The 75th Anniversary of the Premiere of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

It was 75 years ago today that the movie Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) premiered at the Strand in New York City. The film has since been regarded as a classic and is a favourite to watch around Halloween for many people. It has long been one of my favourite movies. If you want to read a more in depth post on the movie, I wrote one a few years back.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) was based on the play of the same name, which opened on Broadway at the Fulton Theatre in 1941. The play proved to be a sensation, so that a film adaptation was inevitable. In fact, nearly every major studio was vying for the film rights, among them Paramount and Samuel Goldwyn. Ultimately Warner Bros. won the rights. That having been said, the film rights would come with one condition: the movie could not be released until the play had run for at least two years. This meant that the movie could not open until at least January 1 1943. As it is, the play turned out to be such a success that it would not close until June 17 1944 after 1444 performances.

It is for this reason that while Arsenic and Old Lace would be shot from October 20 1941 to December 16 1941, it would not have its premiere until September 1 1944. That having been said, its premiere at the Strand in New York City would not be the first time Arsenic and Old Lace had been seen by audiences. It was shown to troops serving overseas during World War II in 1943.

Upon its premiere on September 1 1944, Arsenic and Old Lace received largely positive reviews. The film would also prove to be a success at the box office. It made $2,836,000 in the United States and $1,948,000 overseas. It has remained a favourite of audiences ever since. In 2000 the American Film Institute included it at no. 30 in their list of the funniest movies ever made, "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs."

Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my all time favourite movies. It is also among the first Cary Grant movies I have ever seen and the first Frank Capra movies I have ever seen. I consider it the perfect movie for Halloween, as linked in my mind to that holiday as It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is to Christmas. After all, it not only takes place at Halloween, but it includes what may be the first ever instance of trick-or-treating in a feature film. Of course, it is also a very funny film. Indeed, I consider it one of the best comedies ever made. Seventy five years after its release, Arsenic and Old Lace is still as hilarious as it was upon its premiere.