Bringing Up Baby. Too much of a muchness w/r/t silly characters and storytelling contortions to keep the laughs coming. Of all the Cary Grant I’ve seen, this is the first straight-up goofy comedy role (sillier than in The Philadelphia Story). He’s got a knack for it, apparently. I love seeing a new side of an actor I know mostly for being dashing. Favorite Howard Hawks movies? Gotta take Scarface over The Big Sleep, and then this one after Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Watch this more for the historical significance (successful interracial romance in the ‘60s) and star-studded cast (e.g. Spencer Tracy’s last performance) than for miracles of cinematography or storytelling. My modern perspective finds it overt and not very adventurous. Either we’ve come a long way or I’m fooling myself. Spencer Tracy’s final monologue is worth your time, though.
Suddenly, Last Summer. Good movie. Its roots are in the Tennessee Williams play, so it’s very, very, very mono- and dialogue-heavy. You could probably just listen to this one and get a lot out of it (and so maybe not the best use of the medium?). The cast is why you watch it, though. Katharine Hepburn owns the first half-hour. Elizabeth Taylor owns the last. Montgomery Clift is the stable (and somehow not boring) guy in the middle who gently keeps the story moving forward.
Mark Larson 