Arsenic And Old Lace DVD

Advantages: great story, great acting, great fun
Disadvantages: none

A cinematic gem, directed by Frank Capra in 1944 and adapted from the play by Joseph Kesselring, 'Arsenic & Old Lace' should undoubtedly be on the 'must see' list for anyone vaguely interested in films, or anyone else who enjoys a laugh, for that matter! The main character is a mysoginistic theatre critic by the name of Mortimer Brewster, played to absolute perfection by Cary Grant, who marries the priest's daughter and goes back to tell his two ...
...married, which has occured very soon after he has written a book proclaiming marriage to be a sham best avoided by any sensible male. The two aunts are a pair of delightfully batty old ladies who invite homeless men into their house on the pretext that they have a room to let. They proceed to poison their lodgers and kill them, purely on the grounds of mercy and being helpful. Mortimer has a lunatic brother, played by Jackie Gleason, who happens ... Read review

Advantages: Hugely funny,done in the style of a farce,highly entertaining,innocent
Disadvantages: May seem a bit dated to some , black and white , mono

I have watched Arsenic and Old Lace many times since my childhood. It is one of those films that I just never tire of watching, despite its age and the fact that it is in black and white. The plot is just so amusing and the characters incongruous and comical.Arsenic and Old lace was a Frank Capra production produced in 1944. Now, although I'm getting on a bit now, that's still eight years before I was born!. Obviously a film that is 64 years old ...
...mum had always nicknamed them Arsenic and Old Lace, without them or my dad ever knowing. Watching this film I can see why, and so would you. The film starts out with Mortimer Brewster and his bride to be attempting to finally get married. Mortimer Brewster is brilliantly played by Cary Grant who obviously had a penchant for comedy. On returning to his aunts, to break the news of the wedding, a series of events begin which cause mayhem and set the ... Read review

Advantages: story, cast, great film by Capra
Disadvantages: none, see review

...of this comedy film is Arsenic and Old Lace. The film is about two sisters, Abbey and Martha Brewster(Josephine Hull, Jean Adair) who give plenty to charity. But they have a dark side- the sisters tend to help lonely men die by serving them elderberry wine laced with arsenic. Their nephew Mortimer Brewster(Cary Grant) discovers their secret and is put out when he marries Elaine Harper(Priscilla Lane). With the sinister tendencies of his aunts, ...
...death during World War II. Arsenic and Old Lace was actually shot in 1941 so that Capra's family could live on his $100,000 salary while he served in the war. The film seems quite appealing for many movie viewers to see. Cary Grant has so much fun on camera that he seems unbalanced as the rest of his wild family. Arsenic and Old Lace is one of Capra's best films and a true classic. This is one film that will be a delight for many generations. So ... Read review

Advantages: No sex,violence or gawdy special effects
Disadvantages: No sex,violence or gawdy special effects

...upset by the content. Arsenic and Old Lace is the perfect offering. Cary Grant plays a sworn bachelor drama critic who has just secretly married his belle and plans to go off on an illicit honeymoon leaving his two spinster aunts, with whom he lives, at home. He is just about to announce his marriage to his aunts, when he finds out that they have been poisoning lonely old men, who come to the house for company and lodgings. As if this weren't ...
...decides to return to the family home with the police hot on his trail. Add to this another brother who thinks he is President Roosevelt, and you have the perfect ingredients for mayhem. Frank Capra's film is performed beautifully by the entire cast, with Grant's overacting a masterpiece of cinema. At almost two hours, the film itself doesn't disappoint, however the DVD is woefully lacking in special features, which I suppose is unsurprising considering ... Read review

Advantages: Classics don't come much better than this and if you like Cary Grant enjoy this slapstick comedy
Disadvantages: They don't make them like this anymore which is a shame and why ? Come on directors get some funny films made

...Arsenic and Old Lace 1944. 118 Minutes.b/w available on VHS from £8.99 Starred........ Carey Grant,Raymond Massey,Priscilla Lane,Josephine Hull,Jean Adair,Jack Carson,Edward Everett Horton,Peter Lorre,James Gleason and John Alexandra RATING ***1/2 The 100 funniest - according to the American Film Institute 2001 30 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) ... Read review