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…
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Film #15 of "Scavenger Hunt #3" Challenge!
Task #24 : A Black Comedy!
letterboxd.com/naughty/list/scavenger-hunt-3/
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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…
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…
Mortimer Brewster: "Look I probably should have told you this before but you see... well... insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops."
This was a completely different side of Cary Grant that I've got to know from Notorious, North by Northwest, and Charade. I now completely understand the comparisons between him and George Clooney - both in a smooth dramatic performance and especially now in a manically comedic role such as this one. His cartoonish facial expressions and slapstick comedy make for a perfect fit for this crazy hilarious story from the twin Epstein brothers and director Frank Capra.
Known for his stance against marriage, popular author Mortimer Brewster (Grant) and newlywed wife Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane) arrive at…
The least discussed film of the timeless and iconic Frank Capra masterpieces, Arsenic and Old Lace is in another way, a perfect representation of how The Golden Age of cinema conquers the modern industrialized world of cinema. A comedy like very few others, Arsenic and Old Lace is an absurd comedy, and a brilliant one too, to say the least. Where many film viewers separate the early era of cinema to the more modern in terms of accessibility of comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace fails to meet the expectations of certain viewers and eliminates any possibility of alienating its viewers.
Mortimer Brewster returns to the residence of his two kind and seemingly sane aunts following his marriage to Elaine Harper.…
here’s my controversial opinion, but i think cary grant is charismatic and charming.... sorry but it needed to be said.
I was really into the first half—the dark premise is mined for many laughs and the characters are a fun mix of personalities. However, the chaos of the plot becomes exhausting as the story stretches on through the overcrowded finale.
Aunt Martha: For a gallon of elderberry wine, I take one teaspoon full of arsenic, then add half a teaspoon full of strychnine, and then just a pinch of cyanide.
Mortimer Brewster: Hmm. Should have quite a kick.
...possibly the best double take in cinematic history.
...and, was blown away to hear strains of Run Runaway by Slade in some of the score!
You can tell that this is based off a play which is the main thing holding this back, but the performances are great and the dark comedy works really well.
Watched on iTunes.
I think I was surprised at how weird this movie was. I guess I never knew the plot revolved around murder obsessed aunts. Regardless, it's a lot of fun and very funny.
I'm not sure if sharper direction could have saved the overwrought and disjointed script, but it wouldn't have hurt.
Absolute bonkers; Cary Grant is at the height of his comic powers in this film directed by Frank Capra. Raymond Massey, known for his portrayal of a mythicized Abraham Lincoln, is also outstanding and his partnership with Peter Lorre results in great laughs. The two old ladies also add to the wonderful balance between black humor and outright slapstick.
But this film lives and dies on Cary Grant's shoulders. He has never been more energetic and flustered, and shifts between the straight man and the clown and everything in between to beautiful effect.
100 Greatest Directors Club - Frank Capra
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About as black as comedies come, Arsenic and Old Lace, in being an adaptation of an already-famous stage play, lacks the distinctive stamp of its director, Frank Capra, who successfully made smaller stories his own. Despite being such an anomalous piece of work from that filmmaker, it retains a vital sense of morbid glee throughout and is rounded out with unforgettable characters and performances.
The story examines a day in the life of the Brewster family, a clan that exceeds the expected standard of eccentricity and is truly bonkers. Jonathan is a Boris Karloff lookalike who also happens to be a menacing serial killer assisted by wily yet twitchily nervous Dr. Einstein.…
Well, now I know there is only one awesome way to run up stairs, and I will be engaging this method for the rest of my life.
This film was not what I was expecting - both superb comedy and thrilling horror matched in the most beautiful way. It's seamless! And on top of that, it even has elements of parody! Just fantastic!
Tobias Andersen 5,011 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
