Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

There are twelve bodies buried under the old Brewster house, and that is just where the comedy starts. Arsenic and Old Lace is screwball comedy gold by doing the tried-and-true escalation method. The plot begins as simple as can be, Mortimer Brewster (played by Cary Grant) is engaged to marry Elaine Harper (Pricilla Lane), but Mortimer, famous for books on how marriage is overrated, is ashamed of being in this situation. This alone could fuel a strong 90-minute comedy between the two leads, but the movie pivots to when Mortimer visits his Aunt Abby (Josephine Hull) and Aunt Martha (Jean Adair) and learns they’ve been playing black widow on the older, single men in town.

Arsenic and Old Lace was originally a play by Joseph Kesselring, like quite a few famous movies of our time, being a play adapted to the big screen ends up being the film’s biggest strength. Most of the film takes place in the Brewster house sets up Cary Grant to be at his pratfall best. Tripping over every object within the living room, popping in and out of doors, and making the most out of every prop around him, his physical comedy shines brightly.

As stated in the opening, escalation is a key piece of the pie for Arsenic and Old Lace’s success. Clocking in close to 2 hours, it’s hard to keep momentum in a comedy like this, but after the initial shock of learning his Aunts are serial killers, Mortimer moves to get his brother sent away to a mental institution as we learn his brother believes he is Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy (played by John Alexander) is a riot every moment he appears. Having a character who believes he’s in another movie practically gives the audience someone who is completely unpredictable. You don’t know if he’ll understand that there are 12 bodies in the basement or if he thinks he’s digging a new lock for the Panama Canal.

Enter stage left Jonathan Brewster (played by Raymond Massey) who is Mortimer’s older brother. A Frankenstein’s monster-looking man (often referred to as Boris Karloff who played Jonathan on stage). He and Dr. Einstein (played by Peter Lorre) add even more chaos to the house by bringing another dead body and Jonathan being a threatening presence to the rest of the family. However, Mortimer is so frazzled and dazed by the events before that, he barely can understand the danger he’s always in until it’s too late.

Arsenic and Old Lace never become boring and, as the chaos arises, it never gets confusing. Frank Capra’s tight directing keeps all the action in clear focus and emphasizes the comedic sharpness of the entire cast, especially Cary Grant. Julius J. Epstein & Philip G. Epstein’s sharp script keeps the jokes per minute at an all-time high but also doesn’t overwhelm the viewer that they feel like they are missing something. It’s honestly the best screwball comedy next to His Girl Friday or What’s Up Doc, but it’s also an incredible black comedy. Perfect for when you want something dumb, but also incredibly smart. -10/10