Bringing Up Baby (1938)'s comments

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TomReagan

Probably the most quintessential screwball comedy that hasn’t aged well. This is strictly for fans of that sub-genre and/or fans of Grant/Hepburn. I love the classics, but I’m clearly not a fan of those three combinations.

2 years 11 months ago

kongs_speech

I'm thrilled that the top two comments also disliked this film, because I'm not alone. I love screwball comedies. I love Howard Hawks. And yet, this was an endurance test for me. Brutally unpleasant.

3 years 1 month ago

Typically Thomas

A. Movie. Is. Not. Bad. Because. The. Characters. Are. Not. Likable.

3 years 11 months ago

elisa_n

One of my greatest cinematic disappointments. Incredibly annoying and just hard to watch overall.

5 years 2 months ago

eahuj

Did not even smile during the whole movie. Absolutely horrible and annoying in so many ways.

5 years 5 months ago

Siskoid

I knew going in that Bringing Up Baby was the screwball comedy to end all screwball comedies, but I didn't expect "Baby" to be a rowdy pet leopard. That's just a crazy cherry on top of a mad sundae. Katharine Hepburn is completely loopy in this, a fast-talking gal who mishears/sees everything, seems to make her thinking on a completely different track from the rest of us, and makes up stories about as easily as Bugs Bunny. I've heard it said people find her annoying, but I find it pretty amusing myself. She sets her sights on Cary Grant early on as a man she wants to marry - he's a paleontologist who is immensely frustrated by her mere presence, chaos to his dull order - and through a series of insane misunderstandings, some of them caused by leopards and dogs, I guess they'll just have to end up together. Pure lunacy from director Howard Hawks that was apparently before its time, full of verbal and physical comedy. I'm a bit sick of Cary Grant's annoyed persona at this point (he's always on the verge of hitting a woman in these things, which really doesn't play well), but Hepburn is completely unlike anything else I've seen her in, a mad and intoxicating free spirit.

5 years 8 months ago

swhaze

This film was over schedule, over budget, and considered a flop when it was first released. Production was frequently delayed due to uncontrollable laughing fits between Hepburn and Grant. Hepburn struggled with her comedic performance and was coached by her co-star, vaudeville veteran Walter Catlett.

7 years 2 months ago

MetalMagnum

Wow, this movie has aged incredibly well. Hysterical from start to finish; love the Major Applegate character. Hepburn is horribly annoying, but her outfits are fantastic! The limits of the audience's suspension of disbelief are challenged in this film where nonsensical arguments and high jinks run amok. I can't say I cared for Cary Grant's character either, but there is some great acting in this film!

7 years 3 months ago

CynInFlicks

I saw this a few days ago for the first time in many, many years. I am visiting Belgium, so saw it with on the big screen on a very scratchy old print, with both French and Dutch subtitles! Very witty and lots of laugh-out-loud moments, although Susan is simply infernal with her seemingly-invincible gumption carries on until the moment she becomes a stereotypical whiny/dim/clingy female (yuck). Great fun, nonetheless.

7 years 4 months ago

TalkingElvish

Really struggled with this film. I can see the appeal, the manic energy of it and the zaniness of how the story escalates, the amazing outfits, cars, houses and aesthetics, but GOD this is an irritating film. Firstly, why is Cary Grant's character at all appealing? I can see why Grant himself is, especially when he has an implausibly well paying job at which is he is terrible, why these women throw themselves at him is also something I couldn't get behind. Why have the world's most irritating dog bark all through a scene? How is constant yapping anything other than annoying? I get that its illustrating he inanity of everything else in that scene but how about not having that dog at all? Or that scene at all? Everyone in this film is frustrating, it's assumed that we can get on board with their relentless smugness and that the premise of Baby doesn't get old, which it does very quickly. The leading characters' arrogance, wanton waste of money, privilege and time was just too daft to begin with let alone built a story on. So much extraordinary talent was involved with this film, and I'm glad so many people can get something out of it and find it hilarious, but, unlike most screwballs, this was phenomenally irritating from beginning to end.

7 years 4 months ago

ptiburdukoffa

Hepburn is so annoying, I want to punch her too .

7 years 5 months ago

crazy_bitch

Hard to enjoy this comedy; Susan (Hepburn's character) is just too much of an unbearable asshole, provoking anger and frustration rather than amusement. The way she is evil on purpose, is knowlingy breaking laws and endangering others, stealing whatever she wants, destroying property without hesitation or regret, blackmailing people for her own gain, constantly lying and insulting everyone around her makes you wish for bad things to happen to her rather than allow for the creation of a single funny moment in this movie.

7 years 11 months ago