Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace"

This play has such nostalgic qualities whenever I watch it. See, back when I was in those blissfully awkward high school days, Arsenic and Old Lace was one of the first plays I ever acted in. I played Gibbs and the Officer O’Hara. I remember on the second performance, I forgot some of my lines. I walked out there as Officer O’Hara and then *BAM* just froze! And I looked at Mr. Mortimer and there was his awkward silence and then I just jumped to my last line and then exit stage left. When I got behind the curtain, I was thinking what the hell my lines were and when I read the script, I felt so stupid! But in fairness I was exhausted from the first night and my throat was sore. I was lucky to even make it through the performance as Gibbs.

Brewster Brothers Stare-Down!! with Peter Lorre!

But enough about me. My favorite part of this movie version is the Peter Lorre performance, especially his first few lines. Classic! Cary Grant over-acts his way thru this Frank Capra movie. It’s not one his better performances, though he’ll have more starring roles as we work our way thru the years. And John Alexander is excellent as the delusional Theodore Roosevelt. But right now, I’m gonna kick back and reminisce about those high school days… Wonder where my yearbook is…