Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Killing with Kindness

Thirty-two cents won’t buy much now, but it could have gotten you a cinema seat in 1944, when Frank Capra’s adaptation of Arsenic and Old Lace premiered. Cary Grant stars as a former confirmed bachelor who discovers just how bizarre his relatives are only after he marries the girl of his dreams. His elderly aunts and insane brother have made a business of politely poisoning lonely old men who have nothing to live for, then interring them in the basement. Another sibling who happens to be a gangland murderer seeks to capitalize on the situation, and hijinks ensue as the hapless newlywed tries to keep his bride in the dark. The Vergennes Opera House’s monthly movie night offers a rare chance to see Capra’s screwball comedy on the big screen, though prices have changed: $15 secures seats for a four-person family.