Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot.
On another rewatching of Howard Hawks’ classic comedy Bringing Up Baby, I was reminded yet again of exactly why I love this film so much. Starring Cary Grant as bumbling palaeontologist Dr David Huxley and Katherine Hepburn as Susan Vance, who he bumps into one day and then ruins… er, changes, his life forever, it also has the massive advantage of starring a leopard. (Actually the humans are just there to make up the numbers, the leopard – “Baby” – is the real star of the show.)
To begin with I guess I should point out that this is a very daft film – you probably have to be in the right frame of mind to begin with to really enjoy it. That said I’ve never watched it without enjoying it immensely. Made in 1938, like many films from that era the dialogue is extremely funny at times . (I often tend to find that as special effects get better, dialogue gets worse.) Don’t look for much believability in the situations as you won’t find it; Bringing Up Baby is pure escapist entertainment.
Dr Huxley is about to get married – he may be relatively happy about that or he may not, it’s purely a marriage of convenience with his work the main priority. His work for the last 4 years has been compiling a skeleton of a brontosaurus, and just one bone is missing – the intercostals clavicle. (When this is found the excitement almost causes him to forget all about his wedding – the following day!) In the meantime he has to play golf with a lawyer named Peabody in order to convince him to advise his client to donate a million pounds to the museum. It is during this game of golf that he comes across Susan Vance.
Without revealing too much else of the plot, Susan ends up conniving to spend a lot of time with him. Amongst this a leopard turns up, apparently for Susan – which, of course, means that David has a lot to do with this leopard (Baby) as well. Baby is quite a placid leopard, but naturally things don’t go smoothly the whole way along. He also has a musical ear and particularly likes a particular song…
Cary Grant plays the bumbling doctor down to a tee, his look of perpetual bewilderment is totally convincing though he does occasionally become more assertive in extreme circumstances. Katherine Hepburn plays one of those exasperating female characters that can so easily be annoying rather than endearing or funny, but fortunately in this film the scale is pushed heavily in the direction of funny. There are several supporting cast members who add considerably to the laugh count, including Charles Ruggles as a big game hunter and Walter Catlett as a police constable who hasn’t so much lost the plot as never had it in the first place. Then of course there’s Asta, who plays George the dog (a very important part in the movie), and Nissa in his (or her?) only film role as Baby. It’s very well filmed for the time, funny throughout, and has a jolly musical score. What more could you really want?
Overall Bringing Up Baby is a true classic that has been voted as 24th Greatest Film of All Time in Entertainment Weekly, and is currently ranked 221 in the International Movie Database Top 250 films of all time. The only reason I can think of for anyone not enjoying it is if they take it too seriously, or if they dislike films simply for being made in black and white (I kid ye not, I do know people like that!!) And, assuming your kids aren't among those black and white film haters, children of any age can watch this and enjoy it without parents worrying about any objectionable content. Very highly recommended, but don't try to take it seriously!!
Quotes
David Huxley on Susan:
”Now it isn't that I don't like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I'm strangely drawn toward you, but - well, there haven't been any quiet moments.”
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The truth hurts…:
Susan Vance: Anyway, David, when they find out who we are they'll let us out.
David Huxley: When they find out who *you* are they'll pad the cell.
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Meeting the parents:
Mrs. Random: Well, you look perfectly idiotic in those clothes.
David Huxley: These aren't my clothes.
Mrs. Random: Well, where are your clothes?
David Huxley: I've lost my clothes!
Mrs. Random: But why are you wearing *these* clothes?
David Huxley: Because I just went gay all of a sudden!
(The above line is probably the only part of the film that anyone could possibly object to!!)
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It’s funny because it’s true…:
”When a man is wrestling a leopard in the middle of a pond, he's in no position to run.”
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