Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. The film tells the story of a paleontologist who finds himself in several predicaments involving a scatterbrained heiress and a leopard named Baby. The screenplay was adapted by Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde from a short story by Wilde which originally appeared in Collier's Weekly magazine on April 10, 1937.
The film was not a commercial success upon its release, but its popularity increased since it was shown on television during the 1950s. By the 1960s, analysts affirmed the film's quality, and it has appeared on several greatest-films lists, ranking 88th on the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films of All Time list.
Plot
Bringing Up Baby is a screwball comedy film that tells the story of a paleontologist named David Huxley, who finds himself in a series of predicaments involving a scatterbrained heiress named Susan Vance and a leopard named Baby. The film's plot revolves around Susan's attempts to help David secure a donation for his museum while also trying to win his affection. However, her efforts are complicated by the presence of her pet leopard, which she has named Baby. The leopard escapes from her home, leading to a series of chaotic events that threaten to derail David's plans and his upcoming wedding.
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Cast
- Katharine Hepburn as Susan Vance
- Cary Grant as Dr. David Huxley
- Charles Ruggles as Major Horace Applegate
- Walter Catlett as Constable Slocum
- Barry Fitzgerald as Mr. Gogarty
- May Robson as Aunt Elizabeth
- Fritz Feld as Dr. Fritz Lehman
Director: Howard Hawks
Writer: Hagar Wilde, Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde
Box Office Gross: $11,180
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 18, 1938
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Theme
The film revolves around a series of comedic and chaotic events involving a paleontologist, an heiress, and a pet leopard, exploring themes of love, mistaken identity, and the absurdity of life.
Reception
Upon its release, Bringing Up Baby was not a commercial success and received mixed reviews. However, over the years, it has gained a cult following and is now considered a classic of the screwball comedy genre.
Production Challenges
During production, the film faced various challenges, including script revisions and on-set complications, but it ultimately became a beloved classic.
Settings, Visual Styles, and Techniques
The film is set in various locations, including a museum, a country club, and a rural area. It features the visual style and techniques typical of screwball comedies, such as fast-paced dialogue, slapstick humor, and farcical situations.
Trivia and Fun Facts
- Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, the lead actors, initially felt the movie would be a flop, but it has since become one of their most iconic films.
- The leopard featured in the film caused some difficulties during production but added to the comedic elements of the movie.