1944 Directed by Frank Capra
Mortimer Brewster is a newspaperman and author known for his diatribes against marriage. We watch him being married at city hall in the opening scene. Now all that is required is a quick trip home to tell Mortimer's two maiden aunts. While trying to break the news, he finds out his aunts' hobby; killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar. It gets worse.
Cary Grant Priscilla Lane Josephine Hull Jean Adair Raymond Massey Peter Lorre John Alexander Jack Carson James Gleason Edward Everett Horton Grant Mitchell Edward McNamara Garry Owen John Ridgely Vaughan Glaser Chester Clute Charles Lane Edward McWade Spencer Charters Hank Mann Jimmy the Crow Sol Gorss Spec O'Donnell Lee Phelps Raymond Walburn Leo White
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…
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…
"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
Certainly a very interesting entry into the Halloween movie genre, but it's still a welcome delight. This movie was screwball comedy to the max as it had an outrageous plot, lots of funny moments, and frustrating communication skills between the characters. I really had fun with this movie and all the laughs that were had was because of the always amazing Cary Grant. Everything about his performance is great, his comedic timing is amazing and his facial expressions are just the best. This is a nice little gem that Frank Capra made, it's impressive how he made this movie feel cinematic when everything essentially happens in one room the whole movie. Now I do think the movie is too long,…
This has a magnificent Cary Grant performance. His slap stick is up there with the best of them. The pacing picks up and never slows down. I thoroughly enjoyed the Aunts and the crazy scenarios. It falls off the rails a little in the end, but it Certainly is worth a watch.
YES!
Give me a silly Cary over a suave Cary any day of the week.
This isn't just wonderfully written and full of honey-baked ham: on this evidence, Frank Capra is a far more lively director of screwball comedies than Howard Hawks.
Ci risiamo.
La commedia americana...
... non mi piace.
Magistralmente recitato, ma una BARBA totale.
Intelligente, però.
I never really payed close attention to Arsenic and Old Lace before and that's a shame. Even this time, I felt like it was my first time watching it. I love this brand of 40s comedy and it's even more enhanced by Cary Grant. This is a sharp film I enjoyed!
Cary Grant will always be one of my favorite actor last from the Classic Hollywood era of filmmaking. He’s also criminally underrated as an actor in my opinion. His charm, facial expressions and his body language all combine to give a incredibly entertaining and funny performance that I can’t get out of my head.
I really enjoyed this one. No special message or social commentary. Just good old fashioned dark comedy.
"Look I probably should have told you this before but you see... well... insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops" -Mortimer
Writer and notorious marriage detractor Mortimer Brewster falls for girl-next-door Elaine Harper, and they tie the knot on Halloween. When the newlyweds return to their respective family homes to deliver the news, Brewster finds a corpse hidden in a window seat. With his eccentric aunts, disturbed uncle, and homicidal brother, he starts to realize that his family is even crazier than he thought.
I love farce and black comedy, arsenic and old lace delivers both in droves, the great Gary Grant is superb here and there are plenty of macabre laughs throughout. They really don't make films like this anymore.
Tobias Andersen 6,185 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
Jayce Fryman 17,440 films
This list collects every film from the Starting List that became They Shoot Pictures Don't They's 1000 Greatest Films. This…
