Arsenic and Old Lace is a movie I could pop in and watch over and over. My daughter watched it for the first time over Christmas. I LOVED watching her laugh loudly over the antics. It’s a classic and Cary Grant is simply WONDERFUL. Insert happy sigh. So here we go:
Last week I unintentionally offended a friend (just kidding, Steph) by not inviting her over to watch this classic Cary Grant comedy. When I saw that the TCM Comedy Collection included Arsenic and Old Lace, I was a wee bit puzzled. Guess it had been too long since I watched the movie. It didn’t take too many minutes and I was thoroughly delighted by Cary Grant’s comedic acting.
This 1944 film tells the story of a confirmed bachelor who’s slipped off to get married. On his way to his honeymoon he stops at his aunts’ home and stumbles on a body. The thing is, everybody believes his aunts are the salt of the earth and nobody would ever expect them to be serial killers. The balance of the movie highlights his character’s attempts to keep one brother safe and keep his aunts from killing anyone else. Of course there are all kinds of twists — some hilarious and a couple sinister — making this a thoroughly delightful Frank Capra directed flick. And add in Josephine Hull playing another slightly zany older woman (ala Harvey) and it is a perfect film to spend an evening with.
I didn’t know Director Frank Capra enlisted in the U. S. Army Signal Corps in 1941 during filming. He received an extension of his order to report for active duty until late January 1942 so he could finish editing the picture.
If you haven’t watched Arsenic and Old Lace, you really should. It’s wonderful!
In celebration of the release of Stars in the Night, I’m running a giveaway for a copy of the book as well as the winner’s choice of two of the movies I review. You can enter through January 31, 2022. Good luck!
Here’s more about Stars in the Night: Hollywood 1942. When attorney Audra Schaeffer’s sister disappears, Audra flies to Hollywood to find her but instead must identify her body. Determined to bring the killer to justice, Audra takes a job with the second Hollywood Victory Caravan. Together with Robert Garfield and other stars, she crisscrosses the southern United States in a campaign to sell war bonds. When two other women are found dead on the train, Audra knows the deaths are tied to that of her sister. Could the killer be the man with whom she’s falling in love?
Comments 5
Cara- such a wonderful review of this Cary Grant classic!!! I have to say I may have let out a little squeal of delight finding another fellow Classic film buff & Cary Grant fan! (I don’t think I’ve seen a CG movie I haven’t liked) I’ve probably been watching films from Hollywood’s Golden age since I was 10 or so (I’m now ahem 37.)
I love that you also review classics films & books on your blog like me. ☺️
Besides “Arsenic & Old Lace” what are some of your other favorite Cary Grant films?
A few favorites are: “An Affair to Remember” (1957)…this is definitely my 3 hankie tear jerker. My mom & I love to watch this movie. I also loved him in his last 2 films “Father Goose” & “Walk Don’t Run”- highly recommend those if you haven’t seen them. Also the films he did with Alfred Hitchcock are good- “To Catch a Thief”, “North by Northwest”, “Notorious” & “Suspicion”. Sorry I could go on & on about Cary Grant! Have a wonderful day! ☺️
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An Affair to Remember is fantastic. I also adore Bringing Up Baby. I need to rewatch some of his with Hitchcock, but I think I enjoyed all of them. Cary Grant was a gem of a star.
Cara and Emilee – kindred spirits! “Arsenic and Old Lace” is my favorite Cary Grant movie! (And I’ve seen most of them.) We have it on VHS, and my husband and I used to watch it every Halloween. In fact, my very first blog post, in October 2007, was titled “Arsenic and Old Spice” because I was making spice cookies while we watched the movie and I wrote my post. (I’m a multitasker, LOL.) Also, we called our dogs (Salsa and Pepper) The Spice Dogs, so I named my blog Suzy & Spice, just as a temporary moniker until I could think of something more clever. Then it just stuck.
Not only is Arsenic and Old Lace my fave, but it was a bright spot in very stressful time a time in my life because of my husband’s chronic illness and a job I hated. We need to get out that old VHS tape and see if we can still play it. 🙂
I love all of Cary Grant’s movies, I think my second-fave would have to be “The Philadelphia Story.” Bruce and I quote from it all the time! Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart. How can you beat that combo?
Oh, this is my favorite old movie (and it has to top “Bringing Up Baby” to do it, so that’s saying something) !
I love ‘screwball’ comedies where literally anything can go wrong (and most of it does), and Cary Grant movies. But this is probably the best one. His reactions (especially the facial ones) to the crazy stuff that happens are so funny I laugh til I cry!
Would you say that people who enjoy “Stars in the Night” and classic movies would probably like “The Lady Vanishes” ? (Or in the opposite direction, that people who like that movie would probably enjoy your new book?)
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I love Bringing Up Baby, too! It’s such a great comedy.