“Have you suddenly gone crazy?” — Priscilla Lane

“No, no, I don’t think so. But it’s only a matter of time.” — Cary Grant

Grab a big cauldron, stir in two sweet little old ladies with the unusual hobby of murdering lonely old men and burying them in the cellar, mix in a nephew who’s a sadistic killer, sprinkle in another nephew who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, then add to the pot yet one more nephew who’s normal, and heading to Niagra Falls for a honeymoon with his very pretty bride, and what you have is one of the funniest screwball comedies ever made!

Frank Capra of all people, famous for his blend of comedy and social commentary, was dying to do this picture after seeing the stage play by Joseph Kesselring. Julias J. and Philip G. Epstein wrote the very dark yet very funny screenplay. Once Cary Grant and pretty Priscilla Lane signed on, a screen classic was born. Grant’s takes and double-takes in this film are hilarious, and part of the reason everyone loves Cary Grant. Since everyone knows the premise of this film favorite, I won’t be spoiling anything by talking about it.

Mortimer Brewster (Grant) is the successful playwright of “The Bachelor’s Bible” so he is attempting is to marry his lovely sweetheart Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane) in secret, before the press gets wind of it and have a field day. But when the couple stops by after the wedding on their way to Niagra Falls, he discovers something that turns his day upside down!

Grant’s reaction to discovering his Aunt Martha (Jean Adair) and Aunt Abby (Josephine Hull) are hiding a body in the window seat is a riot. His reactions are even more hilarious when they admit to having several bodies buried in the cellar! It seems his crazy brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, thinks they’ve died of yellow fever, and has been giving them a proper burial in what he believes to be the Panama Canal.

Elaine has been next door at her father's house (James Gleason) and can’t understand why Mortimer is acting so strangely, and trying get rid of her. While Mortimer is trying to get Teddy institutionalized his long-lost and quite diabolical brother Jonathan (Raymond Massey) shows up with his crazy little plastic surgeon (Peter Lorre) in tow. They’ve got a stiff of their own on their hands.Just who the nervous little plastic surgeon has cut Jonathan to look like is another riot.

Friendly cop on the beat O'Hara (Jack Carson) stops by for more fun, and there is a wild ending that somehow manages to work everything out. Mortimer has told his young wife, after all: “Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops!" Elaine may not believe him, but a trip to the cellar this Halloween night might change her mind!

Grant is terrific here and more than makes up for a couple of slow spots. Priscilla Lane has always been a favorite of mine, acquitting herself nicely, and quite attractively as always. If you want to see a darkly hilarious screwball comedy from a director who practically invented the genre, this is your film right here. One of Grant’s finest and most frantic performances. ( )

Movie

One of the funniest films ever made and one that I have watched over and over. Cary Grant is at his best, Uncle Teddy is so well-played that you forget it is an actor pretending to be crazy, and the rest of the cast is excellent. If only, Boris Karloff had been in this film version! Just imagine perfection being improved on. And stay away from that window seat if you don't want to catch yellow fever. ( )

A man discovers his elderly aunts are serial murderers.

3/4 (Good).

Goofy fun. Peter Lorre should have done more comedies.

(Apr. 2018) ( )

A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family. ( )