‘Masterpiece’ film ‘one of the best ever made’ streaming now on BBC iPlayer | Films | Entertainment

First released over six decades ago, this madcap comedy continues to captivate audiences to this day – and it’s available for streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

Bringing up Baby features Hollywood legends Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in the principal parts as a ditzy heiress and an academic whose lives intersect through a quirk of destiny.

The film’s other leading performer is a genuine leopard, portraying Baby and was genuinely present during filming in numerous sequences alongside the cast.

The screwball comedy exemplifies its period and whilst it garnered a lukewarm reception upon debut, it has since achieved iconic status.

When broadcast on television during the 1950s its acclaim flourished and in 1990 it was recognised for its cultural, historical, or aesthetically significant contributions and was safeguarded in the National Film Registry in America.

It continues to gain new fans today and you can discover why for yourself as it’s presently streaming on BBC iPlayer, reports the Mirror.

Palaeontologist Dr David Huxley (Grant) has been reconstructing the skeleton of a dinosaur for the previous four years but lacks just one bone.

He is additionally preoccupied with attempting to impress a prospective benefactor for his museum, Elizabeth Random (May Robson) and his forthcoming marriage to Alice Swallow (Virginia Walker).

The day preceding his wedding he experiences an unexpected meeting with the absent-minded Susan Vance (Hepburn) when she inadvertently strikes his ball on the golf course.

Mistaking him for a zoologist, she strong-arms him into assisting her with transporting a leopard called Baby back to her countryside estate.

The leopard, which arrived from her brother in Brazil, is reasonably docile but responds particularly well to hearing the tune I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby.

Once at her residence, Susan develops romantic feelings for David and becomes determined to prevent his upcoming nuptials.

What follows are countless slapstick sequences and chaotic episodes as the duo find themselves embroiled in a series of absurd predicaments.

Despite the screenplay being crafted especially for Hepburn and her distinctive character, this marked her debut in a comic part and she required some guidance to help her adapt.

Grant also received additional assistance with depicting a physician.

Both performers reportedly had tremendous fun during production, and one explanation offered for the film exceeding its budget and falling behind schedule was their uncontrollable bouts of laughter whilst shooting.

Their evident enjoyment of the roles and storyline appears to have proven contagious, with viewers continuing to adore the picture even now.

fans have expressed their opinions on Rotten Tomatoes where it boasts a remarkable 97% rating.

One said: “An absolute classic. This movie is in my top 20 list. 200 mile an hour comedy, every line a laugh, it never lets up. One of the best movies ever made.”

Another film fan added: “It’s a wild ride, with Cary Grant as a paleontologist, Hepburn as a zany heiress – and a leopard, the baby of the film’s title. Does it necessarily make sense? No. Is it brilliant in spite of that? Indeed.”

A third highlighted Hepburn’s shift in style: “This is “down-to-earth” farce with liberal flashes of slapstick, and the surprise performance comes from Katharine Hepburn,” they remarked. “She delivers a light-hearted performance that is distinct and unparalleled to anything she has done previously.”

Bringing up Baby is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.