ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) Reaction | First Time Watching

[@JonathanMellow-xg2ex]

At the time of filming, Arsenic and Old Lace was still in production on Broadway where Boris Karloff was playing the role of Jonathan. Although he also wanted to perform the role in the movie, the play would not let him out of his contract. Raymond Massey was cast in the film, thus the running gag that he looked like Boris Karloff (and the fact Massey was made up to look like Frankenstein who Karloff had famously portrayed). Also the shot of Massey's shadow on the wall resembles Abraham Lincoln, who Massey had played in a movie a few years earlier.

[@Lensmaster1]

Thst was the line from the play. On stage saying Boris Karloff looked like Boris Karloff made it funnier.

[@fahooga]

Raymond Massey was also in The Old Dark House with Boris Karloff

[@donp1964]

As a side note, the 2 actresses that played the aunts, and the actor who plays Teddy were in the Broadway play alongside Boris Karloff, that was the play producers primary argument in not releasing Karloff. He was the main draw, and without the remaining cast, the play would likely have closed.

[@blindlemonpledge2556]

Remember when mortimer's aunts told him that he wasn't a Brewster, but rather the son of a sea cook? My mother explained to me that phrase was a euphemism for being a son of a b****

[@bighuge1060]

Boris Karloff can be seen as Jonathan in a Hallmark movie presentation of Arsenic' with Tony Randall as Mortimer. It's a real treat. I played Officer O'Hara on stage (Jack Carson in this movie) and was surprised to find he was written out of that Hallmark production because of time restraints. Still, it's a crackerjack production and seeing Karloff recreate his role years later is a must-see.

[@catherinelw9365]

When Cary Grant first came to the US with the vaudeville troupe he was in, he decided to remain in NY when they sailed back to England 3 years later. He toured with another vaudeville troupe all over the US and got sick in the middle of the tour, stuck in a boarding house with rheumatic fever. The rest of his troupe had to leave him because of contractual obligations. Stage actress Jean Adair heard of a young, sick English boy who was alone in the city, so she visited him and brought him food, flowers and even a cake on his birthday. He recovered and joined his troupe. Grant was re-united with Adair when they worked in Arsenic and Old Lace. At the time when Adair nursed Grant, he was still Archie Leach. So when he met her on the set of Arsenic, he asked her, "You don't remember me, do you?" She denied knowing him until he reminded her of the time she helped him. She turned to the others on the set and said, "He was quite sick and was a very nice, grateful young man." Grant agreed, kissed her on the cheek and said "He is still grateful".

[@Jen-Mom]

What a great story! 😊

[@francoisevassy6614]

Merveilleux : moi qui croyais presque tout savoir à propos de Cary Grant, vous m’apprenez encore une anecdote. Merci beaucoup !

[@wolver73]

I love how Carey Grant played comedic and dramatic roles so convincingly that you would never believe he did the other.

[@dwcinnc]

My favorite line, "So what? There's a lot of worse guys he could think he was". I am sure you would love "Bringing Up Baby" with Katharine Hepburn. He does some great physical comedy in that too.

[@boris53703]

Josephine Hull (one of the aunts) was Jimm Stewarts sister in Harvey, Raymond Masseys brother Vincent was Governor General of Canada.

[@in8hope617]

Cary Grant is one of a kind:) I have never seen anyone else like him, and this film (and all his other ones too), help keep his performances around for many generations to enjoy.

[@melenatorr]

As a Brooklynite, I love this movie. Raymond Massey was most famous for playing Lincoln, but he really does a wonderful job here. As I understand it, the playwright, Joseph Kesselring, wanted to write a serious thriller, but the piece had a mind of its own and became, well, what we have: a perfect gem. James Gleason is one of my favorite supporting players. He was the police inspector who had "been wit'out sleep for fohty-eight howahs." He and Grant have some lovely scenes together in "The Bishop's Wife". Jack Carson, who was O'Hara, is another priceless supporting player, as was the wonderfully-voiced Edward Everett Horton, of Happy Dale. He and Grant were also together in "Holiday", and Horton was introduced to many people of my generation as the narrator of "Fractured Fairly Tales" in the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show".

[@tommiller4895]

I saw the play on Broadway. Mortimer was played by Gary Sandy (WKRP), the Sisters were played by Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) and Marion Ross (Happy Days), Jonathan was played by Jonathan Frid (Dark Shadows) and Dr, Einstein was played by Larry Storch (F Troop). I have a great bootleg copy of the show that I watch every Halloween.

[@Dej24601]

Wow, sounds terrific! I imagine it is a play which actors enjoy doing!

[@sallyatticum]

Wow, what a cast!

[@shainewhite2781]

I love how Cary Grant tries not to lose his sanity throughout the film!

[@rfmonii]

I am SOOOOO glad you did a reaction to this wonderful classic. While Cary Grant was a wonderful actor in a variery of movie genres, i felt he was best at comedies and this is one if the best in physical comedies ever done. Thank you!

[@mwhyte1979]

Thank you for reacting to this movie. It's my most favorite comedy of all time. It also has my favorite line from any movie ever " insanity runs in my family------- it practically gallops". Cary Grant is always regarded as one of the greatest leading men in Hollywood history but he has done some wonderful slapstick comedy too.

[@charlieeckert4321]

Cary was part of an English comic troupe in his youth which featured a lot of pratfalls and physical comedy. The troupe came to the U.S. on tour, and that is when Cary (then known as Archie Leach) left to begin his acting career.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

Also my favorite line....he delivers it so well, too.

[@noelleparris9451]

Thanks, Ian! This is a fun one, and I'm glad you guys saw (and enjoyed) it!

[@StreamingNomad]

Cheers! I think the choice for January is going to go over well too. :). (< Ian )

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

Raymond Massey (Jonathan) was a respected Canadian actor. At the time this film was made, his brother Vincent was the Canadian High Commissioner (ambassador) to London and would later become the Governor General of Canada.

[@sp72929]

Watched this movie countless times since I was a kid, but this is movie you can watch over and over and it does not matter that you know all the punchlines (or half of the lines verbatim😉 ) - it is still hilarious! Cary Grant made some of the best comedies ever - if you want another good laugh with him - I Was A Male War Bride from 1949 - is another early B&W comedy gem or Operation Petticoat from 1959 with a slightly older Cary and a very young Tony Curtis.

[@lisahumphries3898]

The funny line about Jonathan’s face looking like something in a monster movie is an inside joke. Karloff played Frankenstein a few times and is known for being in monster movies.

[@phantombrakeman4983]

Raymond Massey, pretty cool actor! And Jack Carson (Officer Ohara) what a hoot. Well known for his comic relief in older films.

[@jentoby73]

As suave as Cary Grant is, he is really very good at physical comedy. Another good movie with him showing off his abilities at physical comedy I'd recommend is "Bringing up Baby." Well worth a watch.

[@chris...9497]

Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England. He ended up on his own after his father abandoned his family for another woman and later at age 9 was told his mother was dead (she had actually been institutionalized). He joined the circus (which explains his screen charisma and great physicality), eventually sailing for NYC at age 14. Handsome, exciting, dashing, troubled, mercurial, private, and able to own any stage he strode onto. Great dramatic actor, great comedic actor. The film is developed from a wildly-popular stage play that opened on Broadway in 1939. The part of Jonathan was mainly played by Boris Karloff. A 1943 West Coast road production version cast Bela Lugosi as Jonathan. The playwright was Joseph Kesselring. He grew up in and around theater, spent his early adult career teaching theater, then returned to working in theater. I do think that in NYC everyone has a play or manuscript they believe has merit, while in Hollywood everyone has a movie script or treatment. Really enjoyed watching you guys enjoy this great film! ❣

[@catherinelw9365]

Grant was actually in a vaudeville troupe, not a circus. He was an acrobat and tumbler for the troupe.

[@raloria9173]

Fun to watch people react to this classic and get all the funny parts! BTW, you skipped right over the movie's most famous line: Mortimer (to Elaine): "Insanity runs in my family....it practically gallops."

[@kweile4339]

I have loved this movie for 50 years! I think you would enjoy Harvey starring Jimmy Stewart.

[@kathrynjones9938]

Cary Grant started out as a acrobat. He was so good at physical comedy. A biography of Cary Grant is coming out on the streaming service Britbox.

[@francoisevassy6614]

Il fait de l’acrobatie dans le film Holiday.

[@505PurpleGirl]

This is my absolute favorite movie ever!!! It came out 20 years before I was born. Cary Grant is the best.

[@sallyatticum]

Well, that was fun! I thought you would split your sides. I adore Cary Grant, especially in madcap romance movies. My Favorite Wife with Irene Dunne is one of my faves. Bringing Up Baby with Katharine Hepburn, of course. But I also love An Affair to Remember, the opposite of the spectrum. And Philadelphia Story, which is somewhere in-between and also stars Jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn. For Christmas, there's The Bishop's Wife with Loretta Young

[@maximillianosaben]

Can't get better than Frank Capra!

[@bigbow62]

Another classic guys thank you ! Check out... Bringing up Baby (1938) Cary Grant Katherine Hepburn Also a film bringing us into the computer age... Desk Set (1957) Spencer Tracy Katherine Hepburn Both are amazing films, 😅and thank you again for bringing these older classic films so the youngsters of today can see what real movies and movie stars are all about ✌️🙂

[@MyraJean1951]

Boris Karloff made a sensation on Broadway in the role of Jonathan in the play. When he said that line, "he said I looked like Boris Karloff," the theater dissolved into laughter. Unfortunately, Karloff wasn't available for the film version. I would have LOVED that! Raymond Massey is fine, but it's just not the same!

[@philpaine3068]

Raymond Massey was a very famous actor in his day, particularly well known for having played Abraham Lincoln (whom he strongly resembled). He grew up in a house just half a block from where I live, in Toronto. His older brother Vincent became Canada's Governor General. Massey was versatile, and appeared in both British and American films, but only once played a Canadian (in the film The 49th Parallel). He served in two different fronts during WW1, and was severely wounded in Belgium. He rejoined the Canadian Army during WW2, now serving as a Major, and was wounded again. After a long career on stage and screen, television audiences in the 1960s became familiar with him as Dr. Gillespie in the hit medical series Dr. Kildare.

[@horsedoconfb]

I've been in two semi professional productions of this play, once as Teddy and once as Jonathan. It seems the respective directors wanted my height (6'6"). I can honestly say I've never had as much fun on stage as I had playing those two roles😂

[@mickyandrosie]

great film and reaction, Cary Grant was in a number of great 'screwball comedies' I'd highly recommend 'Bringing up baby' and 'His girl Friday.'

[@kp22kc]

Cary Grant hated his own performance....he thought he was too manic, but I thought he was perfect....especially the triple takes. Sometimes at the end of the play when everybody is taking their bows, all the "gentlemen" come up from the cellar to also take a bow. The movie was shot in 1941, but held until the play closed on Broadway in 1944. The aunts and Teddy all came from the play but Karloff was such a draw he wasn't able to get out of his contract. Karloff has played the part in a couple of TV versions, one with a young Tony Randall as Mortimer, but Karloff is pretty old looking to be his brother. That version is available to watch on KZbin, as well as the 60's TV version with Bob Crane as Mortimer and Herman Munster himself, Fred Gynne as Jonny. Neither come close to this wonderful original though. I used to set my alarm and get up at Midnight, 1am to watch this. Really tired for school the next day, but always worth it. Great reaction as usual!

[@jenniferpauley2680]

I just directed this at the public high school where I work as an English teacher and a drama director! Love that you are reacting to it!

[@StreamingNomad]

Oh and oscillations is synonymous with 'shimmy'. -- an upright washing machine off-balance may see oscillations powerful enough to make it walk across the floor.

[@DonMachado]

In the original production on Broadway, Jonathon Brewster was played by Boris Karloff. The play did the whole 'looks like Boris Karloff' like they did in the movie. Imagine Boris Karloff as Brewster getting pissed off because everyone tells him he looks like Boris Karloff. 🤯

[@laylavonmav2587]

I absolutely love this movie. Thank you for reviewing it. Another timeless classic I would recommend is “Auntie Mame”, another corker with Rosalind Russell.

[@raymeedc]

Cary Grant was not only one of the top straight leading men of the classic era, but also one of the very top comedians, verbally & physically. In fact, through the course of his prime in the 30s & 40s, he was known more for his romcoms than any other genre. He only made a couple of other whacky comedies like this one, “Bringing Up Baby” with Katherine Hepburn & “Monkey Business” with Ginger Rogers, but he’s at his best in the romantic comedies, of which he made quite a few iconic classics 👌

[@raymeedc]

A handful of his romantic comedies from the era….. “The Awful Truth”, “Holiday”, “The Philadelphia Story”, “His Girl Friday”, “The Talk Of The Town”, “Mr. Blandings Builds His House” 🥰

[@raymeedc]

Almost forgot “My Favorite Wife”, done over here & there over the course of the coming decades, but this is the original 👏

[@LarryNtx]

One of the headstones in the graveyard was Archie Leach. Carry Grants real name.

[@redviper6805]

Having read biographies of Theodore Roosevelt long before I saw it made this movie extra funny!😆

[@judywelch1044]

Thanksguys. One of my fave Cary movies. Raymond Massey is the Frankenstein brother. Enjoy

[@WolfsDE]

Some other older golden age of Hollywood classics you might love and need to be on your list. 1. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir 2. The Bad Seed 3. Night of the Living Dead 4. Red Headed Woman 5. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken 6. Topper 7. The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer 8. His Girl Friday 9. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington 10. 12 Angry Men 11. Inherit the Wind 12. The Grapes of Wrath 13. Some Like It Hot 14. The Little Princess 15. Stormy Weather 16. Summer Stock 17. Singing in the Rain 18. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner 19. It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World 20. The Little Shop Of Horrors (Jack Nicholson in his first movie).

[@GairBear49]

You forgot Harvey!

[@WolfsDE]

@@GairBear49 No. I didn't. I just felt like if I kept listing films, I would end up with a 100 or more film list and I thought...that would be a bit much.

[@GairBear49]

@@WolfsDEYes, I've been there myself but I am just fond of that 6.3 Rabbit. LOL!

[@mckeldin1961]

Great movie … great reaction! I wish they had kept the play’s original ending though: after everyone else has left, and just before Mr. Witherspoon is going to take Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha to Happy Dale, Witherspoon lets it slip that he’s actually quite lonely. So the aunts serve him a glass of elderberry wine… as he raises the glass to his lips, the curtain comes down! 😅

[@vincentsaia6545]

Ironically, Raymond Massey was best remembered for his stage and screen portrayal of Abraham Lincoln!

[@Rickhorse1]

Cary Grant was so great. To me, the scene where he & "Johnathan" both sit on the rumble seat is remarkable acting....all on his face, without a word.

[@eddietucker7005]

When you are watching a classic, you have to put yourself in the frame of mind of the time period that it was released. Thinking by today’s standards, you won’t get the jokes, shadow work, anything. I love remembering films from way back when! I hope you do “Stage Door” with Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rodgers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden plus a whole lot more! There is a line in it that everyone knows, but nobody remembers where it came from. I won’t say what it is so you can catch it when you watch it. It is SO funny!!

[@charlessheifer2264]

Another classic comedy starring Cary Grant is "Bringing Up Baby" co-starring Katharine Hepburn. Very, very funny.

[@MichaelAndrews-uy1gl]

Peter Lorre was kind of in the background in this one, but his expressive and brilliant acting came shining through. He worked so well with Raymond Massey's character, who was a replacement for Karloff. Needless to say, Carey Grant was stellar in the spontaneous comedy department.

[@user-EricWatson55]

I love Cary Grant's facial expressions in this film! 😂

[@rg3388]

It was only a few years after this that my father played the "Teddy" part on stage in a university production.

[@shellihouge938]

Cary Grant is brilliant at physical comedy. You guys should check out Bringing up Baby and Philadelphia Story. Both are great comedies. Oh, and Holiday is also good.

[@heyhey1956]

Fred Gwynne is Jonathan en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gwynne

[@Billy-zv6gv]

This hilarious "dark" comedy was way before it's time, and I'm so glad we're enjoying it with you two now! Of course it's Boris Karloff!

[@denanebergall5514]

Cary Grant is my favorite actor ever! 💗 If you want to see another good comedy of his watch Bringing Up Baby. It also has Katherine Hepburn. She is my favorite actress of all time.

[@hannahl39]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this! I love all Cary Grant movies, but His Girl Friday & Bringing Up Baby are my favorites along with this one. Hope you have time to check them out. Great reaction!

[@frankmahovlich5099]

I'm so happy you two watched & enjoyed this classic movie. I'm going to join many of the other comments here and recommend "Bringing Up Baby" (1938.) and "Monkey Business" (1952) for Cary comedies. Poor Priscilla Lane didn't have much to do here (although integral to the plot), she has a better role in Hitchcock's 1942 film, "Saboteur" with Robert Cummings.

[@Lensmaster1]

Cary Grant always felt that he was too over the top in this role. But since everyone else played their roles low-key and serious, it was just the right amount of crazy.

[@MrRizzo1961]

One of my favorite movies. Boris Karloff was to play the brother, but he couldn't get out of a prior contract. So Raymond Massey got the part.✌️❤️

[@Emburbujada]

I really love this one. It's so much fun, and such a smart script.

[@NiallMor]

Because Teddy thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, every time he goes up the stairs he thinks he’s charging up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

[@1957Shep]

Cary Grant was really good at being the comedic straight man in several comedies. A couple more that come to mind are "Bringing Up Baby" and "Father Goose". Bringing Up Baby is even more insane than this movie is, but at least they don`t kill anyone. 🙂 Father Goose is a film that is slower paced, but very funny.

[@bigbow62]

Ramond Massey played President Lincoln in the film... Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

[@a.bertasso1298]

Cary Grant started out in. His native England as an acrobat. You can see his skill with using his body and his agility in a lot of his movies….even the Hitchcock ones like To Catch a Thief moving about as the suspected Le Chat and in a couple of scenes in North By Northwest

[@johnnehrich9601]

If you want to see a faster-paced comedy than this one, Billy Wilder's 1, 2, 3. It stars Jimmy Cagney who was so exhausted from memorizing all this lines and spitting them out too fast, he retired after this. Two silent movies, just to see how it was done in the earliest days - Harold Lloyd in Safety Last and Buster Keaton in the General. You will recognized some of the most iconic stunts in all film history - Lloyd hanging on the hands of a giant clock high up over the street. The General is based on an actual Civil War event, the Great Locomotive Chase (Disney did a serious version in the 1950's). Lots of stunts on a moving locomotive. Nice thing about these two is that are in the public domain, so you can include as much of each as you want. Shirley Temple was the most famous child actor, at least in her time. My favorite is Heidi.

[@johnniekight1879]

A good ol' fun movie.

[@catherinelw9365]

Fun reaction. I'm a CG fan (hence my avatar) and read many biographies on him. The rumors about him and Randolph Scott were started by the Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, who retaliated when Grant refused to play her games in wheedling gossip from him about other actors. It was not uncommon for same sex friends to share homes as you did not live with the opposite sex back then. Grant and Scott realized that they could rent a much nicer place if they shared the cost. Everyone who knew them said it was like Grand Central Station with all the women that were in and out of that place. Later, Grant denied the rumors, all of his surviving ex-wives and widow denied them and his daughter denied them. His third ex wife, Betsy Drake, bluntly answered a question about it after their divorce: "Why in the world would I think Cary was homosexual? I guess we were too busy f***ing for me to ask." 😆

[@Jen-Mom]

😅

[@francoisevassy6614]

On some snapshots, the way Cary Grant and Randolph Scott look at each other is not the way even good friends do … However CG is a tremendous actor. Greetings from France 🇫🇷

[@jimmyhill1069]

One of my favorite movies. So many good actors. Thanks for your reaction.

[@andra2377]

Oldie but goodie!!

[@donp1964]

Cary Grant has done a few really funny movies, “Bringing up Baby”, “Father Goose” and “Operation Petticoat” are a few of the funniest

[@belvagurr403]

Raymond Massey played Jonathan. Massey was a great actor, played Lincoln too.

[@terenzo50]

A longtime fave!

[@stevefoulston]

Raymond Massey played in "East of Eden" staring James Dean in Deans fist movie . Peace out.

[@shainewhite2781]

Great movie! One of the funniest dark comedy films ever made!

[@StreamingNomad]

Eventually we may turn to Cary Grant and Catherine Hepburn in 'Bringing Up Baby" - which is madcap from start to finish -- and made about a decade before Arsenic...

[@lukebarton5075]

A super classic comedy. For more golden comedies with Cary Grant, you should check out “Bringing up Baby” (1938) & “His Girls Friday” (1940)

[@Sher-yz1yy]

Hilarious movie. One of my favorites.

[@michiganjfrog366]

If you close your eyes officer O'Hara/ Jack Carson sounds like Jimmy Stewart. IMHO. He was born in Carman Canada

[@bikingwithmyles9269]

You guys should watch 'where eagles dare' 1968 with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood

[@egonrhoodie2745]

Hello guys you would enjoy The Spiral Staircase 1947.....Blessings and happy thoughts! 😇🙏🎉🎊🎄🍵🎈

[@couch.patati-patata]

Their gentlemen are in the cellar.

[@glen1ster]

Massey also played Lincoln.

[@ThistleAndSea]

Love this movie. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂

[@Megara1989]

Have u guys watched many Bette davis films ❤️

[@SS-hn3zr]

White Heat 1949

[@thomasripley1548]

Raymond Massey...

[@user-EricWatson55]

The taxi driver mispronounced oscillation.

[@jamesodonnell3636]

IMO, this film and "Bringing Up Baby" are overrated -- though both films are quite good. That said, if you only ever see one more Cary Grant film, I'd make it "His Girl Friday," with "North By Northwest" coming in a close second and "The Philadelphia Story" sliding in at third (Honorable Mention for "Notorious"). Seriously, "His Girl Friday" is a national treasure -- a perfect film, if ever there was one. Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant have the best chemistry on celluloid I've ever seen, and the script is crackling good, as in HILARIOUS (and profound)!

[@les-b5p]

Cary was great, but hated his performance. Actors!