IMDb > Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace
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Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Frank Capra
Writers:
Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) and
Philip G. Epstein (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Arsenic and Old Lace on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 September 1944 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Thriller more
Tagline:
She Passed Out On Cary ! No Wonder . . . She's just discovered his favorite aunts have poisoned their 13th gentleman friend !
Plot:
A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
The Politics of Familial Moviegoing
 (From Cinematical. 23 October 2009, 10:03 AM, PDT)

Character Actor Charles Lane Dies at 102
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 11 July 2007)

User Comments:
Completely Hilarious Dark Comedy more (182 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Frank Capra's 'Arsenic and Old Lace' (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
118 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Argentina:Atp | UK:A (1944) | UK:PG (1990) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #7855) | Australia:G (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In "The Muppet Show: (#2.12)" (1977), a sketch called "Veterinarians' Hospital" makes a joke about this film: Nurse Janice: "What do you think, Dr. Bob"? Rolf: "Simple, it's arsenic poisoning". Janice: "Arsenic?" Rolf: "Sure, just look at this old lace!" Nurse Piggy: "Arsenic and old lace? Dr. Bob, Dr. Bob, that's an old show." Rolf: "Well, that's an old shoe!" Janice: "Well, that's an old joke!" more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The movie is specifically identified as taking place on Hallowe'en (October 31), but opens with a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball scene. Even if the visiting "New York" team is the Yankees, making it a World Series game, it would have to be earlier in the year than that; no World Series from 1913 through the 1940s ran later than October 16, and in fact it was not until 2001 that the Series ran as late as October 31. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Baseball Fan: I'll knock your block off, you big stiff! You're a bum!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Mousie Come Home (1946) more
Soundtrack:
Funeral March (Marche Funèbre) more

FAQ

Why didn't Boris Karloff play his lookalike?
What is the name of the music that Teddy is performing when we first see him?
Where does the title come from?
more
43 out of 47 people found the following comment useful.
Completely Hilarious Dark Comedy, 14 June 2001
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

For those who enjoy dark comedy, it's hard to see how anything could be funnier than "Arsenic and Old Lace". With Cary Grant's talent for madcap comedy, with hilariously sinister performances by Raymond Massey and Peter Lorre, with two adorable old ladies who have a very dark secret, plus half-a-dozen other eccentric characters, all involved in a complicated and unpredictable plot, this is a comic masterpiece. Director Frank Capra keeps everything moving and adds his own touch, keeping some dark material entirely light-hearted.

This is the kind of movie for which mere analysis cannot do justice to how well everything fits together. The characters, cast, and writing are all perfect, and the crazy story gives every character some great moments. There is plenty of witty dialogue, lots of funny slapstick and physical humor, and quite a few wild plot developments. None of it is meant to be plausible, but it is all hugely entertaining, and done with such skill that it is easy to suspend disbelief. If you happen not to have seen this before, stick with it for the first few minutes, until you arrive at the home of Cary Grant's two aunts, and then things will take off quickly.

If you enjoy morbid humor, "Arsenic and Old Lace" is an absolute must-see.

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