Arsenic and Old Lace was filmed during World War 2.
Arsenic and Old Lace (film) . Capra actually filmed the movie in 1941 because of star Cary Grant 's availability , but it was not released until 1944 , after the original stage version had finished its run on Broadway . The entire film was shot within those eight weeks . World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier .