Arsenic and Old Lace | Hollywood Yesterday

Jean Adair, Josephine Hull, and Cary Grant

Arsenic and Old Lace is, unquestionably, one of the funniest and most enjoyable movies ever made. It’s one of those you hear mentioned so often that you kind of glaze over the recommendations. It almost becomes, “Well, of course you say I should see it… everyone says that.”

But here’s the thing, everyone says it for a darn good reason… you should see it! You know what’ll happen when you do see it, don’t you? You’ll become one of us annoying people who keep telling everyone else to watch it!

Trust me, it’s well worth the risk. The movie is front to back pure entertainment and a great joy to watch.

PLOT: Cary Grant is Mortimer, a successful author of books on the futility of marriage. He risks his career and reputation as an expert when he decides to marry the beautiful Elaine (Priscilla Lane). Things go from bad to worse when he learns (on his wedding day no less!) that his beloved aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) murder men in their own home! The great thing is, they believe they’re doing a good thing and they are so adorable and hilarious you kind of lean toward their side.

The cast includes Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, Raymond Massey, Edward Everett Horton, Peter Lorre, Jack Carson, and James Alexander (in the hilarious role of Teddy Roosevelt… well, he thinks he is!)

Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, and Edward Everett Horton

You can find Arsenic and Old Lace on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video!

Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace

I have a couple of confessions to make that, after experience taught me how wrong I was, humiliate me to say:

I once didn’t care for Cary Grant as an actor in the least.
I put off seeing any of his comedies because I didn’t believe (even for a second) that he could be funny.

My first Cary Grant film was In Name Only and, while I loved (and love) the movie, he wasn’t… shall we say… one of my favorite dramatic actors. In fact, there were several scenes when I thought, “Why didn’t the director yell CUT and reshoot the scene a little less… well… hammy?!” His acting was, in a few scenes, a little too Garbo for me. HOWEVER, he would go on to become an excellent dramatic actor.

By my second Cary Grant movie, The Philadelphia Story, I could see a huge change in his onscreen demeanor. There was a great confidence and sense of “I belong!” that would stay with him for the rest of his career.

During the time between my second Cary Grant film and my third (Bringing Up Baby), I kept reading about his comedies but I never got excited about seeing him because (in my mind) he was a dramatic actor… sometimes very dramatic lmao!

Fortunately one day Bringing Up Baby was coming on TCM and… because I LOVE Katharine Hepburn… I sat down to watch. Cary Grant… yes… Cary Grant… nearly stole the movie from Hepburn! He was absolutely hilarious and his comedic timing was beautifully natural and on the mark each and every time. Words can’t describe how brilliant the man was with comedy.

Comedy has to be the most difficult thing for an actor/actress to do… and yet this is where he truly shines.

After Bringing Up Baby, I immediately found and watched Arsenic and Old Lace. Again, he blew me away. He was a comedic GENIUS and I honestly felt like I had discovered a whole new actor.

Over the years, I have watched and loved many of his dramas, as well, but let’s make no mistake about it…. comedic Cary is my favorite Cary.

If you’ve never seen Cary Grant’s comedies, I hope you’ll seek them out. Starting with either Arsenic and Old Lace or Bringing Up Baby is highly recommended!

Bringing Up Baby (from the Criterion Collection) is available on dvd or Prime Video.

You can also find Arsenic and Old Lace on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video!