1944 Directed by Frank Capra
Mortimer Brewster, a newspaper drama critic, playwright and author known for his diatribes against marriage, suddenly falls in love and gets married; but when he makes a quick trip home to tell his two maiden aunts, he finds out his aunts' hobby - killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar!
Cary Grant Priscilla Lane Raymond Massey Jack Carson Edward Everett Horton Peter Lorre James Gleason Josephine Hull Jean Adair John Alexander Grant Mitchell Edward McNamara Garry Owen John Ridgely Vaughan Glaser Chester Clute Charles Lane Edward McWade Hank Mann Spencer Charters Sol Gorss Lee Phelps Raymond Walburn Spec O'Donnell Leo White Jimmy the Crow
I’m pretty sure that in about 90% of the screwball comedies made in the 40s there is a character named Johnny. When I first saw Arsenic and Old Lace years ago, its over-the-top zaniness caught me completely off guard and I absolutely, positively hated it. This time I was committed to go into this with an open mind and try my best to enjoy it for what it is, even if comedy does age like milk. The first time I watched this it was Cary Grant’s performance that really turned me off but this time however, I realized that he is probably the best thing in it and is putting forth quite the effort. Regardless, I…
Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) is wishing the old adage "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family" wasn't true right about now because his family is proving to be nuttier than a fruitcake! As the family antic's come to a head on Halloween Mortimer (Cary Grant) is slowly losing his own sanity!
Cary Grant was absolutely brilliant! His facial expressions were hilarious! His comedic timing was impeccable! Of course he had a strong supporting cast which include the likes of Josephine Hull and Jean Adair whom knocked it out of the ballpark in their roles as the lunatic spinster aunts whom have adopted a macabre new hobby!
Also featuring Raymond Massey as Mortimer's estranged brother Jonathan with a penchant for sadistic behavior! Whom decides to have an unannounced family reunion with his bug eyed sidekick Doctor Einstein (Peter Lorre) in tow!
Comedy, chaos and escalating mayhem ensues in this wonderful black comedy compliments of Director Frank Capra!
I don't know what it is about the leads in Hitchcock films that make me dislike them until I see them out of Hitchcockland. It happened with James Stewart, who I found rather annoying in Rear Window, but when I saw him in It's a Wonderful Life I immediately got his wonderful appeal. And yes, it happened with Cary Grant in North by Northwest, but I now see why he was a superstar.
I didn't get the appeal of North by Northwest. And although he could really wear a suit, I just didn't like Cary Grant. Perhaps it was the tan. Or just the fact that he was the lead in a Hitchcock film I didn't like. Either way, I…
"What I mean is... Well... This is developing into a very bad habit!"
I don't know what I expected of this film, but I certainly wasn't anticipating a Halloween screwball comedy about two aunts poisoning old lonely men, an uncle who's convinced he's Teddy Roosevelt, and Cary Grant looking shocked and flustered 90% of the runtime.
3.75/5
Film #13 of Project 40
”CHAAAAAAARRGE!”
This is as manic, exaggerated and congested a comedy can get. Biggest surprise of Arsenic and Old Lace is its director, here Frank Capra who is better known for his sweet, lighthearted and humble comedies creates something that can only be matched by Dr. Strangelove when it comes to cynicism and sarcasm of dialogues and the out of control nature. Put Boris Karloff, Teddy Roosevelt, Dr. Einstein and a Cary Grant who is swinging between mental stability and insanity in one single room and you’ll have it, an erratic comedy that is funny and frightening at the same time.
Arsenic and Old Lace is a movie that step by step drags you into its…
happy birthday to my dead, 115 year old, 6’2, British, definitely gay/bi husband Cary grant 😌
2019: The Pieper Review -- Film #37 (1/20/2019)
My girlfriend played Abby once in a production back in her hometown, so I have always had a slight connection to this story. I am happy to report that this holds up better than many of the comedies from the early 2000s let alone the 1940s. Arsenic and Old Lace is a bona fide comedy classic with a fabulous script and hilarious performances. This definitely solidifies Frank Capra as one of my favorite directors. It is also the first movie that has really made me want to seek out more Cary Grant than just NxNW and Bringing Up Baby. Highly recommended! A great Sunday evening movie.
i don’t have anything all that interesting or worthwhile to say, so i’m going to take this opportunity to ask you to please take a look at my 2018 film edit if you feel so inclined!
Saw this as a treat to myself for Cary Grant's anniversary. Wonderfull. Grant's comedy tempo and camera energy explodes in every frame.
happy birthday to my dead, 115 year old, 6’2, British, definitely gay/bi husband Cary grant 😌
I really enjoyed this for the first hour and a bit, thinking it was going to be a new favourite Cary Grant film. The film establishes a funny, macabre premise that feels like it will play out brilliantly, and whilst the characters and pieces move into place it really does. The whole thing was perfectly connecting with my own stresses and anxieties that I experience when talking with extended family that feel like they live by a totally different set of morals and philosophies. The film takes that feeling and just ramps it up to the max. The unusual tone creates a feeling of slipping into madness and the story brilliantly explores the dark and physical comedy in that.
However…
i was kind of caught off guard by the absurdity and i thought it was going to be a more typical kind of comedy, but i still enjoyed it. this is just one giant anxiety attack.
Tobias Andersen 6,958 films
Rules: Generate a number (from 1 to x) via: www.random.org
See how many number of films there are in the…
Jason Bullok 1,000 films
A list of Edgar Wright's favorite 1000 Movies per his list on Mubi on July 27th, 2016.
twitter.com/edgarwright/status/758339515421433856 mubi.com/lists/edgar-wrights-favorite-movies
Larry 85 films
Found this article to be interesting.
These 85 films are what Martin Scorsese believes to be essential material for…
