DVD Corner

Mr. And Mrs. Smith Blu-ray Review

“Mr. And Mrs. Smith” is a fairly one-note screwball comedy. 

Not to be confused with the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie film of the same name, 1941’s “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” is a screwball comedy written by Norman Krasna. Set in New York, the story revolves around a married couple- David and Ann Smith. They love each other dearly, but are prone to quarrels that can span several days. After one such feud, Ann asks David bluntly that if he had the chance to do it all over again, would he still marry her? David answers honestly that he would not as he would prefer independence. In a strange twist of fate, David soon learns that his marriage is not actually legal due to strange circumstances. David assumes that he will marry Ann officially again, but Ann refuses. David tries to win her back, but Ann ends up seeing David’s law firm partner Jeff. Both David and Ann go on to essentially play games and make each other jealous. Will the two make up or is their relationship truly over?

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the Master of Suspense, but he also dabbled in comedy with “Mr. And Mrs. Smith.” While Hitchcock clearly tries to make the best of a thin script with plenty of style and expertly filmed sequences (like the dinner sequence), the relationship comedy offers little in the way of laughs. It’s a very straight-forward screwball comedy with plenty of tiresome bickering and posturing before the inevitable happy ending. If anything, the movie is more frustrating than funny as you know these two foolish characters simply need to work things out. 

The lone bright spots here are Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. Whether they are on screen together or navigating life on their own, the two actors turn in noteworthy performances in an otherwise not so noteworthy film. Lombard in particular really does her best to elevate the material. She owns the screen.       

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? The B&W film gets a clean new print. 

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? There are noticeable crackles, but the 2.0 track is adequate.  

Extras:
* Trailer
* 2 cartoons titled “Holiday Highlights” and “Stage Fright.”
* A short film titled “Cinderella’s Feller”
* 2 audio drama adaptations- One Lux Radio Theater drama featuring Carole Lombard and Bob Hope and a Screen Guild Radio broadcast featuring Errol Flynn and Lana Turner.
* “Mr. Hitchcock Meets The Smiths”- A vintage featurette that covers Hitchcock doing a screwball comedy. Film clips, interviews, cast discussions, and more are included.

July 19, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Alfred Hitchcock, Carole Lombard, Mr. And Mrs. Smith Blu-ray Review, Robert Montgomery, Screwball Comedy, Warner Archive