Arsenic and Old Lace

Joseph Kesselring's black comedy about two quaint spinsters with the murderous capabilities of Venus Flycatchers comes across as dusty but gentle entertainment. As transferred to the screen by Capra, it's dusty but ferocious, with rampant overacting and little sense of comic timing. Cary Grant, doing enough double-takes to dislocate his eyeballs for life, gives a particularly horrible performance. Best value is given by Massey and Lorre (playing two wandering criminals), who don't struggle to get laughs and just act macabre. It's all weird, but not wonderful.