While this film is completely ridiculous, it is a classic screwball comedy.
Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) is bonkers, walking around totally unaware of her surroundings. Cars must have been very different back in 1938, as she simply climbs into a random car and can just drive away with it. One of these cars belongs to Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) who is a paleontologist, just hours away from getting married to the stiff, boring Alice (Virginia Walker). But instead of marrying Alice, David spends hours with Susan, who hoodwinks him into helping her delivery her present of Baby (a leopard) to her Aunt Elizabeth (May Robson) and one wrong thing happens after another, including the dog stealing the prized bone which will complete David's skeleton of brontosaurus. And then Baby escapes, they fall into a river, mistaken identities abound and eventually everyone ends up in prison before Baby somehow wanders into the jail, proving that they are really telling the truth, after all. Of course the practical David and zany Susan end up together.
So, while the film is relatively basic, it nevertheless takes an implausible plot and makes it seem as though it could (or at least parts of it) could have actually happened. The comedic timing is impeccable and Hepburn and Grant are great and have excellent chemistry. I found this film to be much better than their most famous pairing in The Philadelphia Story. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-I wonder how they made the fight between the dog, George, and Baby as realistic as they are.
-This film contains one of the most awkward dinner scenes ever.
-Susan has a lot of nerve taking David's clothes while he's in the shower.
-Alice's marriage to David would have been more of a business transaction than a love match.
-It is explained what Susan does for a living.
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