Review of Bringing Up Baby (1938) by Antonius B — 19 Jan 2018

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and a leopard, hey, what more could you want?

'Bringing Up Baby' is a frenzy of running around, unexpected pratfalls, and clever dialog. Don't take the movie too seriously, e.g. try to see the plot rationally, get angry at Hepburn's character for doing anything she pleases, etc - it's a screwball comedy. She is absolutely brilliant in this movie, blending slapstick, witty repartee, and even a little 'come hither' romance in a wild, frenetic script. She even does a mean gangster impression towards the end. I think the issue at the box office in 1938 (and subsequent label of her as 'box-office poison'...ha!) was that she didn't fit into accepted standards of "feminine" at the time, which is a shame, because she's got it all here.

Grant is not so bad himself, with that suave accent in a nerdy role, finding himself helplessly drawn into Hepburn's crazy world. He's much better here than in 1944's "Arsenic and Old Lace", despite the obvious comparisons. I liked this film for both its big 'laugh out loud' moments (which still work after all these years), as well as the little things in the script and performances. Fun and entertaining, and the two stars really make this one worth seeing.