Today’s quick review: Bringing Up Baby. Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) has a big day ahead of him. Not only is he getting married to his fiance Alice (Virginia Walker), but he also has to deliver an important fossil to the museum where he works. But a chance encounter with Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) throws his plans into disarray when the scatterbrained heiress ropes him into taking care of Baby, a leopard she just received from her brother.
Bringing Up Baby is a classic romantic comedy about a mismatched couple and a troublesome leopard. Cary Grant stars as David, a mild-mannered scientist who wants nothing more than to take care of his fossils and get married as planned. Katharine Hepburn co-stars as Susan, a carefree young woman who sows chaos wherever she goes. Their meeting kicks of a sprawling chain of events that drags David farther and farther from where he’s supposed to be.
Bringing Up Baby can be a stressful watch. The story has a lot of moving pieces, the dialogue is an avalance of arguments and misunderstandings, and the chaos only escalates as the movie goes on. Any one of these would make the movie hard to follow; taken together, they are almost overwhelming. But the reward for keeping up is some truly brilliant madcap humor. Bringing Up Baby is an intricate comedic puzzle whose pieces fit together perfectly.
What makes the comedy work so well is that it finds just the right combination of outrageous situations and over-the-top characters to keep the jokes coming. At any point in the film, a calm conversation would clear things right up. What sets Bringing Up Baby apart is how deftly it ensures that a calm conversation can never happen. The jokes, the coincidences, and the lies all line up like dominoes to ruin David Huxley’s big day.
Bringing Up Baby is an excellent pick for fans of classic comedy or anyone in the mood for something cheerful and witty. Bringing Up Baby is a lot to take in, but those willing to dive into the chaos will find it to be a hilarious watch. Those hoping for something more on the romantic side may want to temper their expectations, however. Although ostensibly a romantic comedy, the romance plays second fiddle to the comedy.
For a sharp romantic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, try The Philadelphia Story. For a similarly madcap romantic comedy from the same era, try Christmas in Connecticut or His Girl Friday. For a classic comedy with sharp dialogue and slightly less chaos, try My Man Godfrey or The Thin Man. For a later madcap comedy with an ensemble cast, try It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for a sharp script and a slate of strong performances.