July Book + Film Club: The Story of Arsenic and Old Lace
Schedule
Wed Jul 24 2024 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Sidewalk Film | Birmingham, AL
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Book: THERE'S A BODY IN THE WINDOW SEAT! by Charles DennisThere’s a Body in the Window Seat! is a detailed history of one of the most beloved American murder-mysteries and comedies, Arsenic and Old Lace. Actor, director, and playwright Charles Dennis investigates the mystery behind the play: how did a true-life crime in Connecticut turn into a comedy? And who are the real writers that deserve credit for its long-lasting success?
Dennis brings an insider’s view to Joseph Kesselring’s attempts to write Arsenic and Old Lace and how producers had to step in to save the play from his heavy hand. He also follows the actors, both on the stage and on the screen, as they handle the demands of the roles and behind-the-scenes relationships.
Film: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) Dir. Frank Capra
Frank Capra adapted a hit stage play for this marvelous screwball meeting of the madcap and the macabre. On Halloween, newly married drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant, cutting loose in a hilariously harried performance) returns home to Brooklyn, where his adorably dotty aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, who both starred in the Broadway production) greet him with love, sweetness . . . and a grisly surprise: the corpses buried in their cellar. A bugle-playing brother (John Alexander) who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, a crazed criminal (Raymond Massey) who’s a dead ringer for Boris Karloff, and a seriously slippery plastic surgeon (Peter Lorre) are among the outré oddballs populating Arsenic and Old Lace, a diabolical delight that only gets funnier as the body count rises.
July MAILING Registration Deadline: Friday July 5. Books will be mailed within 72 hours of this date.
July PICK UP Registration Deadline: Monday July 15. Pick up from our box office during our operating hours of 2pm-10pm Thursday - Sunday. (You will receive an email when your book is ready to be picked up.)
Private screening and discussion will take place at Sidewalk Cinema July 24th at 7 PM.
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Where is it happening?
Sidewalk Film, 1821 2nd Ave. N.,Birmingham,AL,United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
