Under the Spotlight: Cary Grant charms in ‘Bringing Up Baby’
It’s hard to pick out one Cary Grant performance as his ultimate best because, really, he did so many great films where he gave impeccable leading performances. Who can ignore Bringing Up Baby, though? The 1938 movie saw him give a gloriously comic demonstration of his talents alongside Katharine Hepburn, and while the film didn’t find instant commercial success, it now stands as one of his most unforgettable movies.
In his role as Dr David Huxley, Grant is a pleasant, somewhat reserved palaeontologist, and he soon becomes caught up in the charmingly chaotic world of Hepburn’s Susan Vance – and a leopard named Baby. When David first meets Susan, he is set to marry a woman named Alice, and he initially tires of Susan’s scatterbrained behaviour, which leads him into various awkward situations.
Yet, as David and Susan spend time with each other as they set out to take Baby to Connecticut, of course, they fall for each other. This isn’t merely a clichéd story of an unlikely pair thrust into each other’s company, however, and each actor gives a fantastic performance that makes you root for them both, with Grant’s interpretation of David being simply delightful.
He is at times socially awkward, but not hard to watch. He charms us with his shyness, and he stands in perfect contrast to Hepburn’s character. It’s no surprise that the pair collaborated on a few films together, including The Philadelphia Story and Holiday, because their chemistry is incredibly natural.
Grant was more than at home in the screwball comedy genre, aided by his background in vaudeville and stand-up when he was a fledgling star. The actor knew how to command an audience with effortless skill, and here, humour flows out of him as easily as a sigh, and what makes it even better is that some of these hilarious moments were improvised by the actor himself.
I’d argue that one of the greatest moments in the film is when Susan steals David’s clothes so that he can’t leave, resulting in him having to wear a fluffy robe. When there’s a knock at the door, he opens it in his dainty attire and is asked who he is. “I don’t know, I’m not quite myself today,” he replies in a worried slouch, before being quizzed on his questionable outfit.
His response? “Because I just went GAY all of a sudden!”, which he says while leaping into the air. It’s absurd and a little ridiculous, but Grant pulls it off, and the fact that he improvised it makes it even more enjoyable to watch.
The actor utilises physical comedy excellently throughout the film, like when he slips on Susan’s dropped olive, but he carries himself with such an air that he always recovers miraculously. It seemed to come so naturally to him, but he was more than just a skilled slapstick comic; his comedic timing and line delivery was always impeccable, too.
We can’t forget the terrific ending of the movie, either, which sees Susan visit David while he works on a giant dinosaur skeleton, and the pair confess their love for each other. “I’ve just discovered that was the best day I ever had in my whole life!” he tells her, and you can see David begin to open up and realise what he’s been missing out on this whole time – excitement.
Grant didn’t initially get enough praise for his performance in the film, but really, it’s brilliant. You can’t imagine anyone else playing the loveable paleontologist, who charms audiences as much as he charms Susan.
