Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Arsenic and Old Lace

Play trailer Poster for Arsenic and Old Lace Released Sep 23, 1944 1h 58m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Writer and notorious marriage detractor Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) falls for girl-next-door Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane), and they tie the knot on Halloween. When the newlyweds return to their respective family homes to deliver the news, Brewster finds a corpse hidden in a window seat. With his eccentric aunts (Josephine Hull, Jean Adair), disturbed uncle (John Alexander), and homicidal brother (Raymond Massey), he starts to realize that his family is even crazier than he thought.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Arsenic and Old Lace

Critics Reviews

View All (35) Critics Reviews
Derek Smith Slant Magazine Arsenic and Old Lace trenchantly lays bare the hypocrisies and prejudices of the upper-middle class that often remained concealed beneath the façade of good manners. Oct 11, 2022 Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine Cary Grant et al are on sparkling form in this classic darkly twisted comedy. Rated: 4/5 Oct 22, 2013 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Despite the fact that picture runs 118 minutes, Frank Capra has expanded on the original play [by Joseph Kesselring] to a sufficient extent to maintain a steady, consistent pace. Aug 13, 2007 Full Review Michael Calleri Niagara Gazette Director Frank Capra, one of Hollywood’s great filmmakers and a man whose films appreciated the serious troubles society can inflict on people, clearly wanted to make a no-holds-barred comedy that thrives on lunacy. He succeeded. Apr 30, 2023 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film It is full of wicked humor that keeps the macabre tone throughout the movie and was yet another notch on Frank Capra’s belt of hit comedies. Feb 14, 2023 Full Review Michael Barrett PopMatters One of the film’s rewards is that, upon rewatching and rethinking, there’s all that subconscious evidence buried in the story’s basement, and much of the audience’s satisfaction rests in the desire to keep it concealed. Oct 31, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Micah H Old ladies murder lonely men seeking lodging—and it’s hilarious. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/27/24 Full Review Dillan T Incredible, this is a story that was written as if frugal science was applied. Everything you need in a story, no trite, perfect! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Blu B What was that...This is a mess that makes no sense. The setup of him being a author, him being newly married, all that could be cut out and nothing is lost. The pacing is terrible this and everything else is subpar. This barely has any music in it and is very dry. Why they don't make use of Max Steiner's score is beyond me. The biggest thing is the jokes just aren't that funny. Some are clever here and there but for the most part they lack context or a good setup, and that's the big problem here. Pacing wise it feels like they left out all the setups plot and joke wise and what is here has almost nothing to do with the actual story. Cary Grant is half decent in this and probably the best thing. It defintely is the least wooden performance I've ever seen from him and am suprised he can do comedy/slapsick quite well at times. There is also quite a bit of dark humor in this as well. The problem is it's all nonsense that enver stops or sets anything up. Once he discovers the bodies after the first 20 minutes or so which is actually good it feels like this flies off the rails and stuff just happens. The convict who is his brother who looks like Karloff, more bodies, the dumb corny Teddy Roosevelt subplot, and a ton more just feel completely pointless. It feels like the story just flies off the rails and completely forgets what is even going on. I have to say this is terribly overrated. Skip This. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/16/23 Full Review Jack B This is a must see movie for any fan of the movies. Cary Grant is at his best in Frank Capra's screwball comedy. He manages to be as handsome as ever and as impeccably dressed as we are used to. And be hilarious reacting to the insanity he is surrounded by. Cary is directly responsible for numerous laugh out loud moments in the film. Watch and enjoy the results of many professionals making a timeless film comedy. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/07/23 Full Review Alec B Its a great adaptation of the play, and Capra finds lots of interesting visual choices without loosing the madcap theatricality that makes the source material so enduring. Grant's facial expressions are hilarious. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Mingo F One of the best theatre plays on screen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Arsenic and Old Lace

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

The Man Who Came to Dinner 86% 81% The Man Who Came to Dinner Watchlist Auntie Mame 88% 93% Auntie Mame Watchlist A Midsummer Night's Dream 92% 62% A Midsummer Night's Dream Watchlist The Miracle of Morgan's Creek 87% 82% The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Watchlist The More the Merrier 100% 81% The More the Merrier Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Writer and notorious marriage detractor Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) falls for girl-next-door Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane), and they tie the knot on Halloween. When the newlyweds return to their respective family homes to deliver the news, Brewster finds a corpse hidden in a window seat. With his eccentric aunts (Josephine Hull, Jean Adair), disturbed uncle (John Alexander), and homicidal brother (Raymond Massey), he starts to realize that his family is even crazier than he thought.
Director
Frank Capra
Producer
Frank Capra
Screenwriter
Joseph Kesselring, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein
Distributor
Warner Bros., Criterion Collection, Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 23, 1944, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 4, 2008
Runtime
1h 58m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1), 35mm
Most Popular at Home Now