The classic movie Cary Grant wanted to delete from history: “Not my kind of humour”
Cary Grant was one of the greatest comedic actors of his generation, mastering the art of screwball comedy better than any of his male peers. It was a genre built around female actors, and Grant understood the assignment. When paired with Katharine Hepburn, Rosalind Russell, or Irene Dunne, he knew when to take a backseat and when to set them up for the perfect punchline.
His performances often came across as low-key. He was masterful at delivering complex mouthfuls of dialogue as fluidly and naturally as if he were discussing the weather. He didn’t have to resort to wild physical antics or exaggerated expressions because he recognised that less was better. He tossed off his lines with a lightness that allowed the jokes to land softly, not with a thud. This often made him seem like he wasn’t doing much, but that lack of theatricality was, in itself, a masterclass in film acting.
It’s no surprise that the one time he was forced into wild gesticulating, Grant despised the results. The film was Arsenic and Old Lace, a comedy about a theatre critic (Grant) who is newly married to a minister’s daughter (Priscilla Lane). Before they can embark on their honeymoon, he stops by his aunts’ house only to discover that they have taken up the habit of murdering lonely bachelors as a form of public charity. The plot unfolds at breakneck speed and involves plenty of panto-level mugging for the camera.
Grant had every reason to believe the film would be a slam dunk before he set foot on the soundstage. It was an adaptation of the longest-running comedy on Broadway and directed by Frank Capra, the cinematic genius behind such classics as It Happened One Night, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and later, It’s a Wonderful Life. But the style of humour was completely out of whack with Grant’s sensibilities.
Capra clearly knew this. Before approaching the Bringing Up Baby star, he offered the role to two comedians who no one would ever accuse of subtlety — Jack Benny and Bob Hope. When that didn’t work out, he told Grant that he was his first and only choice for the part, a lie that would haunt both of them.
Whenever it came up in conversation throughout the rest of his life, Grant always said that Arsenic and Old Lace was his worst and least favourite performance. Capra insisted that he wring every last drop of comedy out of each line of dialogue, which consequently made it not at all funny. Grant is over-acting the hell out of his role, and he did so against his will. It was not, he would explain later, “my kind of humour… too much hysterical shouting and extremely broad double takes.”
He was hoping to fix some of his frustrations with reshoots, but that was ruled out with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Capra disappeared to join the Signal Corps, and Grant donated his salary to the British Red Cross. Interestingly, Arsenic and Old Lace has become a classic for some cineastes. Even Martin Scorsese has listed it as one of his favourite movies. Compared to Grant’s other work in screwball comedy, though, it pales in comparison.
