Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 5, 2021

Howard Hawks' "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with cinematographer John Bailey; new program with film historian Craig Barron; archival interviews; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

A man, a woman, and a cat

We all know that genre films like Howard Hawks’ Bringing Up Baby are not supposed to be taken seriously. They were conceived to deliver plenty of laughs and make us temporarily forget about our daily troubles. It is why the best of them tend to be quite outrageous. But after revisiting the film a few nights ago, I began wondering precisely how the relationship between its two protagonists was deconstructed in the old days. Was it seen as an entirely abstract one? Or was it seen as an unusual but authentic one? Also, which of the two protagonists was seen as the rational one? Obviously, a lot has changed since the 1930s and the definition of rational is much more flexible now, but one of them is clearly supposed to be more reasonable, so who was it? I spent some time pondering these questions and have some answers that I would like to share with you, but first a few words about the way fate brings the two protagonists together.

Zoology professor Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) is hours away from tying the knot with his assistant Alice Swallow (Virginia Walker). But he is a lot more excited about the prospect of securing a huge endowment from Mrs. Carleton Random (May Robson) to complete a dream project he has been working on for months. To get the money, Dr. Huxley must make the right impression on Mrs. Random’s lawyer, Alexander Peabody, who has been authorized to make the final decision on her behalf. The two men arrange to meet at a popular golf course, but shortly after arriving there Dr. Huxley’s perfect plan to get what he needs begins to fall apart because he is distracted by the beautiful but unusually feisty Mrs. Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) who repeatedly damages his car. Not realizing that the incident was entirely intentional, Dr. Huxley then reluctantly befriends Mrs. Vance as well as her domesticated leopard Baby.

Bringing Up Baby is not an original project, but it is awfully difficult not to see as such because the chemistry of its stars is actually a lot more important for its identity than the story it tells. Indeed, the original material from Hagar Wilde’s short story is used by Hawks only as a foundation for a big display of comedic fireworks that have to be managed by its stars, and the only way they can successfully do so is if they connect in a very particular way.

Most of the comedic fireworks can be rather effective, but only if you accept that the relationship between Grant and Hepburn’s protagonists is either entirely abstract or doomed to fail. What does this mean exactly? It means that the two behave in such irrational ways that their relationship looks incompatible with the reality in which they will have to preserve it. (Admittedly, this is an issue with the overwhelming majority of the people around them as well). Also, isn’t there something quite eerie about a rich socialite obsessed with a bachelor that is about to marry another woman? I think there is. In fact, there is plenty of material throughout the film where Hepburn’s socialite behaves a lot like another famous socialite Glenn Close will play many decades later. It is rather funny, but only if you conclude that the entire ‘romantic relationship’ that is at the center of the film is abstract and therefore utterly meaningless.

The film made me laugh quite a bit, but it was usually when Baby and that playful dog popped up before Hawks’ camera. Grant and Hepburn have their moments as well, but the latter tends to overplay her socialite a lot.

*Criterion’s upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration and reconstruction of Bringing Up Baby. The best surviving elements for the film are a 35mm nitrate duplicate negative from the British Film Institute and a 35mm safety fine-grain positive.

Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bringing Up Baby arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Its (the film) existing elements are few and problematic. Working with the Warner Bros. archive, preservationist Craig Johnson identified the best pieces of film: a 35mm nitrate duplicate negative from the British Film Institute and a 35mm safety fine-grain positive. The archive scanned both elements at Motion Picture Imaging in Burbank, California, and Criterion Collection restorers pieced them together to create the highest-quality version possible. Although the nitrate duplicate negative maintained a good underlying image, it was riddled with mold that the digital restorers were unable to remove, while the fine-grain positive was fourth-generation and didn't look nearly as good. The nitrate film was then sent to Image Protection Services in Burbank for a test on a wet-gate film scanner, which proved to virtually eliminate the mold from the image. The element was subsequently rescanned in its entirety in 16-bit 4K resolution on a wet-gate Oxberry film scanner. The film was finally digitally restored at Criterion Post using MTI Film's DRS for warps and splices and Digital Vision's Phoenix for jitter and flicker. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at from the 35mm optical tracks found on the same picture elements using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Colorist: Lee Kline/Criterion Post, New York."

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration, which is actually a reconstruction project. Despite some source limitations, I think that the end result is very, very good. For example, even though there are some obvious density fluctuations that impact delineation and depth, the overall quality of the visuals is actually quite strong. (See screencapture #29 to get an idea what type of fluctuations to expect). Outdoor footage, in particular, can look very pleasing, but plenty of darker and indoor footage is equally strong. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. I could tell that some balancing work was performed, but the entire film has a very strong organic appearance. The grading is convincing as well, even in areas where the source limitations make it difficult to maintain proper balance. Image stability is very good. Age-related imperfections have been removed as best as possible. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and sharp. If you turn up the volume a bit you will be able to tell that some ageing has occurred, but the upper register is healthy. The film does not have a prominent soundtrack which is why dynamic contrasts are very limited, but there are still some decent nuances. Overall, however, the audio is tad thin, as it is usually the case with films that come from the 1930s.

Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Bringing Up Baby. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080i).

• Scott Eyman - this exclusive new video essay was created by Scott Eyman, author of Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise. It focuses on Cary Grant's performing style and legacy. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, 1080p).

• John Bailey - in this new program, cinematographer John Bailey discusses the work and style of cinematographer Russell Metty as well as the composition of key sequences from Bringing Up Baby. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Craig Barron - in this new program, film historian Craig Barron discusses the career of visual effects artist Linwood Dunn as well as his contribution to Bringing Up Baby. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Selected-Scene Commentary - in this new program, costume historian Shelly Foote discusses the career of designer Howard Greer and his contribution to Bringing Up Baby. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).
  
  1. Early career and design philosophy
  2. Couture business and the movies
  3. Costumes and comedies
  4. Later Career
  

• Howard Hawks: A Hell of a Good Life - in this archival documentary, Howard Hawks discusses his career with filmmaker Hans-Christoph Blumenberg. The documentary uses footage from a lengthy interview that was conducted at the director's home in Palm Springs, California, in November 1977. In English, not subtitled. (57 min, 1080i).

• Cary Grant - this archival interview with Cary Grant was recorded on October 6, 1969, after a screening of Bringing Up Baby as part of a Hollywood in the Thirties film series presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The actor discusses his career and involvement with the film. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p).

• Howard Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich - presented here is an excerpt from a conversation between Howard Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich that was recorded in Palm Springs, California, in 1972. The conception of Bringing Up Baby is addressed in great detail. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Peter Bogdanovich in 2005.

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Sheila O'Malley and the 1937 short story by Hagar Wilde on which Bringing Up Baby is based, as well as technical credits.

Bringing Up Baby Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Virtually all of the footage with the domesticated leopard is quite incredible, and there is one particular sequence where Katharine Hepburn grabs its tail that actually looks crazy dangerous. Needless to say, I would have loved to see a lot more with the big cat. I think that in its current form Bringing Up Baby is quite entertaining, but I would not place it amongst the top screwball comedies that emerged during the 1930s and 1940s. Hepburn overplays her character quite a lot, plus the crucial chemistry between her and Cary Grant isn't always right. Criterion's upcoming release is sourced from a solid exclusive new 4K restoration, which is actually a complex reconstruction project. RECOMMENDED.