MovieChat Forums > Bringing Up Baby (1938) Discussion > Cary Can't

Cary Can't

posted 11 years ago by mk_k6-326-626621
6 replies | jump to latest

I haven't seen many of Cary Grants films but was aware of his reputation as a leading man, and after seeing him in this film, his fame is a mystery. He was dreadful in this film, he wasn't a good actor and he lacked comedic, all very heavy handed and hammy. Whether or not he got better in his career I am yet to discover but at this stage, he simply could not carry a film, especially comedy.

The saving grace of this film is Ms Katharine Hepburn. From the minute she enters the film on that golf course, the entire film is elevated. She is so funny, so charming, and so glamorous - she makes everything look effortless, the true mark of star. All the other actors, including her co-star, can not compete.

This film is really her showcase.

[–] ppllkk 11 years ago

mk_k6-326-626621 wrote:

He was dreadful in this film, he wasn't a good actor and he lacked comedic, all very heavy handed and hammy.

I think that you are going to find that you are in a very small minority.There is no film so great that it is not given a "1" by between 1% and 4% of the voters. I guess the same is true of actors.

Whether or not he got better in his career I am yet to discover but at this stage, he simply could not carry a film, especially comedy.

No, he did not get better. This was one of his greatest comic performances although he did play different roles that you might prefer him in.Differences of opinion of this magnitude constantly amaze me. For example, 3.3% of the voters give Buster Keaton's The General a "1." I am assuming that you are serious and that you are not a troll.David-CG's very useful Scripts for Firefox: http://userscripts.org/users/67626

[–] murph24 11 years ago

his fame is a mystery

On the contrary, I think his fame - and his appeal - is quite easy to understand. Few actors had the charisma, the inventiveness or the sheer comic energy that Cary Grant possessed.

It's fairly well known that Hepburn had difficulties establishing her comedic rhythms and required coaching from her co-stars (particularly Walter Catlett) to find the right tone for Susan. To her credit, she overcame these difficulties and gave a buoyant and very funny performance. But Bringing Up Baby is one of those great ensemble pieces in which everyone is given the opportunity to shine. And they do.

[–] heyuactor 11 years ago

Few actors had the charisma, the inventiveness or the sheer comic energy that Cary Grant possessed.

So true.

"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

...all very heavy handed and hammy...

Wow! Just the opposite I would have thought, with Grant at his whimsical best, the perfect foil for the commanding Hepburn.

[–] dgniewek 11 years ago

he wasn't a good actor and he lacked comedic

I used to have a theory that everyone adores Cary Grant. I think you are the first person I am encountering who does not.

In my book, he's the tops.

[–] cujo3017-370-726670 11 years ago

My first impulse was to think you must be out of your mind but after recovering after a moment I realize that there's no accounting for taste and there really are people blind to the charm and finesse that was Cary Grant's forte.

If he was "hammy" it's only because the whole film was over the top in terms of acting because it was a screwball movie which by definition was crazy and unrealistic and it was what the part required.

Cary Grant was light years better than Hepburn (who sometimes overacted in other early movies). Some of my favorite movies of Grant's are comedies where his timing and delivery were both impeccable and he never had to "reach"; sometimes he only had to change expressions or raise an eyebrow or change the emphasis in a sentence to convey irony or humor or befuddlement or exasperation or whatever emotion was needed. And yet he could also play elegance, dignity, sophistication and even menace with equal ease. He could do it all and had the ability to always seem at ease in front of the camera.

I like Hepburn; she was unique and an interesting type. I think her acting got better over time as she toned it down a little. In this movie it's not hard to see why David finds her a bit annoying (I certainly did) , even while he ultimately decides he actually likes her.

You're of course entitled to your opinion. If everyone agreed on everything all movies would be alike and we wouldn't like that. You should try watching Notorious if you want to see Grant in a different kind of movie and maybe your opinion of his screen talents would be modified a little.