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Arsenic and Old Lace movie storyline. A frenzied, hilarious, madcap black comedy from celebrated director Frank Capra. The film’s screenplay was written by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. The macabre farce was based on Joseph Kesselring’s successful Broadway play of the same name — and was filmed in 1941, but not released until 1944 (when the New York play ended its run).
The slapstick film has two eccentric Brewster aunts (Hull and Adair reprising their Broadway roles) compassionately serving up homemade elderberry wine to elderly Brooklyn gentlemen – with delusional ‘Teddy Roosevelt’ nephew (Alexander) assisting by burying the unfortunate victims in the cellar. Cary Grant, as their dutiful, just-married nephew Mortimer, does a marvelous job of exaggerated, over-the-top acting with constant mugging and other facial plasticity, amazing double-takes and general befuddlement.
The action is enhanced by the surprise appearance of Mortimer’s long-lost criminal brother Jonathan (Massey, in place of Boris Karloff) and his plastic surgeon assistant, Dr. Einstein (Lorre). It is unlike most of the other reform-minded Capra-corn films with a social conscience that became his trademark, e.g., Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Meet John Doe (1941), or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). It is more similar in tone to his screwball romantic comedy It Happened One Night (1934) and to Capra’s other adaptation from a Broadway play, You Can’t Take It With You (1938).
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Directed by: Frank Capra
Starring: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Edward Everett Horton, Peter Lorre, James Gleason, Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, John Alexander, Grant Mitchell, Edward McNamara
Screenplay by: Philip G. Epstein
Cinematography by: Sol Polito
Film Editing by: Daniel Mandell
Costume Design by: Orry-Kelly
Art Direction by: Max Parker
Music by: Max Steiner
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: September 23, 1944
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