Classical Comedy Movie given New Life through Black Widows - Mad or Not?

A duo from Los Angeles, originally natives of Hungary, have been dubbed as the ‘Black Widows’. Helen Golay, 77 and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, sat stony faced in court, as they heard the sentence of life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole. (Whatever that means to elderly women in their late seventies?)

The duo were found guilty, after having met two homeless men, aged 73 and 50, whom they befriended at an Eastern European church. They found accommodation for the men to live in and then took out life policies, (insurance-with-intent-to-murder). They had found an insurance company which would pay regardless of illness, or accidental cause. The company slogan is ‘No Hassle, No investigations’.

The two women signed the forms, using rubber stamps, on which they had transferred the men’s signatures. The grannies then arranged to have the two men to be accidentally killed in hit-and-run accidents, in a dark alley.

Rutterschmidt said she was a cousin, while Golay claimed she was the fiancé of both victims. The women proceeded to collect $US2.8 million, before their scheme was revealed. The homeless men had been only looking for some neighborly assistance. Sadly they received a lot more than they had anticipated.

In his closing comments Judge Wesley said, "The two men you killed needed a helping hand. They thought they were getting this from you. Instead these unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altar of greed." Wesley said he had looked up the word greed. Among other things, he found the definition, ‘A selfish desire for money, with no intention of using it, just the desire to have it.’

What were women in their late seventies going to do with all that money? Even more alarming is the unanswered question of whether the women are responsible for deaths, involving six life insurance policies, which were not paid out, because of suspicious circumstances. In 1999 and 2005 Paul Vados and Kenneth McDavid were crushed by cars. Both men were insured by Golay and Rutterschmidt.

The original play of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ was a startling break-through from the usual theater of the day. The producers, Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Crouse, knew what all successful entrepreneurs know - it takes only one wacky idea to either make or break you. They were fully aware of the huge risk they were taking. Either they would be run out of town by outraged citizens, or the play would be a rip roaring success.

With 1,444 performances, ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ proudly takes its place amongst some of the longest running shows on Broadway, paying its backers 40 to 1. It is one of the most frequently reproduced plays of the last four decades, even in countries as far reaching as Brazil and Romania. In 1986 it was reproduced on Broadway. This time costing a lot more than the original play did.

The central characters of the comedy were the Brewster sisters. They were renowned for the neighborly attentions they lavished on all who needed them, as well as their devotion to each other and their charities. A dozen old men, who had no families, were put out of their lonely miserable existence, by the kindly sisters. The women believed their self-appointed task was to assist the men to gain eternal peace. This was achieved through the Brewster’s’ delicious concoction of homemade elderberry wine, liberally dosed with cyanide, arsenic and strychnine.

They buried their victims in the cellar, making sure they gave them a proper funeral, accompanied with appropriate hymns, according to the religious preference of the men. The graves were dug by their unsuspecting nephew.

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ was converted into the much watched movie by Frank Capra, starring Carey Grant. The film made considerable alterations to the original script. It included a sugar-coating ending, whereas the original play had a definite feeling of blackness to the comedy. Thousands have enjoyed a good laugh watching the movie, over the years.

Very few things become classics, such as the 1934 song ‘Blue Moon’, or films such as ‘Arsenic and Lace.’ It is rare that any of the classics become played out in real life. Did Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt, the Black Widows, watch and copy the movie? Some may have said the widows were merely eccentric. For the victims it was a lethal nightmare, movie plot or not.

Either Golay and Rutterschmidt were two very clever old women, or mad. Maybe they are lunatics who have no logic, morons with twisted logic, or confused fools looking for entertainment. You be the judge.

Arsenic and Old Lace
Black Widows