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We’re reviewing another Cary Grant/Howard Hawks collaboration, 1938’s screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby, with our guest Lee from the podcast Faking Movies. It really is strange that this movie wasn’t a traditional box office success, what with Katharine Hepburn and TWO leopards! We talk about the tightly packed script, wacky characters, and crippling production delays. And just like Cary Grant, we eventually just give ourselves over to the craziness! Join us, will you?
Clarifications:
If you like this episode, listen to when we discussed His Girl Friday!
So how is Katharine Hepburn stealing all those cars? Here’s a primer for you! (TL;DR, there is a dashboard-mounted starter button!)
We all speculate a bit about why this movie under-performed at the box office and wondered why the poor and middle class would want to watch a bunch of rich folk be silly. We suggested the reasons may be aspirational, or the need for pure escapism. That bears out a bit, as there is a long tradition of Depression-era comedies about the well-to-do. Evidence: the highest grossing film of 1938 was You Can’t Take It With You.
Things We Reference:
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Frasier (1993-2004)
Charade (1963)