A chance meeting on a golf course brings together a paleontologist, David Huxley (Cary Grant) and the flighty, fun loving heiress Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn). After receiving a leopard from her brother named Baby, Susan believing David is a zoologist coaxes him to go with her to Connecticut. David is reluctant at first because he has spent the last four years trying to assemble a brontosaurus fossil and needs to secure a one million dollar donation. Plus he’s engaged to wed the not fun Alice Swallow (Virginia Walker) and impress Elizabeth Random (May Robson).
At Susan’s farm in Connecticut she discovers she has fallen for David and does all she can to interrupt his marriage. She hides his clothes (which leads to a hilarious moment of Grant in a ladies robe), and when the intercostal clavicle for his brontosaurus is delivered, Susan’s aunt’s dog George (Skippy, Mr. Smith in Grant’s film The Awful Truth and as Asta in The Thin Man) buries it. Complicating matters is we learn the identity of Susan’s aunt as Elizabeth Random, the lady he must impress for his donation.
Bringing Up Baby is hilarious. A trademark and high water mark in screwball comedies. Everything is silly, everything is funny, everything works. Hepburn, whom her role was written for is stellar. She isn’t afraid to be on the end of a joke and delivers a manic performance. Cary Grant’s star was starting to ascend at that time. He settled into his role as one of the greatest comedic actors ever, not only that but he would soon be one of the biggest stars in the world. Howard Hawks directed the film and he never lets you get bored, yes, everyone is a little screwy, but by not taking his foot of the gas delivers a face paced classic.
Interestingly, this film wasn’t always viewed with high regard. In fact after it was released, Katharine Hepburn was labeled as “box office poison” due to a string of misses. She would get the last laugh however as she quickly recovered in 1940’s classic The Philadelphia Story and continue to make films until 1994, and I am sure laugh at everyone who thought her career was over almost 60 years prior.
Grade: A+
Brining Up Baby Video Quality
The word that comes to mind for me is, finally! Bringing Up Baby has not looked good in many years. I know as I own three different release of this film. When HBO Max put it on their streaming service I was hoping it would look better, it looked worst than my DVDs. After reading the lengths and pains, Criterion, along with Warner Bros. Archives went through to give us the best Bringing Up Baby they could they get my salute. With a fresh 4K restoration, and even with the caveats given by Criterion, Bringing Up Baby is a sight to behold. Seeing new layers of depth and clarity is like experience in the film for the first time. It looks stunning.
Grade: A+
Bringing Up Baby Audio Quality
Screwball comedies’ dialogue comes at you so fast that you need a great sound mix to deliver the goods. Criterion’s release of Bringing Up Baby does just that. It sparkles without any blemishes or pops. For a film that is 83 years old, this sounds phenomenal.
Grade: A+
Bringing Up Baby Bonus Features
Scott Eyman: an interview with the author of Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguse, which is far better than Marc Eliot’s tabloid riddled, but popular biography about Grant. Good interview focusing on Grant’s legacy.
John Bailey: a cool interview with the cinematographer, who explains the work of Russell Metty as well as scenes in the film.
Craig Barron: the film historian discuss the career of visual effects artist Linwood Dunn.
Selected Scene Commentary: costume historian, Shelly Foote treats us with a breakdown of key scenes and the career of Howard Greer.
Commentary: Peter Bogdanovich recorded this in 2005.
Howard Hawkes: A Hell of a Good Life: A nearly hour long documentary about the acclaimed director, a treat to watch.
Cary Grant: An interview with the star after a screening of the film in 1969. Grant is awesome in this interview and my favorite extra this year. He’s funny, charming and tells some truly great stories.
Howard Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich: A conversation from 1972 between the two filmmakers.
Trailer
Overall: A+
Bringing Up Baby is one of my most favorite films from one of my most favorite actors. I love Cary Grant and I love that Criterion released this film and gave it the respect it deserves. I was calling for this film t be released properly and I was given one of the best releases of the year. Buy it. Now.
Overall: A+