Michael wrote: Well, my partner Pedro and I have opposite opinions of Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby. He adored Baby, calling it a brilliantly energetic, exquisite masterpiece that holds up shockingly well today. I thought it was cute and silly. The film would be so blah without Kate and Cary whose chemistry together really made the film glitter.
Definitely silly, and definitely cute, but all of the performances are magnificent. Actually, I can't think of a great Hawks film in which the characterisations and performances are not the best thing on display - it's what turns
Only Angels Have Wings from a formulaic drama into a masterpiece and saves
To Have and Have Not from being a muddled, inconsequential mess. I love the fact that in this film the humour is rooted in (outrageous) character: Cary and Kate are hilarious caricatures in their own right (her 'hard boiled' act at the end of the film always has me laughing out loud), but sparking off one another those caricatures lift the film into a fourth dimension. Plus there are entirely different comic combustions when you bring in the supporting cast: Cary and Charlie Ruggles is an entirely different, but equally funny, kettle of fish, as is Cary and May Robson - and Kate and May - and Charlie and May - and Cary and Asta - and Kate and Asta. The film is so rich in different comic textures.
And that's just the character stuff! There's also priceless comic timing and physical humour (Cary's hat on Kate's arse), visual gags and surreal, time-twisting sui generis moments (Cary's explanation for his bizarre attire, or the great moment when, defeated, he makes the "waiting for a bus" comment).
As with a lot of my favourite films, there are less stellar bits that I happily overlook. The "with you in a minute, Mr Peabody" routine is overdone, and not that funny to begin with, but it's surrounded by great bits of business; the drunk gardener schtick was pretty stale even in the 30s; and the collapsing climax is a shade too silly even for me (but that's probably the price you pay for a spectacular punctuating visual).
And, tellingly, it's a film that, because so much of its humour is based in character and comic timing, remains funny on multiple viewings. I don't know if it's the funniest film I've ever seen (and I don't know if any film I've seen has the cumulative hilarity of, say,
The Day Today), but it's my second favourite comedy behind the even-more-inexhaustible
The General.
My favorite comedy is Waiting for Guffman. I'll never forget watching Guffman with my family a few Thanksgivings ago and I was the only one who cracked up nonstop. They couldn't figure out what was so funny about this film. They took it as a tragedy.. a serious drama! Plus I could never get enough of Parker Posey.
The Guest films are definitely high on my personal laughometer (if pushed, I might have to nominate Jennifer Coolidge's surreal turn in
A Mighty Wind as the funniest screen performance I know - too dumb to hum!), but I'm less impressed with them as whole pieces of cinema (rather than strings of terrific improv), an impression probably exacerbated by them all following the same putting-on-a-show template.
Do you like Philadelphia Story, zedz?
Yes, but I'm definitely more into pure screwball from the period (e.g.
His Girl Friday,
The Awful Truth) - more anarchic and distinctive, with no socially redeeming features (PS still has the air of serious drama).
Further to
Now, Voyager, I'd recommend
Dark Victory if you haven't seen it. It's been years since I have, but it remains the most devastating 'weepie' I know.
