a time in which many alleged that both Hepburn and Bogart were past their primes. The audiences preferred new actors like Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, who had starred in the hit "A Streetcar Named Desire" from the previous year.