Arsenic and Old Lace
1944 · Movie · NR · 118 min · ★ 7.6 · 81% critics
A drama critic unexpectedly falls in love and marries, then rushes home to share the news with his two maiden aunts. Instead, he discovers their unsettling hobby: they’ve been killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar, while other bizarre family troubles unfold around the house.
Based on Arsenic and Old Lace, Lavender and Old Lace
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Streaming on TCM — or rent from $3.99.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1944
- Release date
- 1944-09-01
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Critic score
- 81/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (1,042 votes)
- Box office
- $4,784,000
- Budget
- $1,164,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a nonstop dark comedy with plenty of absurd twists, like Kind Hearts and Coronets or Monsieur Verdoux; Not for you if you dislike farce, over-the-top performances, or stories that feel chaotic and crowded.
Pros: dark, laugh-out-loud comedy; strong cast; high-energy chaos | Cons: pacing can drag; some goofiness; confusing, crowded story
Themes
- poison
- cemetery
- insanity
- cellar
- marriage
- halloween
- murder
- serial killer
- writer
- corpse
- critic
Cast & crew
Cary Grant
as Mortimer Brewster
Priscilla Lane
as Elaine Harper Brewster
Josephine Hull
as Aunt Abby Brewster
Jean Adair
as Aunt Martha Brewster
Raymond Massey
as Jonathan Brewster
John Alexander
as 'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster
Peter Lorre
as Dr. Einstein
Jack Carson
as Officer Patrick O'Hara
Edward Everett Horton
as Mr. Witherspoon
James Gleason
as Lt. Rooney
Directed by Frank Capra