On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond is a 1981 drama film directed by Mark Rydell from a screenplay written by Ernest Thompson, adapted from his 1979 play of the same name. It stars Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda (in his final theatrical film), Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman and William Lanteau. In the film, Norman (Henry Fonda), a crusty, retired professor grappling with many effects of aging, has been married for many years to upbeat, feisty Ethel (Katharine Hepburn), and has had a remote, difficult relationship with their daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda). At their summer home on Golden Pond, Norman and Ethel agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and an unexpected relationship blooms.
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| Produced by | Bruce Gilbert
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| Production company | IPC Films ITC Entertainment |
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| Running time | 109 minutes
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| Country | United States
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| Language | English
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| Box office | $119,000,000 USD
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![Jane Fonda - Yours Retro Magazine Pictorial [United Kingdom] (January 2025)](http://img3.bdbphotos.com/images/130x130/m/9/m90a3sl7omy7o7s0.jpg?skj2io4l)
Norman: Is that what you heard?
Billy Ray: Yeah. Man, that's really old.
Norman: You should meet my father.
Billy Ray: Your father's still alive?
Norman: No, but you should meet him.
- The brown Fedora worn by Henry Fonda belonged to Spencer Tracy and was given to Henry Fonda by Katharine Hepburn on the first day on the set. Henry Fonda, overwhelmed with the gesture, painted a still life watercolor of the three hats he wore in the film and gave the original to Katharine Hepburn as a gift. He had 200 lithographs made of the painting and sent one to every person who worked on the film. Each copy was numbered and personally signed by Fonda thanking each person by name. In her autobiography, Hepburn wrote that she gave the painting to screenwriter Ernest Thompson. After Fonda's death, she found the painting to be a sad reminder of him and Spencer Tracy.
- Katharine Hepburn won her fourth best actress Oscar for this role. To date (2008) makes her the all-time record holder for that category. Considering his impressive body of work spanning almost six decades, it's astonishing that, except for an honorary Oscar in 1980, this was Henry Fonda's only best actor Oscar.
- Barbara Stanwyck was on call to replace Katharine Hepburn in the event Katharine Hepburn was unable to appear in the film due to surgery she underwent prior to production.
- Henry Fonda won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role for his role as Norman Thayer, Jr. At 76, he was the oldest actor to win this Oscar.
- This is the only film in which Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda appear together.
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