Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Norman Krasna (story)
Norman Krasna (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Lombard and Montgomery Get Hitched As They're Getting Unhitched ! [DVD USA]

Plot:

Not a typical Hitchcock movie, this is a comedy about a couple who learn that their marriage was not valid.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | New York | Restaurant | Taxicab | Fairground

Cast

Carole Lombard	...	Ann
Robert Montgomery	...	David
Gene Raymond	...	Jeff
Jack Carson	...	Chuck
Philip Merivale	...	Mr. Custer
Lucile Watson	...	Mrs. Custer
William Tracy	...	Sammy
Charles Halton	...	Mr. Deever
Esther Dale	...	Mrs. Krausheimer
Emma Dunn	...	Martha
Betty Compson	...	Gertie
Patricia Farr	...	Gloria
William Edmunds	...	Proprietor Lucy's
Pamela Blake	...	Lily (as Adele Pearce)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Alexander	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	Harold, Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Waiter Captain (uncredited)
Georgia Carroll	...	Attractive Woman in Night Club (uncredited)
Francis Compton	...	Mr. Flugle (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Nightclub Dance Extra (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Thomas, Beefeaters Club Clerk (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Cop (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Attractive Woman's Escort (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Elevator boy (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man passing David Smith on Street (uncredited)
D. Johnson	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Store Manager (uncredited)
Beatrice Maude	...	Jeff's Secretary (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Dining Taxi Driver (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Conway (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Store checker (uncredited)
Stanley Taylor	...	Lodge Clerk (uncredited)
Russell Wade	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Barbara Woodell	...	Sunny - David's Secretary (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Norman Krasna		(story)
Norman Krasna		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry E. Edington	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase
Albert S. D'Agostino		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Irene		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dewey Starkey	....	assistant director

Art Department
Lawrence P. Williams	....	associate art director (as L.P. Williams)

Sound Department
John E. Tribby	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Music Department
Roy Webb	....	musical director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1957) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2008) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

South Korea:12 | USA:TV-G | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:7 (1945) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6670) | UK:U (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Carole Lombard, in order to twit Alfred Hitchcock and generate publicity about his comment that "actors are cattle", set up a miniature cattle pen on the set. The pen held three heifers, each emblazoned with the name of one of the three stars.

Quotes:

David: I will never forget you in that little blue dress.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mr. Hitchcock Meets the Smiths (2004) (V)

Lombard and Montgomery are a great team....

When I put this movie on I was drowsy, and depressed. It did two things for me after I put it on. It kept me awake, thus entertaining me, and it put a smile on my face.

There are some genuine laughs in this movie, and the comedy is spread between all the characters. Robert Montgomery is extremely funny, with both excellent physical comedy, and great comedic timing with his dialogue. What surprised me most was the excellent comedic timing of Carole Lombard. She is extremely funny, but her chemistry with Montgomery in their scenes together is fantastic.

The direction, of course, is excellent. Not standard Hitchcock suspense, but classic Hitchcock comedy and romance, elements of his film making that a lot of people overlook.

Honestly, this is a fun movie. The humor is intelligent and never sinks to an infantile level. I had never heard of this movie until about two days ago, and I watched it and I was pleasantly surprised. 8 out of 10.