"Bringing up Baby" Review

                Charming. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of Bring up Baby. This classic film was released in 1938 and stars Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. While playing golf with the lawyer of a potential patron who is considering donating one million dollars to the museum where he works, David Huxley (Grant), an uptight paleontologist, encounters an exceedingly odd woman named Susan Vance (Hepburn). From this point on, Susan causes David trouble by dragging him into various situations that he just doesn’t know how to handle. When Susan reveals that her aunt, Elizabeth Random, is the would-be patron of the museum, David allows Susan, who has begun to develop feelings for him, to try to patch things up between him and the lawyer, Mr. Peabody (or as Susan calls him, “Boopy”). However, when Susan accidentally hits Mr. Peabody in the face with a handful of rocks while trying to wake him up by pelting pebbles at his bedroom window late at night, David parts company with Susan, stating that he never wants to see her again. Not one to give up, Susan calls David the very next day to ask him to help her move her newly acquired pet Leopard, named Baby, to her farm in Connecticut. As Susan tries to keep David near her and away from his fiancé in new York she draws him into another series of sticky situations including chasing after Susan’s dog, George, who has stolen David’s rare dinosaur bone, hunting for the escaped Baby, and ending up in jail, masquerading as a convicted gang and coming toe to toe with another Leopard that has escaped from a nearby circus. However, all ends as it should with Susan giving the museum the one-million dollars and with Susan and David finally ending up together. The delightful combination of what would now be considered a “family friendly” film and Katharine Hepburn’s joyful portrayal of Susan is what brings Bringing up Baby its charm.

                Bringing up Baby has everything I think of when I think of older classic films: it’s in black and white, the credits are at the beginning, it relies a lot on visual gags and simple humor, it’s exceedingly clean, and everyone has that certain, indescribable way of talking that was very much present in the 20s and 30s. At its release, Bringing up Baby was a film that anyone would willingly go see, it was the norm, and many adult viewers still enjoy this classic film today. However, were the film released today with no changes it would likely have been marketed to a very different group: children. What was once considered the norm of entertainment for both young and old has now been downgraded to the term, “family friendly” because it is considered to be relatively “clean.” In fact, the most “risqué” scene in Bringing up Baby was a bit between David and Susan where he accidentally rips her dress in the back, revealing her slip. Thinking further on the subject of the film’s “cleanliness,” I can’t even remember there being any foul language or sexual insinuations used. Bringing up Baby and films like it were (and are) enjoyable for people of all ages, so it is a complete shame that similar films being made today are seen as childish, in part, because they are “clean.”

                The other aspect that gave a sense of charm to Bringing up Baby was Katharine Hepburn’s portrayal of the whimsical and ever absent-minded Susan. Indeed, most of the film’s comedy is a direct or indirect result of Susan’s actions. Directly, we have the character of Susan herself. She is driven, often acts before she thinks, is easily distracted, and has her own, odd way of doing things. For instance, when Susan’s heel breaks while searching for Baby she is instantly distracted by the way the absence of one heel makes her walk. Susan then begins marching back and forth, pretending to be a solider, and repeating the line, “I was born on a hill.” Indirectly, Susan’s attempts to keep David nearby by saying whatever pops into her head often leads to comical moments for others. For example, when David accidentally meets Aunt Elizabeth while wearing a frilly bathrobe, Susan creates a cover story for David (without telling him its exact details), leading Aunt Elizabeth to believe that David’s name is Mr. Bone, that he is suffering from a nervous breakdown, and that he is a big game hunter. Not only does this series of lies result in many comical moments between David and the other characters, it also drives much of the plot forward. Along with displaying fantastic comedic timing, Hepburn also displays a wonderful array of emotions from a dreamy-eyed, love struck Susan, who is playing “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” with her toes, to a completely distraught Susan, who is bawling her eyes out because she thinks David doesn’t want her around anymore. While the film’s story, dialogue, and cast were all grand, it was Hepburn’s performance that shone the most in Bringing up Baby.

                Bringing up Baby is an absolutely delightful film and I wish I had discovered it sooner. I found its clean story and comedy, which appeals to both young and old alike, to be refreshing and extremely appealing. However, Katharine Hepburn’s charming performance as Susan proved to be the icing on the cake, turning a good movie into a great one. I strongly recommend this film to lovers of old classics, good clean humor, or traditionally “family friendly” films.