Wednesday, January 13, 2010

245. Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Starring: Cary Grant
Josephine Hull
Jean Adair
Raymond Massey

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Joey Rating: 8

"Look I probably should have told you this before but you see, well, insanity runs in my family... it practically gallops."






I spoke of my grandfather in an earlier blog. I feel that story focused on his cruel sense of humor, and not on his huge heart. When I was younger, many weekends were spent at Grandma and Granddad's house. Usually after one of my Grandma's signature breakfasts, we would go into the living room and watch one of "granddad's movies." At least that is what I called them. I would usually groan about watching them, but at the end, I would be in love with his selection. Most of the time we would watch comedies, like It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World and Harvey. One of the movies we loved watching was Frank Capra's Arsenic and Old Lace.

Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) is a notorious bachelor and author living in New York. Mortimer has just caved in and married Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). Before heading off for a honeymoon in Niagara Falls, they decide to stop by their old homes in Brooklyn to break the news to their families. Mortimer's former home is resident to his Aunt Abby (Josephine Hull) and Aunt Martha (Jean Adair). His younger brother Teddy (John Alexander) also lives there. Teddy is insane and believe that he is President Teddy Roosevelt. After delivering the news, Mortimer is looking around the house and finds a dead body in the window seat. He finds that his dear Aunt's are the murders. The two ladies have made it their charity to put lonely men out of the their misery.

Mortimer loves his aunts and doesn't want the police ever getting involved. So he goes to Happydale Rest Home, to make sure that should his aunts ever get caught, Teddy would take the blame. While Mortimer is gone, Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha are visited by their other nephew Jonathan (Raymond Massey). Jonathan has been murdering people all over the world, and changing his appearance with the help of his partner, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre). Jonathan and Dr. Einstein decide to stay and begin bringing their luggage into the house, which includes another dead body. Mortimer returns home and finds that the body that was formerly in the window seat is gone, and a new body has taken it's place.

Arsenic and Old Lace is indeed a comedy classic. It's common that today's "comedy films" rely on vulgar language and shocking images to achieve their comedy. This film is a perfect example how a solid script can achieve just as much and more. The dialogue is quick and clever. It does take a little while to set up all the characters and their motives. Although once in place, the film really takes off, and is filled with laughs.

The performances are all great as well. Cary Grant's comedic value is priced just as high as his dramatic. The biggest laughs come from his over the top and hilarious reactions. Jean Adair and Josephine Hull are almost too sweet to be the serial murders of the film. Although, that is what makes them so perfect for the roles. I also enjoyed how almost every character referenced how much "Jonathan looks just like Boris Karloff." It's funny that Karloff played the very same role of Jonathan on Broadway.

I will always have fond memories of Arsenic and Old Lace. My grandfather is now eighty-two years old and is suffering from dementia. That is an amazing thing about film, it really does bring people together. I will of course remember this film as a great comedy, filled with solid comedic performances. For me though, it was also two hours that my grandfather and I could laugh together. Even if I didn't understand all of the jokes then, it was nice just to laugh with him.


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