Arsenic and Old Lace
Newlywed drama critic Mortimer Brewster rushes home to announce his marriage, only to discover his sweet‑seeming aunts are secretly burying dead men—forcing him to outwit murderous madness before the truth kills them all.
“She Passed Out On Cary! No Wonder . . . She's just discovered his favorite aunts have poisoned their 13th gentleman friend!”
Synopsis
Mortimer Brewster is a newspaper drama critic, playwright, and author who has long been known for his sharp critiques of marriage. After suddenly falling in love and getting married, he makes a quick trip home to inform his two unmarried aunts. However, he soon discovers that his aunts have already taken in the body of a dead man, which complicates his return and forces him to confront the chaos that ensues.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 103+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Daniel MandellShot by Sol PolitoScored by Max SteinerSound by Everett Alton Brown
Box Office
1944 · Box office
Produced on a $1.1M budget
Production budget
$1.1M
Also known as
- Arsen und Spitzenhäubchende
- Arsenic et vieilles dentellesfr
- Arsenico e vecchi merlettiit
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Cast & Crew
103 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Cary Grant
as Mortimer Brewster
Raymond Massey
as Jonathan Brewster
Jack Carson
as O'Hara
Peter Lorre
as Dr. Einstein
John Alexander
as 'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster
Edward Everett Horton
as Mr. Witherspoon
James Gleason
as Police Lt. Rooney
Josephine Hull
as Abby Brewster
Jean Adair
as Martha Brewster
Priscilla Lane
as Elaine Harper
Grant Mitchell
as Reverend Harper
Edward Mcnamara
as Sergeant Brophy
Supporting cast
23Garry Owen
as Taxi Cab Driver
John Ridgely
as Officer Saunders
Vaughan Glaser
as Judge Cullman
Chester Clute
as Dr. Gilchrist
Charles Lane
as Reporter at Marriage License Office
Edward Mcwade
as Gibbs
Hank Mann
as Photographer at Marriage License Office (uncredited)
Spencer Charters
as Marriage License Clerk
Sol Gorss
as New York Pitcher (uncredited)
Lee Phelps
as Umpire (uncredited)
Raymond Walburn
as Drummer at baseball game (uncredited)
Spec O Donnell
as Young Man in Line (uncredited)
Leo White
as Man in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Mary Brodel
as Undetermined Secondary Role
Jimmy The Crow
as Graveyard Raven
Alberta Gary
as Undetermined Secondary Role
Herbert Gunn
as Undetermined Supporting Role
Rolan Jones
as Undetermined Supporting Role
Vera Lewis
as Undetermined Suecondary Role
Pat Mckee
as Irate Dodgers Baseball Fan
Don Phillips
as Undetermined Supporting Role
Juanita Stark
as Undetermined Secondary Role
Jean Wong
as Young Woman in Line
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
4Other crew
63Max Parker Nm0662483
Art Director
Frank Evans
assistant camera (uncredited)
Russell Saunders
assistant director (uncredited)
Alfred Williams
assistant propman (uncredited)
Levi C Williams
assistant propman (uncredited)
Joe Cramer
best boy (uncredited)
Francois Richard
Cary Grant (uncredited)
Sol Polito
Cinematographer, director of photography
Max Steiner
Composer
Eugene Joseff
costume jeweller (uncredited)
Harold Winston
dialogue director
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Parents Guide
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