MovieChat Forums > Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Discussion > One That Got Away

One That Got Away

posted 8 years ago by grstmc
2 replies | jump to latest

Not complaining, merely throwing it out there for discussion (if it's already been dealt with elsewhere, my apologies).

The Hayes Code (whereby crime does not pay; criminals must be punished) apparently wasn't too strictly enforced regarding comedies.

Although he wasn't the actual killer of the unseen Mr. Spinazzo(?), and also may not have witnessed it, Dr. Einstein (Peter Lorre), was an accomplice in the attempt to cover up that crime by helping Jonathan hide the body. And later he's a participant (albeit somewhat reluctantly) in the near-demise of the hapless Mortimer.

I know they were just following the play, but any change wouldn't have been the first time changes occur during the transfer of a play into film. Of course, all of us fans certainly didn't mind in this case (since we like Lorre, despite his creepiness), but I don't recall any other of these old 1930s-1940s flicks in which even an accomplice is allowed to get away scot-free.

Oh yeah, it's a very funny film, but it would have been much better with James Stewart and Boris Karloff.
And the 1969 telefilm (available on Youtube) with Bob Crane, Fred Gwynne, and Jack Gilford, ain't bad either.

[–] greenbudgie (2358) 2 years ago

Mae West gets off scot free at the end of another Cary Grant film, 'She Done Him Wrong,' which I know was pre-code but it shows 1930s/1940s did allow the criminal walk away at times. I think it was important for the film to keep true to the play in the Dr Einstein instance.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7987) 2 years ago

It really feels to me that Dr. Einstein will become a better person now that he's gotten out of having to be Jonathan's lackey. You can tell he didn't really like being Jonathan's lackey through out the film.