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:

Nephew | Critic | Insanity | Cellar | Murder

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)
Arsen und Spitzenhäubchen (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Arsenic et vieilles dentelles (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Arsénico por compasión (Spain) [es]
Arsénico y encaje antiguo (Argentina) [es]
Arsen und alte Spitzen (Austria) [de]
Arsenico e vecchi merletti (Italy) [it]
Arsenicum en oude kant (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Arsenik kurbanlari (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Arsenik och gamla spetsar (Sweden) [sv]
Arsenik og gamle kniplinger (Denmark) [da]
Arsenikkia ja vanhoja pitsejä (Finland) [fi]
Arseniko kai palia dantella (Greece) [el]
Arszenik i stare koronki (Poland) [pl]
Dokuyaku to rôjô (Japan) [ja]
Esse Mundo É um Hospício (Brazil) [pt]
O Mundo É Um Manicómio (Portugal) [pt]

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:

Alberta Gary, Joan Leslie, Juanita Stark and Vera Lewis are in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but they did not appear or were not identifiable.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before Jonathan and Dr. Einstein show up, Aunt Abby arranges the two candelabras so that they are both facing forward. After Jonathan and Dr. Einstein enter, one of the candelabras is facing sideways.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Midsomer Murders: The Electric Vendetta (#4.3)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K.331, 3rd Movement, 'Alla Turca'

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.