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.

I am happy to report that Bringing Up Baby is funny from the word go, that it has no other meaning to recommend it, nor therapeutic qualities, and that I wouldn’t swap it for practically any three things of the current season.

Unfortunately the narrative is too heavy with action. Movement and dialogue are so incessantly rapid that they occasionally become overwhelming. But the clean, fast fun of the film cannot be denied.

Certain elements of Bringing Up Baby appear beamed directly out of 1930s screwball heaven.