Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Posted on November 3, 2013 by 4 Star Films

In this mile-a-minute screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks, Cary Grant is forced to deal with Katharine Hepburn’s ditsy socialite character. A Paleontologist (Grant) has been trying to assemble a dinosaur but he is missing a bone. On top of that Huxley is about to enter into an unhappy marriage and he also must impress a museum donor. The next day he meets a socialite (Hepburn) by accident and through a mix up he finds himself being taken to her home in order to help take care of a tame leopard named Baby. In the following chaos a dog buries the bone needed for the dinosaur, visitors come, Baby runs away, a wild leopard is on the loose, and the free-spirited girl finds herself falling for “Mr. Bone.” To complicate matters, the pair wind up in jail trying to explain their story to a quirky constable. In the end everything works out and despite the craziness, Huxley realizes he cannot live without this girl. This may not be my favorite screwball comedy, but I would say it definitely is the zaniest and that stands for something.

4/5 Stars

Topper (1937)

Posted on November 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

This fantasy comedy starring Cary Grant and Constance Bennett opens with a married couple flying down the road in their automobile. The unusual thing is that George Kerby is driving with his feet and that pretty much sums of this pair straight from the beginning. They live a wild, fun-filled life full of wealth and parties. However, all this craziness gets them killed when George takes on a curve in the road too fast. They decide as a good deed they must brighten up someone else’s life. Their subject of choice is Mr. Topper, an older fellow from the bank where George had acquired a great deal of stock. He is rather like a grumpy but lovable old dog who just does not want any excitement. The ghosts’ of the Kerbys change that however causing “Toppie” to get his name in the gossip columns after a stay at a chaotic vacation spot. His stuffy wife is dismayed, and his butler is peeved, but finally Topper is starting to enjoy life thanks to the prodding and trouble making of the Kerbys. This film has some good moments, but I would say that Grant’s comedy roles would just keep getting better after this one.

3.5/5 Stars

The Awful Truth (1937)

Posted on November 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, the film revolves around a couple after they split up over unfounded assumptions of unfaithfulness. The divorce is granted and after the wife gains custody of the beloved dog Mr. Smith, the 90 day waiting period begins. First she tries to get over him by spending time with a kind but dimwitted man from Oklahoma. Then Grant gets involved, and at first he gets enjoyment seeing his wife uncomfortable, but he soon becomes a bit jealous and sad. He then takes up his own relationship with an heiress and on the eve of their divorce they seem to be parting ways. However, Dunne’s character will not let it end that easily and she poses as his sister, eventually getting him away from his fiancee. Needless to say that in the end they get back together. This screwball comedy has very funny dialogue and Grand does some wonderful slapstick. It probably is one of my favorites from the genre.

4.5/5 Stars

Star of the Month: Cary Grant

Posted on November 1, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Born in England with the name Archibald Leach, a young member of a traveling comedy troupe took the name Cary Grant when he broke into the movies. Early in his career Grant was a leading man for Mae West and he was the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland (1933). Then in the late 30s he came to more prominence in romantic and screwball comedies such as Topper, The Awful Truth, Holiday, and Bringing up Baby. In 1939 he was in two more dramatic classics Gunga Din and Only Angels Have Wings. He continued to perform comedic roles in the 1940s in His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story. However, 1941 marked his first collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock in Suspicion, and they would go onto work together in Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and of course North by Northwest (1959). Later in his career Grant had a well established debonair persona and he would continue to use it, well into the 1960s. Grant was a wonderful physical comedian and I really enjoyed him in The Awful Truth. I think his two greatest films however are Notorious because he plays against type and then North by Northwest because it is simply an epic thriller.