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IMDbPro

Arsenic and Old Lace

  • 19441944
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
71K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,200
2,845
Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer2:50
2 Videos
93 Photos
ComedyCrimeThriller
A Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation when he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his belov... Read allA Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation when he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are habitual murderers.A Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation when he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are habitual murderers.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
71K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,200
2,845
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Julius J. Epstein(screen play)
      • Philip G. Epstein(screen play)
      • Joseph Kesselring(play)
    • Stars
      • Cary Grant
      • Priscilla Lane
      • Raymond Massey
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Julius J. Epstein(screen play)
      • Philip G. Epstein(screen play)
      • Joseph Kesselring(play)
    • Stars
      • Cary Grant
      • Priscilla Lane
      • Raymond Massey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 304User reviews
    • 55Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:50
    Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:50
    Official Trailer

    Photos93

    Edward Everett Horton, Jean Adair, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Peter Lorre, John Alexander, and Raymond Massey in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Jean Adair, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, and Raymond Massey in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Jean Adair, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Jean Adair, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Jean Adair, John Alexander, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Jean Adair, Josephine Hull, and Priscilla Lane in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
    Cary Grant, Jean Adair, and Josephine Hull in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • Mortimer Brewster
    Priscilla Lane
    Priscilla Lane
    • Elaine Harper
    Raymond Massey
    Raymond Massey
    • Jonathan Brewster
    Jack Carson
    Jack Carson
    • O'Hara
    Edward Everett Horton
    Edward Everett Horton
    • Mr. Witherspoon
    Peter Lorre
    Peter Lorre
    • Dr. Einstein
    James Gleason
    James Gleason
    • Police Lt. Rooney
    Josephine Hull
    Josephine Hull
    • Abby Brewster
    Jean Adair
    Jean Adair
    • Martha Brewster
    John Alexander
    John Alexander
    • 'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster
    Grant Mitchell
    Grant Mitchell
    • Reverend Harper
    Edward McNamara
    • Brophy
    Garry Owen
    Garry Owen
    • Taxi Cab Driver
    John Ridgely
    John Ridgely
    • Saunders
    Vaughan Glaser
    • Judge Cullman
    Chester Clute
    Chester Clute
    • Dr. Gilchrist
    Charles Lane
    Charles Lane
    • Reporter
    Edward McWade
    Edward McWade
    • Gibbs
    • Director
      • Frank Capra
    • Writers
      • Julius J. Epstein(screen play)
      • Philip G. Epstein(screen play)
      • Joseph Kesselring(play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Cary Grant's (birth name), Archie Leach appears on a tombstone in the cemetery near the Brewster's house. In Grant's earlier picture, His Girl Friday (1940), his character, Walter, responded to a threat by saying 'listen, the last man that said that to me was Archie Leach, just a week before he cut his throat'. As a gag, the 'departed' Mr. Leach was apparently interred in the Brooklyn cemetery by the Brewster's home.
    • Goofs
      The movie opens with the Brooklyn Dodgers winning a baseball game on Halloween, weeks after the end of baseball season. This is a gag to suggest that the only time the Brooklyn Dodgers could win is on Halloween, similar to saying when pigs fly.
    • Quotes

      Mortimer Brewster: Look I probably should have told you this before but you see... well... insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops.

    • Crazy credits
      This is a Hallowe'en tale of Brooklyn, where anything can happen -- and it usually does. At 3 P.M. on this particular day, this was happening. [Scene of Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees baseball game, irate fans and brouhaha between teams on the field, then...] While at the same time across the river in the UNITED STATES PROPER there was romance in the air. [Scene of cruise ship on the river with NY City skyline in the background, then...] And now, back to one of Brooklyn's most charming residential districts -- [Scene of old gabled Brewster house next to a cemetery, then...] -- From here on you're on your own.
    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 42nd Annual Academy Awards (1970)
    • Soundtracks
      There Is a Happy Land
      (uncredited)

      Music by Leonard P. Breedlove

      Arranged by Max Steiner

      [quoted in score]

    User reviews304

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    And who said comedy is not an art form?
    With many silly comedies of recent years, comedy has become the most underrated art form. People take comedy for granted. As if there's nothing to it. True, there are some people will just laugh at anything. In some cases, it doesn't take much to raise a chuckle out of a certain someone. But this is the kind of film that will make you fall on the floor laughing. Why? Because it makes use of every comic device you can think of. The timing, the delivery, the choreography. Absolutely perfect!

    That's right, no cheap shots here. There are some absolutely brilliant scenes in this film that made me laugh out loud, while at the same time scream out "Capra's a genius!" If you wanna see what comedy is truly all about, watch the scene where Cary Grant (noted drama critic) is describing the story of a bad play he had just seen to Peter Lorre. As he's doing so, everything that happened in the story is going on right behind his back. Doesn't sound like much on paper, but you have to see it to believe it. There are also many great lines, including "Pull up a tombstone."

    The acting is topnotch. I can't believe Grant felt this was the worst movie he's ever done (check the Trivia section). I actually liked the fact that this was a different role for him, as opposed to the suave, quiet, laid-back romantic he-man he usually plays. In this movie, we really get to see his knack for slapstick--and he's great at it! Every facial expression, every bulge of the eyes--he did it with such perfect timing. There's also a great scene where they all start fighting, and Grant sits on the stairs and smokes a cigarette while all this bedlam ensues. His deadpan expression during that scene is classic. I also have to give it up for everyone else in the cast--though Grant deserves the most acclaim.

    There are lulls here and there, and the film runs a little long (though that wouldn't surprise me being that it was adapted from a stage play), but there are so many beautifully crafted, hilarious moments that I can't rate this movie as anything less than a must-see! I would go on and on about which scenes I found memorable, but I don't wanna spoil it for anyone. Just see it for yourself! Trust me, you'll die laughing!

    My score: 9 (out of 10)
    helpful•63
    7
    • mattymatt4ever
    • Jan 4, 2002

    FAQ10

    • Is 'Arsenic and Old Lace' based on a book?
    • Where does the title come from?
    • How closely does the movie follow the play?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 21, 1944 (Uruguay)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Frank Capra's 'Arsenic and Old Lace'
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 19, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,164,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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