Decades have passed since its debut, yet ‘La fiera de mi niña’ remains one of the great comedies in cinema history and proof that chaos can become art when it falls into the right hands. Directed by Howard Hawks and led by the legendary duo Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, the film is a whirlwind of absurd situations, rapid-fire dialogue, and one mishap after another that just keeps moving at a breakneck pace. And I must admit I’ve watched it several times already.
Everything starts when David Huxley, a gravely serious and scatterbrained paleontologist is on the cusp of completing the skeleton of a brontosaurus after years of work. But just before he’s set to marry and secure the crucial funding he needs for the museum where he works, he crosses paths with Susan Vance, an eccentric, capricious and unpredictable heiress who throws his life into complete disarray.
Dogs, Leopards, and Dinosaurs
Among domesticated leopards, a fox terrier that nabs dinosaur bones, chases, mistaken identities and an endless sequence of misunderstandings, the film builds a frenetic comedy where each scene seems more delirious than the last. Here’s the extraordinary thing: behind all that meticulously calculated chaos, ‘Bringing Up Baby’ also works as a brilliant romantic story, sustained by the irreplaceable chemistry between Hepburn and Grant.
This is because the movie gathers all the classic elements of the screwball comedy: constant confusions, a frantic pace, eccentric characters, absurd accidents and lightning-quick dialogue that barely leaves the viewer a moment to breathe.
Furthermore, the on-screen chemistry between Hepburn and Grant is a cornerstone of the film. Grant delivers all his talent for physical comedy, and Hepburn makes Susan Vance one of the most chaotic and enchanting figures in classic cinema.
On the other hand, the story introduces impossible animals and increasingly ridiculous scenarios, including a domesticated leopard named Baby, a fox terrier that snatches dinosaur bones, and utterly delirious pursuits. Through ‘Bringing Up Baby’, the director transformed overlapping dialogue and vertiginous storytelling into a signature style.
The film actually lost money upon its release and briefly contributed to a downturn in Hepburn’s Hollywood career, but time granted it the recognition it deserved, and today it is regarded as one of the finest comedies ever made.
Decades later, numerous other series and films continue to draw inspiration from the template it laid down. And it’s easy to return to it again and again, because it remains as entertaining as it was on the first day.
You can find it on Movistar Plus and FlixOlé.
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