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Spencer Tracy

Acting 67 (deceased) years old Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ★ 1.3
Born: April 5, 1900
Died: June 10, 1967

Biography

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor, noted for his natural style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy won two Academy Awards for Best Actor from nine nominations, sharing the record for nominations in that category with Laurence Olivier.

Tracy first discovered his talent for acting while attending Ripon College, and he later received a scholarship for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He spent seven years in the theatre, working in a succession of stock companies and intermittently on Broadway. Tracy's breakthrough came in 1930, when his lead performance in The Last Mile caught the attention of Hollywood. After a successful film debut in John Ford's Up the River starring Tracy and Humphrey Bogart, he was signed to a contract with Fox Film Corporation. His five years with Fox featured one acting tour de force after another that were usually ignored at the box office, and he remained largely unknown to audiences after 25 films, almost all of them starring Tracy as the leading man. None of them were hits although The Power and the Glory (1933) features arguably his most acclaimed performance in retrospect.

In 1935, Tracy joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, at the time Hollywood's most prestigious studio. His career flourished with a series of hit films, and in 1937 and 1938 he won consecutive Oscars for Captains Courageous and Boys Town. He made three smash hit films supporting Clark Gable, the studio's principal leading man, firmly fixing the notion of Gable and Tracy as a team in the public imagination. By the 1940s, Tracy was one of the studio's top stars. In 1942, he appeared with Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year, beginning another popular partnership that produced nine movies over 25 years. Tracy left MGM in 1955, and continued to work regularly as a freelance star, despite an increasing weariness as he aged. His personal life was troubled, with a lifelong struggle against severe alcoholism and guilt over his son's deafness. Tracy became estranged from his wife in the 1930s, but never divorced, conducting a long-term relationship with Katharine Hepburn in private. Towards the end of his life, Tracy worked almost exclusively for director Stanley Kramer. It was for Kramer that he made his last film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in 1967, completed just 17 days before his death.

During his career, Tracy appeared in 75 films and developed a reputation among his peers as one of the screen's greatest actors. In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Tracy as the 9th greatest male star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Bad Day at Black Rock
Bad Day at Black Rock John J. Macreedy 1955
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind Self (archive footage) 1988
How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won Narrator (voice) 1962
A Guy Named Joe
A Guy Named Joe Pete Sandidge 1944
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults Self (Archival Footage) 1997

Jimmy's Seen (1)

Desk Set
Desk Set Richard Sumner 1957

Filmography

Acting Credits (117)

Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood Self (archive footage) 2025
Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story
Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story Fr. Edward Flanagan (archive footage) 2024
DEVO
DEVO Henry Drummond (archive footage) (uncredited) 2024
Rat Pack
Rat Pack Self (archive footage) 2022
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Self (archive footage) 2018
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored Self (archive footage) 2013
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year Self (archive footage) 2009
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults (archive footage) 1999
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults Self (Archival Footage) 1997
Bogart: The Untold Story
Bogart: The Untold Story Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1997
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
Ingrid Bergman Remembered Self (archive footage) 1996
La Classe américaine
La Classe américaine The Professional Witness (archive footage) 1993
Movie Tough Guys
Movie Tough Guys Self (archive footage) 1991
Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'
Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World' Self (archive footage) 1991
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To (archive footage) 1990
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind Self (archive footage) 1988
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life Self (archive footage) 1987
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn Self (archive footage) 1986
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983
That's Entertainment, Part II
That's Entertainment, Part II (archive footage) 1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Self (archive footage) 1975
That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! (archive footage) (uncredited) 1974
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Hollywood: The Dream Factory Self (archive footage) 1972
Brasileiros em Hollywood
Brasileiros em Hollywood Self (archive footage) 1970
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Matt Drayton 1967
The Big Parade of Comedy
The Big Parade of Comedy Haggerty in 'Libeled Lady' (archive footage) 1964
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World C. G. Culpepper 1963
How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won Narrator (voice) 1962
Judgment at Nuremberg
Judgment at Nuremberg Dan Haywood 1961
The Devil at 4 O'Clock
The Devil at 4 O'Clock Father Matthew Doonan 1961
Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind Henry Drummond 1960
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah Mayor Frank Skeffington 1958
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man 1958
Desk Set
Desk Set Richard Sumner 1957
The Mountain
The Mountain Zachary Teller 1956
MGM Parade
MGM Parade 1955
MGM Parade
MGM Parade Self 1955
MGM Parade
MGM Parade self 1955
Bad Day at Black Rock
Bad Day at Black Rock John J. Macreedy 1955
Broken Lance
Broken Lance Matt Devereaux 1954
The Actress
The Actress Clinton Jones 1953
Plymouth Adventure
Plymouth Adventure Capt. Christopher Jones 1952
Pat and Mike
Pat and Mike Mike Conovan 1952
The People Against O'Hara
The People Against O'Hara James P. Curtayne 1951
Father's Little Dividend
Father's Little Dividend Stanley Banks 1951
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride Stanley T. Banks 1950
Malaya
Malaya Carnaghan 1949
Adam's Rib
Adam's Rib Adam Bonner 1949
Edward, My Son
Edward, My Son Arnold Boult 1949
State of the Union
State of the Union Grant Matthews 1948
Cass Timberlane
Cass Timberlane Cass Timberlane 1947
The Sea of Grass
The Sea of Grass Col. James B. Brewton 1947
Without Love
Without Love Pat Jamieson 1945
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle 1944
The Seventh Cross
The Seventh Cross George Heisler 1944
A Guy Named Joe
A Guy Named Joe Pete Sandidge 1944
Twenty Years After
Twenty Years After (archive footage) 1944
Keeper of the Flame
Keeper of the Flame Stevie O'Malley 1943
His New World
His New World Narrator (voice) 1943
Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat Pilon 1942
Ring of Steel
Ring of Steel Narrator (voice) 1942
Woman of the Year
Woman of the Year Sam Craig 1942
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Dr. Henry 'Harry' Jekyll / Mr. Hyde 1941
Men of Boys Town
Men of Boys Town Edward Flanagan 1941
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound Self 1940
Boom Town
Boom Town Square John Sand 1940
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Self 1940
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Hollywood: Style Center of the World Self 1940
Edison, the Man
Edison, the Man Thomas A. Edison 1940
Young Tom Edison
Young Tom Edison Man Admiring Portrait of Thomas A. Edison 1940
Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage Major Robert Rogers 1940
Northward, Ho!
Northward, Ho! Himself 1940
I Take This Woman
I Take This Woman Karl Decker 1940
Stanley and Livingstone
Stanley and Livingstone Henry M. Stanley 1939
From the Ends of the Earth
From the Ends of the Earth Self 1939
Hollywood Hobbies
Hollywood Hobbies Self (uncredited) 1939
Boys Town
Boys Town Father Flanagan 1938
Hollywood Goes to Town
Hollywood Goes to Town Self 1938
Test Pilot
Test Pilot Gunner Morse 1938
Another Romance of Celluloid
Another Romance of Celluloid Self (uncredited) 1938
Mannequin
Mannequin John Hennessey 1938
Big City
Big City Joe Benton 1937
The Romance of Celluloid
The Romance of Celluloid Self (archive footage) 1937
Captains Courageous
Captains Courageous Manuel Fidello 1937
They Gave Him a Gun
They Gave Him a Gun Fred P. Willis 1937
Libeled Lady
Libeled Lady Warren Haggerty 1936
San Francisco
San Francisco Father Tim Mullin 1936
Fury
Fury Joe Wilson 1936
Riffraff
Riffraff Dutch 1936
Whipsaw
Whipsaw Ross 'Mac' McBride aka Danny Ross Ackerman 1935
Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno Jim Carter 1935
The Murder Man
The Murder Man Steven 'Steve' Grey 1935
It's A Small World
It's A Small World Bill Shevlin 1935
Marie Galante
Marie Galante Dr. Crawbett 1934
Now I'll Tell
Now I'll Tell Murray Golden 1934
Bottoms Up
Bottoms Up 'Smoothie' King 1934
Looking for Trouble
Looking for Trouble Joe Graham 1934
The Show-Off
The Show-Off J. Aubrey Piper 1934
Man's Castle
Man's Castle Bill 1933
The Mad Game
The Mad Game Edward Carson 1933
The Power and the Glory
The Power and the Glory Tom Garner 1933
Shanghai Madness
Shanghai Madness Pat Jackson 1933
Face in the Sky
Face in the Sky Joe Buck 1933
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
20,000 Years in Sing Sing Tommy Connors 1932
Me and My Gal
Me and My Gal Danny Dolan 1932
The Painted Woman
The Painted Woman Tom Brian 1932
Society Girl
Society Girl Briscoe 1932
Young America
Young America Jack Doray 1932
Disorderly Conduct
Disorderly Conduct Dick Fay 1932
Sky Devils
Sky Devils Wilkie 1932
She Wanted a Millionaire
She Wanted a Millionaire William Kelley 1932
Goldie
Goldie Bill 1931
Six Cylinder Love
Six Cylinder Love William Donroy 1931
Quick Millions
Quick Millions Daniel J. 'Bugs' Raymond 1931
Up the River
Up the River Saint Louis 1930
The Hard Guy
The Hard Guy Guy 1930
Taxi Talks
Taxi Talks Taxi Driver 1930

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