Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) and
Philip G. Epstein (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 September 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

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.

Plot Keywords:

Insanity | Critic | Cellar | Poison | Marriage

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Mortimer Brewster
Priscilla Lane	...	Elaine Harper
Raymond Massey	...	Jonathan Brewster
Jack Carson	...	O'Hara
Edward Everett Horton	...	Mr. Witherspoon
Peter Lorre	...	Dr. Einstein
James Gleason	...	Lt. Rooney
Josephine Hull	...	Abby Brewster
Jean Adair	...	Martha Brewster
John Alexander	...	'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster
Grant Mitchell	...	Reverend Harper
Edward McNamara	...	Brophy
Garry Owen	...	Taxi Cab Driver
John Ridgely	...	Saunders
Vaughan Glaser	...	Judge Cullman

Also Known As:

Frank Capra's 'Arsenic and Old Lace' (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

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!"

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.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Baseball Fan: I'll knock your block off, you big stiff! You're a bum!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mousie Come Home (1946)

Soundtrack:

Funeral March (Marche Funèbre)

Completely Hilarious Dark Comedy

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.