Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)



Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace took me by surprise, and I’ll be the first one to admit that. Going into the film, I expected something serviceable thanks to the legendary names of director Frank Capra and lead actor Cary Grant. I was somewhat hesitant due to my lukewarm taste of screwball or slapstick comedies. Boy, was I ever in for a delightful surprise! From start to finish, I was laughing out loud which is an extreme rarity for me. I connected with the story, despite the themes of the movie. On the outside, the movie was made for laughs. Capra, in his autobiography, said he wanted to create a simple comedy designed to be a money-making hit before he went into service (at the end of World War 2). Despite the funny exterior, there is darkness if you dig too deep. Some of the themes the movie deals with is euthanasia (which is still a debatable topic in today’s modern world). Because of these darker themes and the ability to make me laugh, Arsenic and Old Lace is what you can consider to be a black comedy.

Frank Capra’s movie, written by Julius Epstein and Philip Epstein and adapted from a popular Broadway play by Joseph Kesselring, is about a drama critic named Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), who had a courthouse wedding with his new wife, Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). Mortimer is on his way to tell his two dear aunts, Abby Brewster (Josephine Hull) and Martha Brewster (Jean Adair) the good news. These ladies seem to be kind, old ladies, but they hold a dark secret. They like to murder lonely, single men affiliated with religion. They force their nephew, Teddy (John Alexander), who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, to bury the bodies in the Panama Canal (perhaps the cellar). Then there is the other nephew Jonathan who comes home after a long time avoiding the authorities due to his nature of killing people and has an uncanny resemblance of Boris Karloff. Now Mortimer has to keep his aunts happy and prevent them from murdering others, appeal to the love of his life, and deal with the nephews all while trying to cling on to his sanity.

Cary Grant once said that this was the worst film he has ever been a part of. Granted, this is a different kind of film than what Grant is accustomed to, but points need to be given because he expanded his acting chops. I thought he gave a delightful and funny performance. On occasions, Grant has shown the ability to be funny and he does that here. Raymond Massey does a great job as Boris Karloff reincarnate. Funnily enough, Karloff was the first choice to star in the movie but he was unable to commit because he was one of the main people in the stage play which led to this film. Jean Adair and Josephine Hull were delightful as the murderous aunts. Rosy on the outside, but bloody on the inside. I also must give a shout out to Peter Lorre, who portrayed Jonathan’s German sidekick, Mr. Einstein.

Overall, I had a great time watching this movie. It is funny, delightful, and honestly the perfect movie to watch as a family on Halloween. Whether there is witty comedy, sweet romance, or macabre deeds-this film certainly has something for everyone! Arsenic and Old Lace was my first taste of Frank Capra, and boy it was such a sweet taste. I think now I need to check out other Capra’s masterpieces such as It’s A Wonderful Life or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

My Grade: A+

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