Arsenic and Old Lace (1969 film)

For other uses, see Arsenic and Old Lace (disambiguation).

Arsenic and Old Lace
GenreBlack comedy
Based onArsenic and Old Lace
by Joseph Kesselring
Screenplay byLuther Davis
Directed byRobert Scheerer
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
Cinematography
Editors
Running time90 minutes
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseApril 2, 1969 (1969-04-02)

Arsenic & Old Lace is a 1969 American television film directed by Robert Scheerer and starring Helen Hayes, Lillian Gish, Fred Gwynne, Sue Lyon, Jack Gilford and David Wayne.[1] It is an adaptation of Joseph Kesselring's 1939 play Arsenic and Old Lace. The production was shot on color videotape before a live audience. Inserts of outside action that were shot on film were added to the production for the April 2, 1969 broadcast.[2][3]

The story is a black comedy in which drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Crane) discovers that his two elderly spinster aunts Abby and Martha (Hayes and Gish, respectively), who live in a house in Brooklyn, have been poisoning their lonely male guests.

Fred Gwynne of Munsters fame played Jonathan Brewster, the role originated on Broadway by Boris Karloff, the star of the 1931 horror classic Frankenstein. Karloff was famous for playing Frankenstein's monster, on which Gwynne's character of Herman Munster was modeled. Jonathan Brewster is described by the other characters as resembling Karloff, who had played the role on television once before, in a 1955 adaptation for the CBS anthology series The Best of Broadway.[4]

The 1969 version was updated to contemporary times by having Crane's character meet Sue Lyon in a discotheque at the beginning.[5]

Cast

Actor Role
Helen Hayes Abby Brewster
Bob Crane Mortimer Brewster
Lillian Gish Martha Brewster
Fred Gwynne Jonathan Brewster
Sue Lyon Elaine Dodd
David Wayne Teddy Brewster
Jack Gilford Dr. Jonas Salk
Bob Dishy Officer Sampson
Richard Deacon Mr. Benner, the family lawyer
Billy De Wolfe Mr. Witherspoon, the superintendent of Happydale

Reception

The 1969 televised version of Arsenic & Old Lace was not well received by critics. It is not available on any medium, other than a bootleg 16mm black and white copy posted on YouTube.com.

References

  1. ^ "Arsenic and Old Lace". avclub.com. AV Club. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  2. ^ Mank, Gregory William (2014). The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 211. ISBN 978-0786449552.
  3. ^ "Arsenic and Old Lace (1969) - Serial TV". www.cinemagia.ro. Cinemagia. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  4. ^ Nixon, Rob. "The Big Idea Behind Arsenic and Old Lace". TCM. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  5. ^ Hall, Phil. "The Bootleg Files: Arsenic and Old Lace". Cinema-Crazed.com. Cinema Crazed. Retrieved August 4, 2023.