Debbie and Janna, the adorable mother-daughter-movie-duo, discuss Frank Capra’s 1944 classic - Arsenic and Old Lace - starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane, describing it as a hilarious mix of Halloween creepiness, romance, and farce.
They outline the premise: Grant’s character discovers his two aunts have been poisoning lonely old men with wine and hiding bodies in the cellar, while his brother believes he’s Teddy Roosevelt and another brother, Jonathan, is a psychopath who resembles Boris Karloff and arrives with Dr. Einstein for more face work.
They share favorite moments including the phone-booth scene, police saluting “Teddy Roosevelt,” near-misses with the poisoned wine, and Grant’s physical comedy. They note the Boris Karloff Broadway connection, discuss Lane’s grounding presence, and highlight the ending reveal that makes marriage acceptable for Grant’s character.
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FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Meet the Hosts
00:14 Movie Setup and Premise
01:19 Murderous Aunts and Brothers
02:08 Post Movie Reactions
02:27 Getting Lost in the Opening
04:13 Cary Grant Comedy Style
05:11 The Aunts and the Bodies
07:15 Boris Karloff Connection
08:07 Priscilla Lane and Romance
09:57 Ending and Favorite Scenes
11:51 Martini Shot and Wrap Up