Arsenic and Old Lace
I always get a hit of nostalgia whenever I watch “Arsenic and Old Lace.” It may have come over 33 years before I was born, but it’s one of those films I identify so clearly with my childhood. It’s not just a hilarious film, but Frank Capra’s film can be legitimately scary when the introduction of Jonathan and Dr. Einstein takes place. For my mother, it was probably a strong primer to show me what she thought was funny, as well as a soft introduction into horror.
When we started buying films on VHS on a regular basis, this was a movie I knew my mother wanted. I had to be careful, however, because- in the era of Ted Turner’s push towards colorization, this was one of the films that got the treatment. Colorization didn’t last long, and thankfully, I was never really subjected to it; apart from being against Capra’s creative wishes, black-and-white is essential to both the scares, and silliness, of this film to work.
This was probably the first film from the Golden Age of Hollywood I ever watched, and it’s a good introduction. Based on the play by Joseph Kesselring, and adapted by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein of “Casablanca” fame, “Arsenic and Old Lace” is an old fashioned screwball comedy where Cary Grant gets to show off his silly side as Mortimer Brewster, a writer and critic whom- when we first see him- is trying to get married to his girlfriend, Elaine (Priscilla Lane), on the down low. Why quietly? Because he’s had some very strong words he’s written against marriage in the past. Needless to say, it’d be a big deal, but, it’ll also have to take a back seat when he discovers that his aunts Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair) have been poisoning men over the years, and his brother Teddy (John Alexander) thinks he’s President Theodore Roosevelt. That’s all before his murderous brother, Jonathan (Raymond Massey), and his accomplice (Peter Lorre) come home to lay low.
One of the things that is so wonderful to rediscover about “Arsenic and Old Lace” is how the story is so densely populated by characters that, even though Grant is the clear star, it’s not just his movie. Whenever Hull and Adair are on-screen, I’m just as engaged by them as I am Mortimer. Same with Jonathan and Dr. Witherspoon (Lorre’s character). There are stretches of the film where Mortimer is gone, and we’re not checking our watches to figure out when he’ll be back because he’s just a part of the fabric of the film, not the engine behind it. I feel like that’s something missing from a lot of comedies nowadays- a star willing to disappear into the movie rather than just be the star, and have everything revolve around them. While this film is a classic, I’d be curious to see someone remake if only to see if there was any star nowadays willing to take that challenge.
There is so much of this film that has been in my memory banks for going on 40 years. The mature- but silly- relationship between Mortimer and Elaine. The sweet-natured Abby and Martha, who see what they’re doing as a blessing for lonely gentlemen. The absurdity of Teddy. The wickedness of Jonathan, only tempered by the hilarious fury if you compare his deformed face to Boris Karloff. Dr. Witherspoon’s drunken attempts to placate everyone involved, giving Lorre some wonderful moments. And that’s not even discussing the next tier of characters, including police officers, cab drivers and mental health professionals. Other screwball comedies are more iconic, but few fill me with such joy.
