Sandwiched between two more typical Hitchcock directorial offerings ("Foreign Correspondent" and "Suspicion"), 1941's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is a screwball comedy based upon an unlikely premise and teased to the limits of credulity and beyond. So far beyond that the screwball formula fails and the film falls flat. Though it is tempting to hypothesize that romantic comedies were so far out of Hitchcock's wheelhouse that his direction failed, the blame should be given to the screenplay.
It is said that Hitchcock strayed so far afield because he wanted to work with Carole Lombard (Ann Smith). And that he directed the film as written because he recognized his limitations in the genre. He certainly had a (dark and mischievous) sense of humor and the story could have used more of his sensibilities. One has to wonder if wartime concerns for his homeland left him distracted or somewhat alienated from comedy.
The film starts with the happy title couple enjoying one of their tiffs with playful give and take and humorous teasing. David Smith (Robert Montgomery) is later notified that their marriage is not technically legal. Viewing it as comical, he plans to inform his wife later, but she learns of the technicality first. Initially she downplays the news, but her humor quickly turns to suspicion and then anger. And this is where the film turns from comedy to comedy failure. From that moment on, her actions are that of a woman bent on revenge, with no intentions of continuing her marriage. Within twenty-four hours, she goes out with another man and makes no attempts to reconcile.
This is not to say that there are no humorous elements in the remainder of the film. It's just that are undercut by the film's prevailing dark tone.
The film is firmly rooted in the mores of its time, which is something of an annoyance for modern viewers. Concern over "What will the neighbors say?" is a common theme in many films, but here it feels inflated to an unnecessary level, especially since there is no reason to believe any "neighbor" would ever be aware of the glitch.
This could have been a marvelous film, considering the talents of Lombard and Montgomery. One can imagine an alternative script that would have been lighter in tone, with both character's actions escalating to limits of silliness. Then Lombard's fire would have been channeled into a comedic battle of wits and wills. And Montgomery would have been less a victim and more a combatant.
It is said that Hitchcock strayed so far afield because he wanted to work with Carole Lombard (Ann Smith). And that he directed the film as written because he recognized his limitations in the genre. He certainly had a (dark and mischievous) sense of humor and the story could have used more of his sensibilities. One has to wonder if wartime concerns for his homeland left him distracted or somewhat alienated from comedy.
The film starts with the happy title couple enjoying one of their tiffs with playful give and take and humorous teasing. David Smith (Robert Montgomery) is later notified that their marriage is not technically legal. Viewing it as comical, he plans to inform his wife later, but she learns of the technicality first. Initially she downplays the news, but her humor quickly turns to suspicion and then anger. And this is where the film turns from comedy to comedy failure. From that moment on, her actions are that of a woman bent on revenge, with no intentions of continuing her marriage. Within twenty-four hours, she goes out with another man and makes no attempts to reconcile.
This is not to say that there are no humorous elements in the remainder of the film. It's just that are undercut by the film's prevailing dark tone.
The film is firmly rooted in the mores of its time, which is something of an annoyance for modern viewers. Concern over "What will the neighbors say?" is a common theme in many films, but here it feels inflated to an unnecessary level, especially since there is no reason to believe any "neighbor" would ever be aware of the glitch.
This could have been a marvelous film, considering the talents of Lombard and Montgomery. One can imagine an alternative script that would have been lighter in tone, with both character's actions escalating to limits of silliness. Then Lombard's fire would have been channeled into a comedic battle of wits and wills. And Montgomery would have been less a victim and more a combatant.