Greetings,
Okay, this week I've been dealing with films with some heavy subject matters. Let's lighten things up a bit by talking about a movie that has - murder! Calm down, it's funny murder. Specifically, it's Arsenic and Old Lace, one of my favorite films of all time and the catalyst for my lifelong crush on Cary Grant. Yes, I can be shallow, too. But let's move on, shall we?
Arsenic and Old Lace is a 1944 film by director Frank Capra and starring the aforementioned Cary Grant. As you may have predicted from my "funny murder" comment, this is a dark comedy. A good one, by the way, which are hard to find. Grant plays Mortimer (really?) Brewster, a writer who specializes in books about how marriage is totes not cool...and old-fashioned. So, naturally, the first time we see him, he is preparing to get married to the woman he loves, Elaine Harper, played by Priscilla Lane, who is just so sweet in this, by the way. Actually, these two, together, are incredibly adorable. Hopefully, their first few days of marriage will be filled with nothing but utter happiness. Yeah.
Meanwhile, we meet Mortimer's two aunts, Abby and Martha, played by Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, respectively. They are nice and generous and much beloved in their community, which happens to be Brooklyn. So enjoyable, before the hipsters took over. Fun fact: Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha were the Two Broke Girls of their day. Anyway, they are known for being extremely kind especially to lonely people who need it the most. They even take care of their other nephew, Teddy, played by John Alexander, who believes that he is Theodore Roosevelt (There are worse presidents to want to be), but they are planning on having him committed to a place where he can be taken care of after these little old ladies have passed on, the Happydale Sanitarium. Please do not try to fool me with that sunshiny name. I mean, I'm sure it's no Arkham, but still.
However, when Mortimer returns home, he discovers that the acts of kindness that his aunts perform are a bit more...um...particular(?) than he thought, which leads him to being ever so slightly conflicted. But as if that's not enough for him to deal with, his long lost brother, Jonathan shows up, accompanied by a man named Dr. Einstein. No, the other one. They are played by Raymond Massey and Peter Lorre, and there is a chance that they are not on the up and up. Like, a pretty good chance. To be honest, they are a little strange...creepy...scary. It depends on what you're into. And when they show up things go from hijinks to shenanigans to...whatever comes after shenanigans. Capers? Antics? Loki-osity? Ugh, no! Not that last one. I hate Marvel! Anyway... Let's just hope that someone in this family gets a happy ending. Or at least, an amusing one.
Look, if nothing else, this movie will make you either really want a house with a window seat or really NOT want a house with a window seat. Again, depends on what you're into.
So, I don't know when the idea of a "dark comedy" was first introduced in film, but I can't think of any, in my opinion, that do it better than Arsenic and Old Lace. I mean, it's easy to throw that label on a movie and then throw in some jokes and maybe a mildly disturbing thing or two and call it a day. But this one marries all of that together beautifully. The laughs you get are genuine and the darker moments are extremely effective. Even I get some chills with the "operating" scene. Don't ask; just watch.
Alright, I guess it's time to praise some actors. I don't say this often, and I use no hyperbole today, but this might be the most perfectly cast movies I've ever seen. No lie, they got the absolute best actors for every single part. But, as a Cary Grant fan girl, I will have to pat him on the back the most. Here's how good he was. This was actually the first thing I ever saw him in, and I was convinced that slapstick was his specialty. It's not, really, but he was so good at it that I was sure he was an expert. That says a lot.
In closing, I highly, highly recommend Arsenic and Old Lace. It's one of my favorites, and it is excellently made. This is what cinema should be. So, grab yourself a glass of elderberry wine...preferably some you've made yourself (You'll get that joke if you've seen the movie) and just sit back and enjoy one of the most entertaining films of all time.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
