You mean gentle,not gentile,but I doubt they were Jewish. Yes,it is Arsenic and Old Lace - one of the funniest films and with Cary Grant at his frantic finest. A gem!!!!!!!
The question says written by a female author but Arsenic and old lace "was not written by a woman and the word gentile is correct in the wording as in quizmail no76 The clue also says published early in the 20th century.