Arsenic and Old Lace (1969 TV Movie)
2/10
Not any better than the original
17 August 2020
Let's get the obvious out of the way: this version of Arsenic and Old Lace is a live televised play with an audience who laughs, claps, and coughs. If you're not in the mood for that, stick to the original. This version is also kept in modern time, meaning 1969. The clothes and hairstyles, not to mention dancing, are groovy.

In this quirky comedy, a man visits his two elderly aunts to introduce his fiancé, but he's appalled to find they've murdered a man and hidden him in their window seat. It's very obviously based off a play, because most of the jokes are ones that would only go over well with a theatre audience. I didn't like the original, and I liked this version even less, because at least the original cut out some of the wordy passages. However, if you like Lilian Gish and Helen Hayes, and want to see them as the doddering old biddies, you can try it. Don't expect to make it all the way through, though.
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