#97. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

I was a little leery of this movie based on the title- I guess I assumed it had something to do with actual babies, had I known Baby was an adorable leopard I would probably have seen this movie years ago.

I have to assume this movie is the first incarnation of what is now the modern romantic comedy. Katharine Hepburn is hilarious as a flighty socialite who uses Baby the Leopard as the bait to get to know Cary Grant, to the point that she pretends to be mauled over the phone to prevent him from making his wedding. The premise of the movie itself is totally absurd and, like most movies, can have about a dozen holes shot through the plot if you look hard enough.

'He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and likes dogs.' I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them? (Susan Vance, "Bringing Up Baby"

For hours after watching this film I was beating myself over the head asking myself "how did this movie make the list?" Not that it wasn't entertaining, it was hilarious. In fact it was one of the funniest movies I've ever seen and the comedic aspects of the movie were WAY ahead of their time. Not only does this movie include the first ever cinematic use of the word "gay" in reference to homosexuality rather than to mean happy and festive, but it also builds many of it's laughs around the topic of stalking. I'm not sure if my past experiences with stalkers helps enhance my enjoyment of these gags or just makes them less outrageous to me because I've seen that kind of behavior, but for whatever reason I honestly laughed til I cried with this movie.

However, funny or not, I just feel like there needs to be "more" to a movie to make it a truly "great" film. After awhile, I realized that maybe I have become too much of a movie snob. Motion pictures can be just a form of entertainment, not every movie has to make some grand statement or be the first to use a crane-cam or a breakaway wall. They don't all have to have some deep symbolism that is hidden in the body language or the dramatic effect of a closeup. I'm glad I realized this early on in the list so that I can appreciate the "brain candy" effect of some movies.

That said, time to move on to the in-depth analysis ;-)

I really wrestled with morality with this movie, especially as Katharine Hepburn pursues Cary Grant quite openly despite knowing he is about to be married. However, again, as I mentioned earlier in reference to modern romantic comedies, I can't even begin to single out or malign "Bringing Up Baby" for being responsible for that. Just as we are expected to believe it is sweet and romantic for Julia Roberts to want to sabotage a friend's wedding, the fact that Katharine Hepburn practically holds Cary Grant captive long enough to make him miss his wedding doesn't necessarily make her unlikable. The rationale in this case is that Cary Grant's fiance makes it clear in the first scene that they will have an unconsummated marriage because her interest is in him furthering his social status to subsequently do the same for her.

A huge credit is owed to this movie also for its amazing animal training. Tame or not, working with a live leopard in the early days of cinema must have taken a tremendous amount of trust and comfort. While there are certain scenes where you can tell the leopard has been spliced in with the cast, other scenes clearly show Baby playfully interacting with the cast. Were it not for the strides this movie made, who knows when or if we would have had Mr. Ed or the original Mighty Joe Young. Then again, if it weren't for this movie, we may have never had "Turner and Hooch" or "Bedtime for Bonzo" either.

Thanks a lot "Bringing Up Baby..."