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Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
Alfred Hitchcock made a rare and entertaining foray into romantic comedy with 1941's Mr. & Mrs. Smith that works thanks to Hitchcock's mastery, which is not disguised under the guise of comedy, and the sparkling performances from his stars.
Robert Montgomery and the fabulous Carole Lombard play David and Ann Smith, a sophisticated Manhattan couple who have been married for three years and work very hard at it. They have a rule to never leave their bedroom angry and, as the film opens, the have just spent three days locked in their room (their record is eight). After foolishly admitting to Ann that if he had it do all over again, he wouldn't marry Ann, David goes to work and learns from a man from Ann's old hometown that their marriage was invalid and they are not legally married. The man then breaks the news to Ann, who is certain that David will want to rectify the situation and remarry that night. David attempts to keep the news from Ann and when she suspects he never plans to tell him, she angrily throws him out of the house.
Hitchcock is given a terrific screenplay to work with by Norman Krasna (White Christmas), a sexy and intelligent battle of the sexes that finds most of the bad moves in the story coming from the husband. We're never sure what he was thinking trying to keep the news from Ann and once Ann learns the truth, we're not sure if she is really through with David or if she's trying to manipulate him back into the relationship. It was impressive that once Ann learned of her marital status, she went back to her maiden name, barred David from the house and even got a job.
What isn't clear in the screenplay comes through in Hitchcock's direction, which never goes for the conventional. Loved the moment when David tells Ann that he wouldn't marry her again. Instead of showing us the shocked look on her face, Hitchcock first shows her feet under the table, untangling themselves from his. The scene at the nightclub where David tries to make Ann jealous, kills it thanks to a specific piece of business where David is purposely trying to hurt his nose, which you just know was Hitchcock's brainchild, though beautifully realized by Montgomery. This is also the first scene where we get a hint that there might be a happy ending somewhere down the pike, thanks to Hitchcock and the incomparable comic timing of Carole Lombard.
This subject matter was addressed about a decade later in a 1952 comedy called We're Not Married. but that film looked at five different couples, not one. This concentrated look at one couple was a lot more fun and less predictable, thanks to a master filmmaker in the director's chair, even if he was working out of his comfort zone.
I haven't seen a lot of Robert Montgomery's work. but I found him utterly charming as the pompous, vain, and lovable Mr. Smith, struggling to save a marriage that means more to him than he thought. Carole Lombard gives a master classing in acting in her deliciously underplayed performance as Ann, a performance so carefully crafted that the audience almost never knows what Ann is thinking. Gene Raymond impresses as Jeff, David's alleged BFF and there's an early, very funny appearance from Jack Carson as a guy staying at the club where David moves after Ann kicks him out. The required happy ending might take a little longer than we hoped, but Hitchcock offers a funny and smooth ride here.
Alfred Hitchcock made a rare and entertaining foray into romantic comedy with 1941's Mr. & Mrs. Smith that works thanks to Hitchcock's mastery, which is not disguised under the guise of comedy, and the sparkling performances from his stars.
Robert Montgomery and the fabulous Carole Lombard play David and Ann Smith, a sophisticated Manhattan couple who have been married for three years and work very hard at it. They have a rule to never leave their bedroom angry and, as the film opens, the have just spent three days locked in their room (their record is eight). After foolishly admitting to Ann that if he had it do all over again, he wouldn't marry Ann, David goes to work and learns from a man from Ann's old hometown that their marriage was invalid and they are not legally married. The man then breaks the news to Ann, who is certain that David will want to rectify the situation and remarry that night. David attempts to keep the news from Ann and when she suspects he never plans to tell him, she angrily throws him out of the house.
Hitchcock is given a terrific screenplay to work with by Norman Krasna (White Christmas), a sexy and intelligent battle of the sexes that finds most of the bad moves in the story coming from the husband. We're never sure what he was thinking trying to keep the news from Ann and once Ann learns the truth, we're not sure if she is really through with David or if she's trying to manipulate him back into the relationship. It was impressive that once Ann learned of her marital status, she went back to her maiden name, barred David from the house and even got a job.
What isn't clear in the screenplay comes through in Hitchcock's direction, which never goes for the conventional. Loved the moment when David tells Ann that he wouldn't marry her again. Instead of showing us the shocked look on her face, Hitchcock first shows her feet under the table, untangling themselves from his. The scene at the nightclub where David tries to make Ann jealous, kills it thanks to a specific piece of business where David is purposely trying to hurt his nose, which you just know was Hitchcock's brainchild, though beautifully realized by Montgomery. This is also the first scene where we get a hint that there might be a happy ending somewhere down the pike, thanks to Hitchcock and the incomparable comic timing of Carole Lombard.
This subject matter was addressed about a decade later in a 1952 comedy called We're Not Married. but that film looked at five different couples, not one. This concentrated look at one couple was a lot more fun and less predictable, thanks to a master filmmaker in the director's chair, even if he was working out of his comfort zone.
I haven't seen a lot of Robert Montgomery's work. but I found him utterly charming as the pompous, vain, and lovable Mr. Smith, struggling to save a marriage that means more to him than he thought. Carole Lombard gives a master classing in acting in her deliciously underplayed performance as Ann, a performance so carefully crafted that the audience almost never knows what Ann is thinking. Gene Raymond impresses as Jeff, David's alleged BFF and there's an early, very funny appearance from Jack Carson as a guy staying at the club where David moves after Ann kicks him out. The required happy ending might take a little longer than we hoped, but Hitchcock offers a funny and smooth ride here.