Brown Bear Daughter and I watched the 1938 Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie Bringing Up Baby the other night, and I realized about halfway through the movie that one of my other favorite movies, What’s Up Doc?, made in 1972 with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, was just a take-off on Bringing Up Baby, practically a remake. Absent-minded professor meets lunatic girl who brings his ordered life crashing down around him—and coincidentally ends his engagement to the wrong, boring girl. Screwball comedy. Innocent mayhem. Lots of laughs in both movies.
I like Katharine and Cary better than Barbra and Ryan, but for some reason I think What’s Up Doc? is the funnier movie. Madeleine Kahn, as Ryan O’Neal’s boringly hilarious fiance, adds a new layer of comedy to the second movie and almost steals the show. Hepburn would never have let herself get upstaged by anyone. Don’t you wish The Great Kate were still around to make more memorable movies? I’d love to see What’s Up Doc?, revised and updated, but starring magically young again Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
2 thoughts on “Bringing Back Kate, or What’s Up, Professor Grant?”
I never would have thought to pair the two movies! Hmm.. makes me want to go and watch What’s Up, Doc? again.
Thanks for the comments. I LOVE Hepburn and CG is my favorite movie actor of all times. (Hence, I’d pick Bringing Up Baby as my fav between the two!)
I love both Hepburn and Grant. Bringing Up Baby is one of my favourite of Grant’s, along with Arsenic and Old Lace, and Gunga Din. OK, I love all his movies! The day Cary Grant died I was heartbroken. It was the only time I’ve ever truly grieved for a celebrity. I was 18 at the time.
Brown Bear Daughter and I watched the 1938 Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie Bringing Up Baby the other night, and I realized about halfway through the movie that one of my other favorite movies, What’s Up Doc?, made in 1972 with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, was just a take-off on Bringing Up Baby, practically a remake. Absent-minded professor meets lunatic girl who brings his ordered life crashing down around him—and coincidentally ends his engagement to the wrong, boring girl. Screwball comedy. Innocent mayhem. Lots of laughs in both movies.
I like Katharine and Cary better than Barbra and Ryan, but for some reason I think What’s Up Doc? is the funnier movie. Madeleine Kahn, as Ryan O’Neal’s boringly hilarious fiance, adds a new layer of comedy to the second movie and almost steals the show. Hepburn would never have let herself get upstaged by anyone. Don’t you wish The Great Kate were still around to make more memorable movies? I’d love to see What’s Up Doc?, revised and updated, but starring magically young again Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
I never would have thought to pair the two movies! Hmm.. makes me want to go and watch What’s Up, Doc? again.
Thanks for the comments. I LOVE Hepburn and CG is my favorite movie actor of all times. (Hence, I’d pick Bringing Up Baby as my fav between the two!)
I love both Hepburn and Grant. Bringing Up Baby is one of my favourite of Grant’s, along with Arsenic and Old Lace, and Gunga Din. OK, I love all his movies! The day Cary Grant died I was heartbroken. It was the only time I’ve ever truly grieved for a celebrity. I was 18 at the time.