(Miss) Jeff Donnell (yes, that's how she's billed) plays a woman who loves the charm of anything antique and buys a rundown old inn to renovate, much to the dismay of her ex-husband, Larry Parks. These two are fine in their roles as the squabbling exes, but honestly those parts are secondary to the real stars of the picture, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.
Karloff owns the place, but is being evicted and needs Donnell's cash. He asks only to stay on to finish his 'experiments' in the basement: Karloff, as sweet and grandfatherly as can be, has created a machine he's sure can turn a mere mortal into superman and win the war..unfortunately, glitches in the procedure have produced nothing except the five bodies in the wine cellar. Also staying are the chicken-obsessed housekeeper (Maude Eburne) and a handyman who likes to carry his piglets about the house.
To make the sale legal, they call in Peter Lorre..the local mayor/coroner/sheriff/seller of insurance and hair tonic. Lorre's character is terrific--dressed all in black with a cute little kitten in his pocket. Parks sees bodies (that vanish) and Donnell thinks he's just trying to scare her, and she continues to believe the loony characters are just dears. When Lorre finds out about the bodies, he doesn't make an arrest--he suggests Karloff cut him in on the invention, and they are thrilled when Maxie Rosenbloom knocks on the door selling powder puffs (all the 'subjects' were salesmen) so they crank up the machine one more time. Things go from wacky to full-blown chaos to tie up all the loose plot strings.
This was obviously a take on "Arsenic and Old Lace"..Parks is no Cary Grant and this is not on a par with that classic comedy, but it is just silly enough to be charming, and worth seeing if only for Lorre and Karloff in a comic/satirical take of their usual frightful roles.
Karloff owns the place, but is being evicted and needs Donnell's cash. He asks only to stay on to finish his 'experiments' in the basement: Karloff, as sweet and grandfatherly as can be, has created a machine he's sure can turn a mere mortal into superman and win the war..unfortunately, glitches in the procedure have produced nothing except the five bodies in the wine cellar. Also staying are the chicken-obsessed housekeeper (Maude Eburne) and a handyman who likes to carry his piglets about the house.
To make the sale legal, they call in Peter Lorre..the local mayor/coroner/sheriff/seller of insurance and hair tonic. Lorre's character is terrific--dressed all in black with a cute little kitten in his pocket. Parks sees bodies (that vanish) and Donnell thinks he's just trying to scare her, and she continues to believe the loony characters are just dears. When Lorre finds out about the bodies, he doesn't make an arrest--he suggests Karloff cut him in on the invention, and they are thrilled when Maxie Rosenbloom knocks on the door selling powder puffs (all the 'subjects' were salesmen) so they crank up the machine one more time. Things go from wacky to full-blown chaos to tie up all the loose plot strings.
This was obviously a take on "Arsenic and Old Lace"..Parks is no Cary Grant and this is not on a par with that classic comedy, but it is just silly enough to be charming, and worth seeing if only for Lorre and Karloff in a comic/satirical take of their usual frightful roles.