Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Overview

Bringing Up Baby is a whirlwind of absurdity, energy, and impeccable comedic timing.

Released in 1938, the film is one of the most enduring and chaotic examples of the screwball comedy genre—a subgenre that flourished during the Great Depression and leaned into zany plots, rapid-fire dialogue, battle-of-the-sexes tension, and class satire.

Directed by Howard Hawks, the film pairs Katharine Hepburn (in her first full-blown comedic role) with the effortlessly suave Cary Grant in a story involving a missing dinosaur bone, a tame leopard, mistaken identities, jail time, and the slow unravelling of a mild-mannered paleontologist ordered life.

Though not a box office success upon release, Bringing Up Baby has since gained status as one of the greatest comedies in American film history—and with good reason.

Plot Summary: A Chain Reaction of Madness

The film opens with paleontologist Dr. David Huxley (Grant) preparing for two major events: the delivery of a rare intercostal clavicle bone to complete his museum’s brontosaurus skeleton and his impending marriage to his no-nonsense fiancée, Alice.

Everything changes when he meets Susan Vance (Hepburn), a free-spirited, fast-talking socialite who, in a matter of minutes, derails his orderly existence. What starts as an accidental golf ball mishap leads to Susan "borrowing" David for increasingly absurd situations, culminating in a road trip to Connecticut to deliver a leopard named Baby to her aunt. Chaos ensues as David’s bone goes missing, a second (dangerous) leopard shows up, identities are confused, and just about everyone ends up in jail.

Performances: Comedy as Precision and Chaos

Cary Grant as David Huxley

Cary Grant plays against his usual debonair image, taking on the role of a bumbling, uptight academic utterly out of his depth. Grant’s physical comedy is impeccable—whether it’s slipping on olive pits, getting caught in women's clothing, or trying to maintain dignity while completely unraveling. It’s one of his most endearing and self-deprecating performances. He delivers with deadpan brilliance and proves that he’s just as comfortable playing the fall guy as he is playing the suave lead.

Notably, there’s a moment where Grant’s character dons a woman’s dressing gown and leaps into the air, exclaiming, “I just went gay all of a sudden!” It’s a line that’s been much discussed in film circles and cited as one of the earliest uses of “gay” in a mainstream American film, albeit in a slapstick context.

Katharine Hepburn as Susan Vance

Katharine Hepburn’s Susan is a revelation. Known at the time for dramatic roles, Hepburn dives headfirst into chaos. She’s relentless, fearless, and completely unfiltered—her portrayal of Susan walks the line between charming and exasperating, but always with a magnetic energy. Susan is the original manic pixie dream girl, decades before the term existed: she’s the catalyst for David’s transformation, dragging him from the world of bones into one of unpredictability and spontaneity.

This was Hepburn’s first real foray into comedy, and despite early concerns from critics and studio heads about her comedic instincts, she proves herself as a master of timing and absurdity. Her performance is uninhibited in a way that feels fresh even today.

Direction and Pacing: Hawks Unleashed

Howard Hawks was a director who thrived on rapid dialogue, overlapping speech, and gender role reversals—all elements that are on full display here. Bringing Up Baby moves at breakneck speed. There is scarcely a moment to catch your breath as the action escalates from odd to surreal.

Hawks lets the comedy build organically out of the characters’ interactions, rather than relying on setup-and-punchline formulas. The pacing is relentless—dialogue overlaps, misunderstandings pile up, and the stakes get sillier with every scene. Yet underneath the chaos is a masterful sense of structure. The film doesn’t meander—it spirals with purpose.

Themes and Subtext: Gender, Class, and the Absurd

On its surface, Bringing Up Baby is a madcap comedy. But it’s also an incisive, if whimsical, critique of societal norms:

Gender Role Reversals: David is the passive, timid character; Susan is the dominant pursuer. She drives the car, makes the plans, and initiates the romance. This reversal was revolutionary for its time and remains a hallmark of Hawksian comedies.

Order vs. Chaos: David represents the scientific, structured world. Susan is all instinct and chaos. Their clash—and eventual compatibility—suggests a philosophical balancing act between reason and spontaneity.

Class Satire: Susan’s carefree life, complete with a pet leopard, is a subtle jab at the absurdity of the upper class. Her privilege allows her to disrupt David’s working-class pursuit of academic legitimacy without consequences—though she does ultimately show sincere affection.

The Disintegration of Authority: Authority figures in the film—police, lawyers, museum officials—are as clueless and ridiculous as the protagonists. It’s a world where the usual systems of logic and power fail, and absurdity reigns.

Legacy and Influence

Though Bringing Up Baby was not a financial success at the time (Hepburn was even labelled “box office poison” shortly after), the film has since become a seminal work in film history. It's frequently cited as one of the best comedies ever made, influencing directors from Peter Bogdanovich (What’s Up, Doc?) to Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach.

Its rapid-fire dialogue and strong female lead prefigured the modern romantic comedy, while its commitment to complete narrative anarchy opened the door for more experimental comedic storytelling.

In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Criticism: A Taste for the Unhinged

For some viewers, the film’s relentless pacing and high-pitched mania can be exhausting. There’s very little breathing room, and the plot (such as it is) takes a backseat to a continuous series of gags and misadventures. Those expecting emotional development or traditional romantic beats may find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer zaniness.

Additionally, Susan’s behavior borders on sociopathic at times—stalking David, lying to police, and kidnapping a leopard. But her infectious energy and the film’s light tone make it more farcical than sinister.

Final Verdict

Bringing Up Baby is a masterpiece of comic timing, subversive gender politics, and joyful absurdity. It’s a film that dares to throw narrative coherence out the window in favor of pure, unfiltered chaos—and in doing so, creates something timeless. It’s a rollercoaster of energy and wit, held together by two of Hollywood’s greatest stars at the height of their charm.