Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsArsenic and Old Lace (1944) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) and
Philip G. Epstein (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
23 September 1944 (USA) more
Tagline:
She Passed Out On Cary ! No Wonder . . . She's just discovered his favorite aunts have poisoned their 13th gentleman friend !
Plot:
A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
The Politics of Familial Moviegoing
(From Cinematical. 23 October 2009, 10:03 AM, PDT)
Character Actor Charles Lane Dies at 102
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 11 July 2007)
User Comments:
Brilliant Black Comedy! more (183 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Cary Grant | ... | Mortimer Brewster | |
| Priscilla Lane | ... | Elaine Harper | |
| Raymond Massey | ... | Jonathan Brewster | |
| Jack Carson | ... | O'Hara | |
| Edward Everett Horton | ... | Mr. Witherspoon | |
| Peter Lorre | ... | Dr. Einstein | |
| James Gleason | ... | Lt. Rooney | |
| Josephine Hull | ... | Abby Brewster | |
| Jean Adair | ... | Martha Brewster | |
| John Alexander | ... | 'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster | |
| Grant Mitchell | ... | Reverend Harper | |
| Edward McNamara | ... | Brophy | |
| Garry Owen | ... | Taxi Cab Driver | |
| John Ridgely | ... | Saunders | |
| Vaughan Glaser | ... | Judge Cullman |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Frank Capra's 'Arsenic and Old Lace' (USA) (complete title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
118 min
Country:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Argentina:Atp | UK:A (1944) | UK:PG (1990) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #7855) | Australia:G (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Germany:12 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In "The Muppet Show: (#2.12)" (1977), a sketch called "Veterinarians' Hospital" makes a joke about this film: Nurse Janice: "What do you think, Dr. Bob"? Rolf: "Simple, it's arsenic poisoning". Janice: "Arsenic?" Rolf: "Sure, just look at this old lace!" Nurse Piggy: "Arsenic and old lace? Dr. Bob, Dr. Bob, that's an old show." Rolf: "Well, that's an old shoe!" Janice: "Well, that's an old joke!" more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Mortimer Brewster pushes the policeman O'Hara out the front door, he firmly shuts the door behind the policeman. However, he immediately goes to leave the house and, when he approaches the door, it is wide open. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Baseball Fan:
I'll knock your block off, you big stiff! You're a bum!
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K.331, 3rd Movement, 'Alla Turca' more
FAQ
How does it end?What does Dr Einstein say in German when he slams the door?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
more (183 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) moreRecommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Arsenik og gamle kniplinger | Arsenic and Old Lace | The Night of the Hunter | Psycho | Strangers on a Train |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Comedy section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |

Mortimer Brewster, a New York critic of both drama and marriage, has finally married Elaine Harper, the girl next door. But before heading off to Niagra Falls for the honeymoon, Mortimer stops in to see his aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, two sweet little old ladies who donate toys to charity and care for their nephew Teddy, a bugle blowing nutbag who thinks he's Theodore Roosevelt. But Abby and Martha aren't as sweet and innocent as they seem. Mortimer soon discovers, to his horror, that his dear old aunties have a dozen bodies buried in the basement. It seems the Brewster sisters have a new hobby - luring lonely old men into their home and serving them Elderberry Wine spiked with arsenic poison. To make matters worse, Mortimer's deranged and very dangerous brother Jonathan shows up. Jonathan, on the run from the law, has a dead body in the trunk of his car, a drunken plastic surgeon at his side and a face that looks like Boris Karloff. Mortimer frantically attempts to deal with dead bodies, insane asylum directors, attempted murders and a new bride all on a single crazy Halloween night.
This is a must-see Halloween movie, filled with Gallows humor, leaf-strewn graveyards, pumpkins and death. Cary Grant delivers a performance unlike any other he has ever done - manic, panicked, hysterical and almost as insane as his screen family. John Alexander is flawless as Teddy; bugles, pith helmet and all. Jean Adair and Josephine Hull are so sweet and cute and so absolutely morbid you'll forgive them anything. Raymond Massey as Boris Karloff lookalike Jonathan is simultaneously menacing and amusing, and Peter Lorre as his drunken German sidekick Dr. Einstein is a riot, bugging his eyes and flinching through the entire film in a most endearing way.
This is a must see film, no matter your genre preference. There's something for everyone here: quick-witted comedy, true romance, grisly deeds, everything! Fans of Grant and Lorre must not miss this film. 10 stars!