Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) May 2026

as Dr. Einstein: Jonathan’s nervous, enabling companion.

as Mortimer Brewster: Grant famously disliked his own performance, calling it "over-acting," though critics often cite it as a masterclass in physical comedy. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

: The film is a rare Capra project that avoids his usual "social consciousness" (as seen in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ) in favor of "good old-fashioned theater". as Dr. Einstein: Jonathan’s nervous

Mortimer soon learns that his aunts have been "charitably" poisoning lonely old men with elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, strychnine, and cyanide. Matters escalate with the arrival of: calling it "over-acting