Spencer Tracy Trivia

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Spencer Tracy

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DOB
5 April 1900, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

DOD
10 June 1967, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack following lung congestion)

Height
5' 10"

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Spencer Tracy on MyHollywood.com

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Spencer Tracy

Trivia

Sometimes people confuse Spencer Tracy and James Whitmore. The two sometimes look as if they could have been brothers.
(October 1997) Ranked #64 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
Born at 1:57am-CST
Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA, in the Garden of Everlasting Peace, on the right just after entering.
His Best Actor Oscar for Boys Town (1938) is inscribed with the name "Dick Tracy."
Attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin but did not graduate.
Attended no fewer than six high schools: Wauwatosa (WI) High School; St. John's Cathedral School (Milwaukee); St. Mary's (near Topeka, Kansas); Rockhurst Academy (Topeka); Marquette Academy (Milwaukee); WWI service; Northwestern Military and Naval Academy (Lake Geneva, WI); and West Division High School (Milwaukee), from which he graduated in 1921.
In 1956/57 when his longtime friend Humphrey Bogart was dying of cancer, Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were two of the only people who visited Bogie (and wife Lauren Bacall) at their home on an almost daily basis. They would sit together at Bogie's bedside for half an hour or so every evening in the months and weeks leading up to his death. After Bogie's death, Bacall requested that Tracy deliver the eulogy at the funeral. He apologetically declined, saying it would simply be too difficult for him. He felt he would be too emotional and wouldn't be able to do it. Bacall understood and director John Huston delivered the eulogy instead.
Tracy was offered the role of The Penguin in the TV series _"Batman" (1966)_ before Burgess Meredith. He said he would only accept the role if he was allowed to kill Batman.
Died only 17 days after filming of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) had been completed.
Made nine films with Katharine Hepburn, the first of which was Woman of the Year (1942).
He was voted the 15th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
Had two children from his marriage to Louise Treadwell: Son, John Ten Broeck Tracy (born 26 June 1924) and daughter, Louise Treadwell Susie Tracy (born July 1 1932).
Son John was born deaf; as a result, his wife, Louise, became an activist for deaf education, establishing the John Tracy Clinic at USC.
He is often mentioned alongside Laurence Olivier and Marlon Brando as the greatest movie actor of all time. Unlike the other two, however, Tracy was not already successful and well-known as a stage actor before getting into films.
His father was of Irish descent and his mother was descended from the earliest English settlers in America.
Katharine Hepburn, his frequent screen partner and longtime flame, never watched Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) because it was his last film and watching it with him gone was too painful for her.
He was voted the 19th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.
Named the #9 Greatest Actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends List by The American Film Institute
When he needed a break, he would often come back to Milwaukee and frequent the local watering holes. However, finding him proved to be an almost impossible challenge for Katharine Hepburn, because there are so many bars in Milwaukee.
Secretly diagnosed with diabetes in the late 1940s.
His performance as Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind (1960) is ranked #67 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Has three films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Captains Courageous (1937) at #94, Boys Town (1938) at #81 and _Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)_ at #35.
In 1935, MGM bought Tracy's contact from 20th Century-Fox, as Louis B. Mayer respected his talent and thought he would be a good second lead, particularly in support of the studio's #1 male star, Clark Gable. Tracy had never developed into a star in his five years at Fox (which was merged with Darryl F. Zanucks 20th Century Pictures), and Fox had cooled on him. After four years of playing second-fiddle to Gable (and inevitably losing the girl to the man they called "The King" of Hollywood), Tracy came into his own as a star in MGM vehicles such as Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938), for both of which he won back-to-back Best Actor Oscars. Though he remained friends with Gable, the two never co-starred together after 1940.
Didn't like to rehearse and would read through a scene only once, five days before shooting. He also never liked to shoot a scene more than once, and in most cases he didn't have to.
He was considered an arch conservative during the 1930s, but his views moderated after he met Katharine Hepburn. He once said he believed actors had no place in politics.
Advertised Lucky Strike cigarettes.
Was supposed to star in Ten North Frederick (1958), but had to withdraw due to poor health and was replaced by Gary Cooper.
His father, John Tracy, worked as a clerk at a railroad office.
Longtime companion Katharine Hepburn did not attend his funeral out of respect to his family.
He was the last Best Actor Oscar nominee to be born in the 19th century.
Has three films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Captains Courageous (1937) at #94, Boys Town (1938) at #81 and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) at #35.
He won an Oscar for playing Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938), making him the first actor to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony. As of 2007, ten more actors joined him: Gary Cooper for playing Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941), Patty Duke for playing Helen Keller in Miracle Worker, The (1962), Jason Robards for playing Benjamin Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976), Robert De Niro for playing Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980), Sissy Spacek for playing Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Susan Sarandon for playing Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995), Geoffrey Rush for playing David Helfgott in Shine (1996), Julia Roberts for playing Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich (2000), Jim Broadbent for playing John Bayley in Iris (2001/I) and most recently Helen Mirren for playing Queen Elizabeth II in Queen, The (2006).
His son, John Tracy, died June 15, 2007, at his son's home in Acton, Calif. He was 82. Cause of death, following a long illness, was unknown. His sister, Louise Treadwell "Susie" Tracy, announced his death.
Turned down Cary Grants role in Philadelphia Story, The (1940) because he was eager to make Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941).
He was sought for Fredric Marchs role in Desperate Hours, The (1955) opposite Humphrey Bogart, but would not take second billing.