Put on “Bringing Up Baby” (1938) and fast-forward about 78 minutes in; by this point, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are singing “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” in a failed effort to coax a leopard down from a roof. With music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, it’s a song that lends itself to a number of situations.
Here’s my version, but it’s not nearly as funny:
In “Born Yesterday,” Judy Holliday hums the song annoyingly after her abusive boyfriend forbids her from speaking. All the while, she’s kicking his ass at cards.
(Note to self: choose tomorrow’s song tonight so you don’t have to scramble again tomorrow.)
More Gaudy Patter 