5 Fun Facts About Arsenic and Old Lace
Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace is a wonderfully madcap tale of murder, mayhem — and one very eccentric family. Starring Cary Grant as drama critic Mortimer Brewster, the film follows his increasingly frantic attempts to deal with the discovery that his sweet, seemingly harmless aunts have a rather deadly hobby.
From its Broadway beginnings to a movie that sat unreleased for years, here are five fun facts about this classic screwball comedy. 🙂
1. The movie was shelved for nearly three years
Arsenic and Old Lace was filmed in late 1941, but Warner Bros. had agreed not to release the movie until the original Broadway production ended. The problem? The play was a huge hit, running for 1,444 performances and more than three years! The finished movie therefore sat on the shelf until its release in 1944.
2. The “He looks like Boris Karloff” joke had a Broadway beginning
Horror legend Boris Karloff originated the role of Jonathan Brewster on Broadway, where a running joke was that his character looked exactly like… Boris Karloff! When the movie adaptation was filmed, Karloff couldn’t leave the hit stage production, so Raymond Massey took over the role. The filmmakers kept the joke anyway, turning a clever stage meta-joke into a hilarious cinematic wink: Massey was repeatedly told he looked like the very actor he replaced!
3. Cary Grant’s real name is hidden in the cemetery
Cary Grant was born Archie Leach — and someone slipped his real name into the movie! Look closely at the cemetery beside the Brewster house and you’ll spot a tombstone bearing the name “Archie Leach.”
4. Cary Grant Gave $100,000 of his salary to wartime relief
Cary Grant was paid $160,000 for Arsenic and Old Lace — and directed $100,000 of his salary to wartime relief organizations, giving $50,000 to British War Relief and $25,000 each to the American Red Cross and the USO.
5. Three Broadway cast members made it into the movie
Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, and John Alexander all originated their roles in the hit Broadway production. All three were granted an eight-week leave from the stage show to recreate their roles as Abby, Martha and Teddy Brewster for the movie — then returned straight to Broadway once filming wrapped!
There’s certainly no shortage of fun stories surrounding Arsenic and Old Lace. And with Cary Grant at his frantic best, it’s still considered one of classic Hollywood’s most delightfully dark comedies.
Which fact surprised you most?
–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
Sources & Further Reading
American Film Institute (AFI)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Internet Broadway Database (IBDB)
