Release year: 1938

The players: Director: Howard Hawks, Writers: Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde, Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charles Ruggles, May Robson

The plot: Dr. David Huxley’s life is turned upside down when he meets the eccentric Susan Vance, who recruits him to help her move a leopard from her New York apartment to her aunt’s home in Connecticut.

Modern thoughts on a classic movie: Although the film was a commercial bomb upon its initial release, “Bringing Up Baby” has managed to sneak its way onto not only best comedy lists, but best film lists too. Personally though, I think the people of 1938 had the right idea in rejecting this utterly boring screw-ball classic.

Cary Grant’s Huxley is both foolish and spineless. On his wedding day, he lets a woman he barely knows talk him into taking a leopard from New York to Connecticut. He then spends the entire movie telling her to shut up or take off because she’s apparently ruined his life, although he could easily escape her clutches himself. Unfortunately, he does nothing but whine the entire time, which clearly ruins his every chance to garner any sympathy.

Katharine Hepburn’s Vance is both shrill and obnoxious. She starts off as cute and loveable, but she quickly loses her charm after about 10 minutes. She spends the rest of the film running her mouth in a high-pitched voice that hurts the eardrums, pulling all kinds of shenanigans to keep Huxley by her side because she’s convinced she loves him. No self-respecting woman would do such a thing, and any attempts at portraying an independent, determined woman are poorly executed by Hepburn’s lack of proper comedic timing, not to mention a poorly written character.

Although “Bringing Up Baby” was intended to be a light, farcical romp, it does little to induce any genuine laughter. The plot buckles under the weight of a contrived plot, too many attempts at slapstick, physical comedy and pointless dialogue, which leaves the actors yelling at each other for three-quarters of the film. It’s a miracle this film ever got the green light.

The final word: The film audiences of 1938 had it right when they refused to see this one in theaters; the laughs for this classic “comedy” still do not transcend the past seven decades.

Article by Rachel Thuro