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Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Certain elements of Bringing Up Baby appear beamed directly out of 1930s screwball heaven.
See: an impulsive socialite (Katherine Hepburn) and an anxious scientist (Carey Grant) chasing a terrier across upper-crust Connecticut, or Grant sheepishly brandishing his crumpled top hat scene after scene, or a case of mistaken identity as applied to exotic jungle cats.
But there is no bottling, no dating, no aging the timeless qualities of Bringing Up Baby—those star-affirming moments no one was better at directing than Howard Hawks or delivering than Hepburn and Grant.
Chief among them, at the end of their first-act misadventures, Dr. Huxley (Grant) stiffens his shoulders and lectures Susan (Hepburn) that he’s marrying someone else tomorrow and is—despite their tomfoolery—a dignified person.
The “not buying it” giggle Hepburn lets out in response is from the primordial movie star ooze. Her laugh is musical and personal and more fun than any one person should be having.
And therein lies the infectiousness of this deeply silly, genre-defining movie—two of the greatest stars Hollywood ever produced running after each other like grade schoolers at recess. Her yelling that she’s gonna marry him; him protesting too much. Hollywood Theatre, June 6 and 7.
Also Playing:
5th Avenue: Climax (2018), June 5–7.
Academy: Blue Velvet (1986), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Safe (1995), June 3 and 4. The Muppet Movie (1979), 8½ (1963) and D.E.B.S. (2004), June 5–11.
Cinema 21: Trainspotting (1996), June 5 and 6. The King of Comedy (1983), June 6. Cinemagic: 8½ (1963), June 3. Death Rides a Horse (1967), June 3. Cinema Paradiso (1988), June 4. Stage Fright (1987), June 4. The Art of Dying (1991), June 5.
Clinton: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), June 6. Hollywood: Cruel Jaws (1995), June 3. Starcrash (1978), June 4. Golden Eighties (1986) and A Very Brady Sequel (1996), June 6. Some Like It Hot (1959), June 7. Invincible Shaolin (1978), June 9.
Tomorrow: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), June 5. She’s the Man (2006), June 6. Delicatessen (1991), June 7.
