From the museum to the golf course

Looking at the opening sequence of Bringing Up Baby, once again there’s quick establishment of the premise as well as the introduction of the two leads. And interesting enough, the sequence is divided into two scenes that contrast the differences in David’s life: life before Susan and life after meeting Susan.

Plenty is shown in the first scene with David. We see him in his quiet yet dull life that is basically made up of museum work. He sits thinking of where to fit his bone in the gigantic dinosaur fossil he’s been working on for the past four years. His fiancée, Alice Swallow, is no-nonsense woman who makes it clear to him that their marriage will be free of all domestic entanglements. David asks, “You mean…?” And Alice says, “Oh, yes!” When he hugs her and wants to celebrate the news of the arrival of the intercostal clavicle, Alice pushes him away. Even their John Kerry lookalike of a colleague tries to help out by suggesting they go celebrate, but Alice won’t hear of it. We know this is not a match and that David, such a geeky doctor in glasses, surely deserves better. But David has to go as Alice reminds him of his important golf date with Mr. Peabody. She tells him the importance of first impressions and the money that could be coming to the museum.

At the golf course, David meets with Mr. Peabody and tries to talk to him, but doesn’t know the proper etiquette of when to discuss business. Soon enough he’s off chasing after Peabody’s golf ball. This is when he meets Susan, the screwball heiress playing golf with Peabody’s ball. She’s enough to make anyone go mad, but somehow David stands there and tries to reason with her, which she doesn’t quite get. When she leaves and starts to take his car, David once again goes after her and tries to get her to stop, but she’s baffled at his insistence that everything is his. In the end she drives off with David hanging on to the car and Peabody watching them go off.

The interesting thing here is that the story doesn’t move at the quick pace of most screwball comedies. The dialogue isn’t fast at all, in fact if anything it stalls the movement of the story while a character tries to get Susan to understand. The difference here is that it doesn’t lag behind, but mostly it’s entertaining. The expression on Cary Grant’s face while he tries to explain the golf ball’s ownership, and then Katharine Hepburn’s airy responses to everything he says, this is what makes the film so enjoyable. And this is why you keep watching. You see the dull life David has and then you meet Susan and you know that’s what he needs.

The opening sequence of Bringing Up Baby isn’t as fast as others in the genre, but it is quick to establish the premise and introduce the leads. The dialogue might not be as fast-talking either, but it’s very funny and entertaining. Mostly, the characters and performances is what makes this scene stand out the most. They’re fun to watch and their misadventures promise a good laugh.