A Remake? - Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Discussion

[–] underatedarkangel 17 years ago

I really don't think they could do this film justice of a remake. Even tho it is timeless.

Who's a major leading man like Cary Grant anymore?

I think a remake would be a joke....keep it safe from becoming a laughing stop and watch the orginal,always.

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[–] musicalnotes88 17 years ago

I definitely agree! I think it could get ruined if they did a remake.

It's too wonderful to change!

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[–] remingtonsteele1157 17 years ago

I too think, that there should be no remake. It would not be as good as the original anyway. But with Pierce Brosnan as Mortimer Brewster... :-)

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[–] majikstl 17 years ago

Mortimer ...
If you're going to go toward a Cary Grant, then the closest one we have is Hugh Grant. He'd be fine. But David Hyde Pierce is a master at this type of farce and I think that Edward Norton could do it just fine as well.

Jonathan ...
Could you get any closer to Boris Karloff than Jeremy Irons? As for general physical appearance, there's also Ted Danson

Dr. Einstein ...
Forgetting Peter Lorre for a moment, I'd suggest Leslie Jordan, from "Will and Grace."

Aunt Martha and Aunt Abby ...
Mix and match: Judi Dench, Diane Wiest, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin, Bea Arthur, etc. Personally, I'd lean toward Wiest and Tomlin.

Uncle Teddy ...
I'm going on a limb here, but how about William Shatner? He's found a new career being over the top and off the wall. (And it would be hoot if James Spader were to play Mortimer.)

Elaine ...
A thankless role, too small for most major actresses. It would depend on who plays Mortimer.

Witherspoon, etc. ...
John Mahoney, Henry Gibson, Charles Durning, etc.

Officer O'Hara ...
How about Jimmy Fallon? Funny and annoying at the same time.

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[–] Theo87 17 years ago

Jonathan ...
Could you get any closer to Boris Karloff than Jeremy Irons? As for general physical appearance, there's also Ted Danson

why boris karloff? other than that i'd agree with jeremy irons.

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[–] majikstl 17 years ago

why boris karloff? other than that i'd agree with jeremy irons.

Haven't you seen the movie? The whole joke about Jonathan is that he looks like Karloff. Einstein saw Frankenstein before operating on Jonathan. Jonathan even remarks that one of his victims said he looked like Karloff. Indeed, Boris created the role of Jonathan on Broadway and the only reason he didn't play him again in the movie was because he was still doing the play on stage.

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[–] Theo87 17 years ago

i noticed that jonathan looks like karloff i was just confused because karloff wasn't in the movie. but knowing that he played the role on stage solves the mystery for me now, thanks!

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] rahbin21 17 years ago

Oh i LIKE some of those choices! Diane Wiest would be perfect as Aunt Martha! Lilly Tomlin as Abbey would be a great combo with Wiest!
As well:
Mortimer- David Hyde Pierce is an interesting choice, but he would also be good as Dr. Einstein.
Jeremy Irons as Jonathan also interesting
Love the idea of Shatner as Teddy! Might be a bit too old though....
Agree with Jimmy Falon in running for O'Hara.

Also love the idea of Mathew Brodrick as Mortimer he has great comedic expression that would do justice to the role.

Adding my 2 pennies:
George Clooney as Mortimer, maybe-he's got that whole Cary Grant thing going on.
Bryce Dallas Howard as Elaine (perfect in my eyes)
My actor friend Dave Jackson as Teddy
Steve Buscehmi as Jonathan OR Dr. Einstein
Johnny Depp as either Mortimer, Jonathan OR Dr. Einstein (he's so versatile he could do all 3)

There can be no better version than the org. yet every time i watch it i get a huge desire as a filmmkaker to remake Arsenic and Old Lace as a homage, not because i think i could do it better (impossible). Just to experience it would be a treat. If and when that happens it won't be for awhile, but i can't stop the desire.

Question is...make it more modern or stick to the org 40's era?

"Repulsion is the sentry that gurads the gate to all that we most desire"-
Salvador Dali

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[–] BoudreauxO76 17 years ago

Very good cast majikstl, in fact as far as I can pretty near flawless choices. You make the calls I'll start working on the modern day version...

I hope one day y'all will be talking about my stories on this website.

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[–] jsparacino 15 years ago

A remnake if done thoughtfully; by someone like Peter Jackson, with Kevin J. O'Connor as Dr. Einstein would be a lot of fun.

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[–] ObscureAuteur 15 years ago

Your survey of possible cast members for a remake of this movie is the as good an argument against it as I can imagine. Thank you.

CB

Good Times, Noodle Salad

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[–] wisherc13 15 years ago

I really can't see Hugh Grant or Ed Norton as Mortimer Brewster- I love them both, but I can't see them playing this particular role.

The only one I could really see however, would be Johnny Depp- he just has the presence like Cary Grant did while on screen. If not he, in a wierd way, I can see Pierce Brosnan playing it, or George Clooney?

It would be hard for anyone when they have such a performance as Cary Grant's to live up to though...

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[–] rneil95 11 years ago

Shatner is far too old to play Mortimer's brother. Otherwise, I think these choices are decent.

I don't read the script. The script reads me.

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[–] TheGreatArtiste 8 years ago

Witherspoon, etc. ...
John Mahoney, Henry Gibson, Charles Durning, etc.

Sadly all deceased now...

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[–] drxcreatures 8 years ago

Hugh WOULD have been good for a re-make.

As for Elaine, any pretty face will do. I think a lot of these 'major actresses' would jump for the job.

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

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[–] BarrisDarkly 15 years ago

George Clooney is considered the modern Cary Grant. But then again, Steve Martin is considered the new Peter Sellers, and that's completely heinous.

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[–] ObscureAuteur 15 years ago

Even more heinous is the way Martin has been appropriating roles from Sellers and titles from various places lately.

CB

Good Times, Noodle Salad

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[–] uberpsicho 17 years ago

When I was reading the play I envisioned that Matthew Broderick playing the part of Mortimer.

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[–] tcc0 17 years ago

you could remake it, but not updated for time, the countless karloff jokes are just too funny, and theres not modern comparrison to him with out going over the top. say you tried making the joke that he looked like freddy kruger, six or seven jokes about him looking like robert england? it just wouldnt work. would love to see it remade though, hilarious, due to his brief run in "capra esque" roles i'd have to suggest jim carrey as mortimer, maybe kathy bates as one of the aunts, tough call on the rest. theres so many roles that are perfect for the old time charecter actors that have no contemporary though

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[–] tamturner 16 years ago

I actually saw a stage version of the play in New York and Alec Baldwin played the lead and was fantastic!

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[–] LesterFester 16 years ago

I don't see this one as an un-touchable. I think with the right cast it could be done well for a new audiance. I saw it on Broadway 20+ years ago starring:
Abe Vigoda ... Jean Stapleton ... Polly Holiday ... William Hickey
I don't know why I don't remember this part more clearly but when they took their final bows they even had extras come out as the 'dearly departed'. I think one of them was Mayor Ed Koch.

" ... never send to know for whom the bell tolls ... "

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[–] mrplankton 17 years ago

can't quite imagine a remake. adored the original cast too much. but some of youre casting suggestions are rather good.

cheers.

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[–] ThePJN 17 years ago

There's nothing wrong with remakes. Well there is but on certain rolls of the dice they can work rather well. I think as of late a glut of horrible ones just tainted the remake train. Hollywood moves in trends unfortunately and remakes are "in".

(I still remember the day "The Manchurian Candidate" died. Mr. Demme shooting a conversation using nothing but two POV shots of the people speaking work in "The Silence of the Lambs" for a reason. Take it down a notch.)

Remakes can be given more slack for good reason. First being a good concept. One that can be transformed and further explored. The second being an original source that is flexible to begin with, like a play. Many performers will play the roles on stage anyhow. Why not explore it on the screen again?

I'm done ranting for now. Sorry about that.

Clooney as Mortimer would be great but it seems like an obvious choice as opposed to perhaps:

-Brandon Routh
-Cillian Murphy
-Omar Epps
-Topher Grace
-Sam Rockwell

Just brainstorming, off the top of my head.

You know why the chicken crossed the road? Because the road crossed the chicken.

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[–] ladym00s 15 years ago

There is everything wrong with remakes! They are a cheap (in every sense) way to make money. When it is a remake of a great classic, it is unnecessary at best. There is no reason to ever remake a good movie. To make the same movie over again and market it as something new and fresh is dishonest and cheap.

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[–] jazzmantrey 15 years ago

There is nothing wrong with re-makes. The Maltese Falcon had all ready been filmed twice before John Huston directed the version with Bogart, and that third try of the story is the best of the three.

I don't mind a re-make if it's well done, especially in the case of something that's a book or a play. A play can be done over and over and each production will have different highs and lows, and be a fresh look at an old favorite. just because Olivier did a film of Hamlet, does that mean Branagh shouldn't have?

as far as the questions of up-dating go, I'm against it with this film. The time setting is to integral to the story. Jokes about Karloff and Teddy Roosevelt, as well as the idea that the aunts with no effort are able to not get caught just seem to require the 1930's.

This film is excellent, but it is a film of a play, as good as it is, it's not really origonal if it's an adaptation. With a good cast, and a director it could be re-made just fine, and as with some other films, a re-make could draw younger audiences to view this classic original.

I guess I'm just a little long winded, i didn't mean to write this much.

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[–] souls2squeeze 15 years ago

Maltese Falcoln and Hamlet were both texts before they were films. A&OL was not. (Re)making a film from the original source material, as braunaugh did, is completely different from trying to make a film that's been made "even better". i can name infinity billion (a real number) more terrible remakes than you can name good ones. I don't disagree it can be done, I just don't see the need to remake a perfectly decent movie. As you say, the first two MFs were not as good as the third, there was a need there. But A&OL is already awesome and needs no improvement.

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[–] jazzmantrey 13 years ago

I know it's been a long time, but I was browsing again and saw your post. I must correct you, Arsenic and Old Lace was a text before it was a film. It was a successful play on Broadway before it was ever made into a film, the original stage cast even actually had Boris Karloff as Jonathan. I don't mean to deny that most remakes are bad, or even unjustifiable garbage, but my argument is simply that re-makes are not an inherently bad concept, and when done well the result can be something great even if not as good as the original.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] rexshard93 17 years ago

No Remakes. Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, Raymond Massey, Priscilla Lane, Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, Jack Carson, and others were great.

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[–] IFeelLikeAnActor 17 years ago

NO WAY

It's going to fall from Top 250 and when that happens I don't want people not seeing this classic dark comedy. If they see the remake instead that would be horrid.

"Dont' just stnad there, do something!"
"Help. Police. Murder."

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[–] MrsChurch 15 years ago

I personally don't think they could do justice to the story. I would probably not watch it. Look what they did to 'Psycho' with the remake. Although, I do think George Clooney could have played Mortimer. He reminds me a little of Cary Grant. Not as good, though.

ETHEL: Common sense has nothing to do with it. When I say he's wrong, he's wrong.

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[–] singhellotaku617 17 years ago

keep in mind that Are We Done Yet? is a remake of Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House, thats what a Carey Grant remake looks like....god help us

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[–] tytyler75 17 years ago

The only reason I want a remake is because it would respark attention to this movie, and more people in my generation will see it.

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[–] Jerome-Springer 17 years ago

Why make a remake when it was done right the first time. Personally, just hearing the mention of a remake makes my skin crawl, and flashes me back to when they remade "Psycho." People need to have more respect for classics.

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[–] WesJones87 16 years ago

IF they did remake it, the only person I'd be botrhered about would be Pierce Brosnan playin Mortimer.

EDIT: I've also just seen somebody suggest Robert De Niro for Johnathon and Joe Pesci as Dr. Einstein. De Niro is a rather fitting choice for Johnathon, as De Niro has also played Frankensteins monster (so maybe instead of Karloff references, they have Frankenstein references).
Pesci I'm not too sure about, as i can't imagine Einstein talking in Pesci's unmistakeable voice.

----------
"Oh I'm Sorry, Did I Break Your Concentration?"

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] DeadLydiah 16 years ago

No definitely they can't remake this without turning it into a bad horror movie, they couldn't do dark humor like that now, it would be inevitably bad

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[–] ltarex 16 years ago

I don't know why they need to remake everything! They haven't got usable ideas so they just re-use an old one. Remakes are usually really bad plus they spoil the original film. They shouldn't make a remake of this classic (or any other great films)!

"A voice from behind me reminds me. Spread out your wings you are an angel."

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[–] fit_ov_fury 16 years ago

What the *beep* are you on?? Why ruin the legacy of another great film by remaking it. It'd end up as sh!t as The Ladykillers.

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[–] Lucky_C 16 years ago

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! This film is superb and requires no alteration.

http://nicks-china-tales.blogspot.com/

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Harold_Robbins 16 years ago

It was taped for television in the 1969 with Fred Gwynne, Lillian Gish, Helen Hayes and Bob Crane - I remember watching it.

There was also a Broadway revival in 1986 that starred Jean Stapleton and Polly Holliday as Abby and Martha, Abe Vigoda as Jonathan, and Tony Roberts as Mortimer - it ran for 221 performances.

Of course, in the minds of musical comedy fans, one of those "dream musicals" that remained a dream would have been a musical version of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE - starring Ethel Merman and Mary Martin!!!

And if it were filmed again today, at least they're no Production Code to demand that Mortimer be a "son-of-a-sea cook" rather than a bastard (they took the bark out of Father's last line in LIFE WITH FATHER, as well, "I'm going to be baptized, dammit!" - Warners should have just paid a fine [as Selznick did] and kept the line - and FATHER's intergrity - intact).

"Stone-cold sober I find myself absolutely fascinating!"---Katharine Hepburn

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[–] MagusPinhead 16 years ago

I agree! This is one of my favourite classics! It's a platinum movie and it shoudln't be remade! But... if they do(because hollywood doesn't have moral boundaries), I really hope that Buscemi will be Dr. Einstein!

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[–] JacktheDullBoy 16 years ago

I'm glad someone else recognizes how utterly perfect it would be if Steve Buscemi played Dr. Einstein, I was worried I was the only one. But as far as a remake goes, the cast would have to be perfect as well as the director, so here's my dream Arsenic and Old Lace cast and crew.

Mortimer Brewster- Guy Pearce
Jonathan Brewster- Sean Penn
Teddy Brewster- Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Elaine Harper- Mena Suvari
Reverand Harper- Jack Nicholson
Dr. Einstein- Steve Buscemi
Mr. Witherspoon- Forest Whitaker
Taxi driver/coffee pot- Edward Norton
Aunts- Lauren Bacall and Frances Sternhagen

I think the Coen brothers would be perfect for directing a remake, or Rob Reiner.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

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[–] BarrisDarkly 16 years ago

Mortimer Brewster = Kevin Spacey
Taxi Driver = Robert DeNiro

'Nuff said.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] vinidici 16 years ago

Just because I like you, mfan, doesn't mean I can't disagree with you on a few things.

Remakes aren't always a bad thing. William Shakespeare's plays, for example, have been "remade" and performed probably every single night for at least the last 100 years!

Sometimes remakes are better, too! Compare 1939's "Wizard of Oz," for instance, with its 1925 silent counterpart; the 1925 version (an excerpt of it is on YouTube) must make Ed Wood's corpse in his grave grin from ear to ear! I enjoyed 1925's Ben-Hur but its Charlton Heston remake of 1959 still outedges the previous version on many levels. The 1923 "The Ten Commandments" is very good, too, but it pales in comparison to its director's (Cecil B. DeMille) second shot with the '56 Heston version.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" came from a stage play, at any rate, and plays that are made into movies have a way of being filmed again, every so often--especially plays that are still being performed.

I know how you feel, though; the 1944 movie will probably never be excelled by newer versions. But we really shouldn't wish to deprive any modern actor of his ambition to take on classic roles, whether it's from a Shakespeare or other play or from a classic film that's gathered dust for so long that newer generations are no longer familiar with it.

The icing on the cake of any remake (even INFERIOR remakes!) is that it calls attention back to the ORIGINALS. Now, THAT is a GOOD thing!

Secret Message, HERE!-->CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've discovered the Secret Message!

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] boldandredhead 16 years ago

Nope, not just you. Anybody who's watched Arsenic and old lace would tell you that it's a bad, bad, terrible, horrid and brainless idea.
The people who watch newer remakes and love them are mostly kids or young people (bad, bad, terrible, horrid and brainless people who think Adam Sandler is a good actor) who don't even know there's an far superior original than the crapmake.
But then again, that's just me. And everybody else on the planet who watches "the originals".

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[–] vinidici 16 years ago

I have had to eat crow and re-edit because I didn't correctly read what I replied to! Sorry about that, Chief! But I shall retain most of the next paragraph to cite an example of inferior remakes.

I don't dislike Adam Sandler, by the way; I enjoyed "The Waterboy" and "Happy Gilmore," for instance. But if anyone thinks Sandler's remake of "Mr Deeds Goes to Town" is better than the original, well, I guess all I can do is shrug the ol' shoulders and wonder why anyone would think Sandler and the director of "Deeds" could outdo Gary Cooper and Frank Capra in ANY example of filmmaking. Anyone really think "Deeds" is gonna be remembered in another 10-15 years? Not damned likely! It's already beginning to slip MY mind, a mere few years after viewing it! "Mr Deeds Goes to Town," on the otherhand, is still watched by film lovers over 70 years later and, for probably another 20-30 will still be "the gold standard" that's still awaiting a worthy remake.

Secret Message, HERE!-->CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've discovered the Secret Message!

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[–] 16 years ago

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