 "Outstanding Comedy" | 2009-11-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1AMVC4V396KER |
If I were to make a list of the best comedy films of all time, I would put "Arsenic and Old Lace" solidly in the #2 spot. 2nd only to
"Bringing Up Baby".
It is non-stop laughs with a family of people that are crazy. Each crazy in a different way. And they play off each other exactly in
exactly the right way to have you laughing so hard that your sides will hurt.
Many call this dark comedy, and to an extent it is. But it doesn`t really play out that way as you watch the film. You never see a
murder or a dead body. All you see are comic results.
The family consists of two elderly sisters and their three nephews. The sisters are two of the nicist old ladies you could possibly
ever run across, except for one tiny detail. They feed arsnic laced wine to lonely old men and bury them in the basement. They see
nothing wrong with this, after all, they look so peaceful once they are dead. They consider it to be one of their charities.
The comedic action starts when Cary Grant, the least crazy nephew, discovers this and tries to figure out what to do about it.
Their are many complications. Including the fact that he has just been married and is supposed to be headed for his honeymoon.
His new bride is quickly becoming as crazy as the rest of the family because her freashly minted groom seems to have all but forgotten
about her in a few short minutes. (She knows nothing of the 12 bodies in the basement)
The other two nephews, one thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt and the other a murderer that is at least sane enough to know he is a murderer,
mix into the farce along with several other semi-nutty characters.
The writing, directing, and acting in this film are all excellent. The comic timing is perfect. What more could you ask of a film?
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 "Great stars in this black comedic farce!" | 2009-09-26 |
| - Reviewed By bigband98 |
Arsenic and Old Lace starring a bevy of fine performers,was released three years after it was in the can.A remake of a Broadway play of the same name by J. Kesselring,it lifted three of the plays three principals John Alexander,(Teddy Brewster),Jean Adair(Martha Brewster) and Josephine Hull(Abby Brewster) and plunked them down amongst a stellar cast of Hollywood thesps such as Cary Grant(Mortimer Brewster),Priscilla Lane(Elaine Harper),Raymond Massey(Jonathan Brewster),Peter Lorre(Dr Einstein),Edward Everette Horton(Dr Witherspoon),Jack Carson(Officer O'Hara) and many other fine supporting players.The film makers also wanted Boris Karloff to reprise his Broadway role as Jonathan Brewster but he refused the offer(he had a monetary interest in the play).
The story involves writer Mortimer Brewster(Grant)who writes books on the pitfalls of marriage.It opens with him and his girlfriend Elaine(Lane)trying to get hitched!It is against his better judgment but Cupids' arrow is firmly planted and there's no escape for him.On the way to their honeymoon destination of Niagara Falls,the now married couple stop off at Elaine's home, which is also near Mortimers' aunts home.They both part to break the news to their relatives;Elaine to her father and Mortimer to his aunts Abby and Martha.
His aunts are elated at the news but Mortimer is dumbfounded upon finding a body in the window seat.His aunts are nonplussed as they calmly tell him they poisoned the former lodger plus 12 more that are now buried in the basement.
Going back and forth between total apoplexy and controlled confusion Mortimer tries to somehow get a handle on events as they unfold.
It seems Mortimer' brother Teddy(who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt,complete with horn blowing and a charge up San Juan Hill!),has been the digger of the graves for all of the former lodgers of his aunts;each grave a lock for the Panama Canal and each person a yellow fever victim! During all this a not so patient taxi driver awaits the newly wedded couple's departure,the local constabulary drops in and out,Elaine is repeatedly shunted aside as Mortimers' mind wanders aimlessly from one crisis to another and through it all Mortimers aunts try to carry on with their lives as "normal".To top matters off completely,Mortimers' other brother Jonathan(Massey),a sadistic killer wanted around the world,accompanied by a Dr Einstein(Lorre),drop in with a body of their own!Jonathan decides his aunts home would be a perfect spot for the doctor to do another operation on his face and as a place to hide.However they also stumble onto the awful truth of what his aunts have been up to with their former boarders and have no intention of going anywhere despite Mortimer's objections.
Jonathan ties his hapless brother up and intends to add him to the body count right under the noses of the local police.But they finally cotton on to things and Jonathan is arrested after a bitter struggle.Mortimer through alot of paper signing and phone calls gets his brother Teddy and(unexpectedly)his aunts, committed to the Happydale Sanitarium.The film fades out with the couple in happily ever after land.
Arsenic and Old Lace starts out at a relatively even pace,but when Elaine and Mortimer arrive at their respective homes the film takes off and there is no looking back.As the movie and events unfold it is Grant who becomes the storm within the calm,with often hilarious results.He becomes the reluctant victim of events and information that he tries his best to comprehend,but never really gets a solid grip of until the end of the film.Grant does play his part well and as much as I think this era was the finest of his career,there are moments when he goes just a little over the top with his reactions.Also Capra well,being Capra,has a tendency to over tell a story and like many other of his films the details can bog the pace down somewhat;and this is no exception.
What saves this black comedic farce is the stellar supporting players.Josephine Hull as Aunt Abby with her tip toe trots to the door,Raymond Massey as menacing a maniacal killer as any you will ever see,John Alexander playing a part he was born to play as an ersatz Teddy Roosevelt,Lorre,doing what Lorre does best and veteran character actor Edward Horton,always a delight in just about everything he did.
About the DVD release itself,it is a bare horse;no extras at all.The print used here is a good one and quite clear and crisp.It is housed in a snap jacket.
In conclusion while this well known movie farce is good it is not perfect by any means.Along with Grants' moments of over the top joie de vivre,Capra's heavy handedness gets in the way again and even the stellar cast can't over come the film's paucity and less than judicious editing.However in the end it is the beautiful cast,their chemistry and superior acting chops that pull this film up by its' collective boot straps and lands it around the four star category for this reviewer.I recommend this film to all. |
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| "Great movie" | 2009-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A5Z2S3L5NZL1B |
| The movie was a gift for a friend who has always loved it. She was very happy to get it. |
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| "Hilarious!" | 2009-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By crusherj |
| This movie is very comical. I have grown to love most any movie with Cary Grant. |
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| "Wonderfuly funny" | 2009-09-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1M64UW81ZCSY3 |
Once again like Bob, Jimmy and all the other old time actors he is one of the Great's ever.
What women didnt fall for Cary Grant. I know I have and his still makes my heart jummp.
This is one of his very best that only cary can pull off.
A must have DVD. |
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| "I played "teddy" in my high school production" | 2009-08-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: AGOMYUZC9OE95 |
In the spring of 1984, my high school drama class had a production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" in which I played "teddy". My best friend played the part of "mortimer".
We absolutely had a blast doing this and I encourage everyone to watch this movie.
Just today, I learned that there is going to be a new production of this play here in my town of Tucumcari,NM and am very interested in reprising my role as the crazy but lovable "Teddy Brewster". I am soon to be calling the director to find out the audition dates. The peerformance date I believe is Nov.5th or 6th or both.
If you are a Carey Grant fan this is a must have in your collection, Its a "Bully of a good time". |
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