A Conversation
From an original Boca Beacon interview
by David Futch in April, 1988
Sitting motionless in her rocking chair, feet
propped on the back porch rail of a Boca
Grande cottage, the grande dame of theater
and motion pictures takes a panoramic view of Gulf
waters and acknowledges this tiny seaside village has
“an awful lot of atmosphere.”
Like most people who live on Gasparilla Island,
Katharine Hepburn has fallen in love with this island.
For the past three years, Hepburn wintered in Boca
Grande doing things she likes most – playing tennis
and relaxing. Hepburn’s career has spanned five
decades, and at 80 she still has the lively energy and
sharp wit displayed in movies such as Woman of the
Year and The African Queen.
Boca Grande has found a place in her heart
16 GASPARILLA ISLAND July/August 2018
because of its charm and because people give
her breathing room, they respect her privacy.
Protective of that precious commodity, Hepburn
granted an interview on the condition that it not
be printed until after she had left. She balked
when asked if a photographer could take a few
pictures.
And unlike most interviews, Hepburn grilled
the reporter as much as the reporter grilled the
star.
And now, a conversation with Kate.
with: