This one’s for Olyvia Eve Garrison, born January 2, 2012
Cary Grant is having the worst day of his life. He’s a paleontologist who’s just assembled a huge brontosaurus skeleton, and he’s about to put in very last bone. All he’s got to do is convince a wealthy widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Random, to give a million dollars to his museum and he’ll be all set.
Enter Katharine Hepburn’s madcap heiress character, Susan, and her pet leopard, Baby. She’s instantly smitten by Grant and used to getting her own way. Before you know it, she’s got Grant where she wants him…
Unfortunately, the dowager at the front door is Grant’s benefactor, who also happens to be Susan’s aunt. Things go downhill from there. Mrs. Random’s dog buries the bone, Baby is set free, another leopard appears on the scene, and this one’s not tame. It’s a killer. Meanwhile, the entire cast ends up in jail. Still with me? Never mind. Susan’s got everything under control.
Welcome to the world, Olyvia. May you find joy always, and laughter even in adversity.
© Lisa Lieberman 2012
Deathless Prose 
TCM frequently shows this film, and I rarely fail to watch it “one more time”. It is the ultimate screwball comedy. Grant’s line to the rich aunt, “I don’t know, I just suddenly decided to go gay!” is alone worth the price of admission. And of course, as always, it seems, when it was released, it didn’t do that well. Go figure. Obviously, it was “ahead of its time”… which makes no sense, but then, what does?
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[…] “Holiday” was made in 1938, the same year as the pair’s much better known romantic comedy, “Bringing Up Baby.” This one’s a romantic comedy too, but it’s got an edge. A sad undercurrent that lends the film […]
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