Bringing Up Baby (1938)

4

Bringing Up Baby

While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard, Baby.



Director: Howard Hawks

Writer: Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde

Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles

Studio: RKO Radio Pictures

Genre: Comedy

So either I'm not a big Screwball Comedy fan or I just do not like this film. Its quick and wacky and absolutely absurd but I just cannot engage myself in any of it. I know I've gotta turn off my brain to enjoy wacky comedies, but every unbelievable situation and misunderstanding just makes it that much harder for me to rationalize any of it. This isn't like the Marx brothers where everything happens in a ludicrous fever pitch of comedy. This is an attempt at a genuine fast paced comedic narrative that makes no sense.

Maybe part of it is that I just cannot stomach Cary Grant as a neurotic professor. The guy is a great actor, but not in this. Nearly everytime he talks I think to myself how much he seems to be trying to be neurotic. This is just not his role. Katharine Hepburn on the other hand is incredible and I find myself drawn to her fast talking, flighty demeanor. Unfortunately for her, this film initially bombing with audiences contributed to the rumour that she was "box office poison" and almost ended her acting career.

That being said there are still some genuinely funny moments in here. I'm not a total stickler to its charm, just mostly a stickler. The thing this movie did the best was made me fall in love with Katharine Hepburn.