Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

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Aunt Martha: For a gallon of elderberry wine, I take one teaspoon full of arsenic, then add half a teaspoon full of strychnine, and then just a pinch of cyanide.
Mortimer Brewster: Hmm. Should have quite a kick.

Mortimer Brewster: Mr. President, may I have the pleasure of presenting.
Teddy Brewster: Doctor Livingston?
Dr. Gilchrist: Livingstone?
Mortimer Brewster: Uh, well, that's what he presumes.

Reverend Harper: Have you ever tried to persuade him that he wasn't Teddy Roosevelt?
Abby Brewster: Oh, no.
Martha Brewster: Oh, he's so happy being Teddy Roosevelt.
Abby Brewster: Oh... Do you remember, Martha, once, a long time ago, we thought if he'd be George Washington, it might be a change for him, and we suggested it.
Martha Brewster: And do you know what happened? He just stayed under his bed for days and wouldn't be anybody.

Teddy Brewster: Yes, Doctor, I'll run for a third term, but I won't be elected. That will be the last of the Roosevelts in the White House.
Dr. Gilchrist: That's what you think.

Mortimer Brewster: What is this? Did everybody in Brooklyn know I was going to get married except me?
Martha Brewster: We knew you'd find out about it in time.

Cab Driver: Hey, you! Five more bucks and you'll own it.
Mortimer Brewster: Oh, no thanks! It wouldn't fit me.

Mortimer Brewster: Look, you can't do things like that! Now, I don't know how I can explain this to you. But, it's not only against the law, its wrong.
Martha Brewster: Oh, piffle.
Mortimer Brewster: It's not a nice thing to do. People wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand. What I mean is... Well... This is developing into a very bad habit.

Mortimer Brewster: You didn't want the reverend to see the body?
Aunt Abby: Well, not at tea. That wouldn't have been very nice.

Dr. Einstein: You shouldn't have killed him. Just because he know something about us, what happens?
Jonathan Brewster: We come to him for help, and he tries to shake us down. Besides, he said I looked like Boris Karloff.

Mortimer Brewster: But there's a body in the window seat.
Aunt Abby: Yes, dear, we know.
Mortimer Brewster: You know?
Martha Brewster: Of course.
Aunt Abby: Yes, but it has nothing to do with Teddy. Now, Mortimer, you just forget about it. Forget you ever saw the gentleman.
Mortimer Brewster: Forget?
Aunt Abby: We never dreamed you'd peek.
Mortimer Brewster: What the...?

Mortimer Brewster: Now look, darling, how did he die?
Abby Brewster: Oh, Mortimer, don't be so inquisitive. The gentleman died because he drank some wine with poison in it.
Mortimer Brewster: Well, how did the poison get in the wine?
Martha Brewster: Well, we put in wine because it's less noticeable. When it's in tea it has a distinct odor.

Dr. Einstein: Where am I? Oh, here I am.

Martha Brewster: Are you leaving, Doctor?
Dr. Einstein: Yes, please.

Continuity mistake: After Mortimer picks up Elaine and literally throws her out the front door, he locks it to make sure she doesn't just open the door and walk in again. When Aunt Abby goes to open the door for Mr. Gibbs less than a minute later, she doesn't have to unlock it.

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Trivia: The character of Jonathan is referred to several times in the film as a thug who "looks like Boris Karloff." This was an in-joke referring to the fact that Karloff played the role of Jonathan in the original Broadway production of Arsenic and Old Lace..

Jean G

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