Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Arsenic and Old Lace Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 18, 2022

Frank Capra's "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by author and critic Charles Dennis; vintage radio adaptation of the film; and original trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Almost impossible to recognize.

In a few minutes, Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) will marry the girl of his dreams, Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). They genuinely love each other, but he is having second thoughts about the marriage. The process and the responsibilities that come after a man becomes a husband terrify him. He knows exactly why, too. He has written a book about the giant fraud that marriage is, so why is he falling for it? He was supposed to be smarter than the other chaps that could not figure out on time what marriage is, but here he is a signature away from repeating their mistake. How is this possible?

Shortly after they officially become husband and wife, however, something even more perplexing happens. While fully awake, Mortimer begins suspecting that he has somehow stepped into a horrific nightmare without an exit sign. It is not because the wedding certificate he signed might have overloaded his mind either. It is because moments after he meets his two favorite aunts, Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair), he discovers a dead man hidden in a window seat. A dead man. Hidden in a window seat. In the home of his favorite aunts. How is this possible? Can anyone explain?

Aunt Abby and aunt Martha can. When they met the man, he was not dead. But they laced his elderberry wine with arsenic, strychnine, and just a pinch of cyanide, he sipped it and… voila. He kicked the bucket and they placed him in the window seat. So, why is Mortimer concerned about the dead man? It is not like this is the first time aunt Abby and aunt Martha have done it. Their cellar is full of dead men and they have not caused any problems, so why would the one in the window seat misbehave? And even if he or any of the other dead men did, his uncle (John Alexander), who has convinced himself that he is President Teddy Roosevelt, surely would figure out a solution. In fact, right now, while they have been answering Mortimer’s question, he is already practicing one with a shovel.

An hour or so later, Mortimer gets his proof that he is in fact stuck in a horrific nightmare and someone or something wants to so see him permanently lose his mind. It happens at the exact moment his brother, Jonathan (Raymond Massey), appears with Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre) and proudly declares that he has done a fair bit of killing, too.

Frank Capra’s cinematic adaptation of Joseph Kesselring's famous play is like a masterful dish that could have been a lot more appealing with a smaller assortment of spices. It looks fine, but it has numerous overdone areas.

The main issue with Arsenic and Old Lace is the inconsistency of its black humor. Indeed, in certain areas, the stars overdo their parts with such unbridled enthusiasm that the funny material becomes unfunny and then quickly evolves into a tasteless mockery. The biggest offender is Alexander, whose antics are almost always out of sync and are never funny.

While not to the same extent, Grant struggles with his part, too. The absurd is supposed to transform his character into a man on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown, but instead, he routinely looks like an actor that has been forced to prove his complete range of facial expressions and emotions. Some work well, but some are almost unbearably artificial.

Initially, Hull and Adair look wonderful together and they are the reason why the first impression is that Arsenic and Old Lace will turn out to be a very special film. But then they visibly begin to struggle with repetitive lines that make it extremely difficult for their characters to evolve in an exciting way. The same could be said about Massey and Lorrey, though they contribute to some of the funniest material.

It feels like Arsenic and Old Lace could have been twenty, even thirty minutes shorter as well. After the arrival of the loopy brother, the plot becomes too complicated but continues to rehash the same jokes.

Arsenic and Old Lace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Arsenic and Old Lace arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared after Arsenic and Old Lace was fully restored in 4K. This master is a stunner. I have this very, very old DVD release of Arsenic and Old Lace in my library and I did not feel the need to pull it out and do any direct comparisons because the superiority of the Blu-ray release was so dramatic they would have been meaningless.

The film looks spotless now and the dynamic range of its visuals is enormously impressive. The grayscale is terrific as well. The blacks are solid but not crushed and the wide ranges of grays and whites are perfect. Yes, it does help that virtually the entire film was shot indoors with controlled lighting, but I still thought that the makeover was outstanding. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability was great. Unfortunately, on my system, I noticed quite a bit of annoying macroblocking sneaking in. Virtually all of it appears in dark areas with prominent black(s). Obvious examples can be seen in screencaptures #26, 27, 29, and 30. Can the macroblocking be missed? Possibly if you have a smaller screen, but on a large screen, I think that you will easily notice its presence. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Arsenic and Old Lace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. The dialog was very clear, sharp, and nicely balanced. The upper register was healthy and stable. I thought that the dynamic intensity was excellent, though the film does not have any material that produces serious dynamic contrasts.

Arsenic and Old Lace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage remastered trailer for Arsenic and Old Lace. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Radio Broadcast - this radio adaptation of Arsenic and Old Lace first aired on the program Best Plays in 1952. It stars Boris Karloff as Jonathan, a role he originated on Broadway in 1941. In English, not subtitled. (60 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Charles Dennis, author of There's a Body in the Window Seat!: The History of "Arsenic and Old Lace", in 2022.

• Trailer - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic David Cairns as well as technical credits.

Arsenic and Old Lace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Frank Capra's film does not quite match the brilliance of the great play that inspired it. It has its moments, especially early on while Cary Grant slowly begins to realize that there is something seriously wrong with his family, but its humor is very inconsistent. I think that virtually all of the stars overdo their parts and often transform what should have been a delicious black comedy into a tasteless mockery. To be completely honest, I think that this is precisely why some folks love the film, but in my opinion, the end result should have been different. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a terrific new 4K master, but the technical presentation of the film could have been better. RECOMMENDED, but if possible, find a way to test the release before you consider a purchase. (If you have a terrific time with Capra's film, also spend a night with George Marshall's Murder, He Says).