NR | 1 h 58 mins | Comedy, Romance | 1944
Frank Capra is famous for making heartwarming dramas about the little guy who confronts an ogre in his fight for common decency, kindness, and justice. While there always is an occasional humorous moment, his films are primarily very serious because they deal with difficult topics. One exception to this rule, however, is “Arsenic and Old Lace” from 1944.
A Spooky Spoof
Mortimer Brewster (Grant) is a literary critic, who is famous for writing books against marriage. His reputation is in danger as he plans to ignore his own advice by marrying Elaine Harper (Lane). When he visits his beloved spinster aunts (Hull and Adair) in Brooklyn, however, he realizes that’s the least of his problems. The two kindly old maids have murdered 12 unsuspecting older gentlemen who wandered into their parlor, considering it a merciful cure for their loneliness.
Brewster scrambles to have his insane brother, “Teddy” (Alexander), who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt, committed to a sanitarium while protecting his aunts from the authorities. Meanwhile, Brewster’s other brother, convicted felon and serial murderer Jonathan (Massey) who’s escaped from a mental asylum for the criminally insane, arrives, seeking refuge at his aunts’ house. Jonathan Brewster is accompanied by an alcoholic plastic surgeon, Dr. Herman Einstein (Lorre), who is responsible for making him look like Frankenstein’s monster.
Behind the Scenes
“Arsenic and Old Lace” was based on the 1941 play of the same name by Joseph Kesselring. Identical twin writing team Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein adapted it into a screenplay. Filmed in 1941, this was the last film Frank Capra made before enlisting in the Army to make war-related movies for the government. He wouldn’t make another Hollywood film until “It’s a Wonderful Life” in 1946, after the war.
This film’s release was delayed for a couple of years because Warner Bros. made a deal with the play’s producers that the movie would not be released until the play’s run had ended. Boris Karloff played Jonathan Brewster in the play, and wanted to reprise the role in the film, but the producers insisted that his absence would hurt the play’s popularity, which was still running.
Cary Grant later stated that this was his least favorite of his films because of his over-the-top comedy. He blamed this on Capra’s direction, which he felt was responsible for making him overact in comparison to the stage performers. The actor wasn’t the only one who felt he was overdoing it. Julius Epstein complained to Capra that Grant was mugging excessively, which he probably thought destroyed the comedy of his script. The director agreed and planned to reshoot some of the more outlandish scenes. However, Pearl Harbor was bombed a week before filming was finished, prompting Capra to enlist before the production was complete. He was just able to finish shooting before reporting for duty, but there was no time for reshoots.
Cary Grant’s acting is far more exaggerated than any of the other actors. I find his comedic style to always be hammy but never more so than in “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Personally, I prefer Grant as a serious character, reacting to the comedy instead of performing it himself. He was not Capra’s first choice for Mortimer Brewster. The director originally wanted Bob Hope, a noted comedian, and Grant himself said that it would have been better with Allyn Joslyn, the play’s lead, or even James Stewart, a favorite Capra actor.
This film takes place on Halloween; the whole story takes place in one day. The film opens with the onscreen statement: “This is a Hallowe'en tale of Brooklyn, where anything can happen—and it usually does.” The fact that it is Halloween is only mentioned occasionally after that, and it doesn’t factor strongly into the plot. However, the themes of murder, Frankenstein’s monster, and suspense make it a true black comedy.
