While Alfred Hitchcock is known as the “Master of Suspense” and is remembered for his great thrillers, he did direct a lone straight comedy movie, 1941’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It’s not the legendary director’s greatest film, but it does show his versatility and provides quite a bit of laughs along its brisk 94-minute runtime. For that reason, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray is well worth checking out for cinephiles.
“If you had it to do all over again, would you have married me? Yes, gentlemen, there is a right answer. That’s something David Smith learns the hard way when his bubbly and beautiful wife Ann queries him over breakfast. Also right are radiant Carole Lombard and easygoing Robert Montgomery as the stars of this breezy Alfred Hitchcock comedy. For three years, the Smiths have been blissed but battling. When a technicality voids their union, Mr. misses Mrs., orbiting the tale into the delightful confection of the screwball genre. From a script by Academy Award winner Norman Krasna, Hitchcock made his change-of-pace foray into all-out humor memorable. Here again are his unmistakable touches, Look Magazine declared. The net effect is the same, too: another Alfred Hitchcock hit,” says the synopsis.
One thing is clear when watching the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray — Carole Lombard, who tragically died just a year after its release in a plane crash, was an absolute star. She really shines in the screwball comedy and is the epitome of a Hitchcock blonde, so it’s a shame she didn’t get to star in one of his thrillers as well. Robert Montgomery plays her husband and plays off her quite well, as Hitchcock gives both actors plenty of time to charm the audience as they wonder if they’re truly meant to be after a technicality rules their marriage void.
While it’s a black-and-white movie, the Blu-ray transfer really is gorgeous. It’s wonderful seeing such an old film in high definition, and both the sets and the actors really pop. It’s really hard to go back to the DVD version after seeing it look so wonderful on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray, so anyone who is obsessed with quality will definitely want to upgrade.
There is also a bevy of bonuses to be found on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray. There’s a very well-produced 16-minute featurette titled “Mr. Hitchcock Meets the Smiths” that goes over the film’s historical significance. Critics and historians, including Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Osborne, Richard Franklin, and Richard Schickel, all do a great job discussing its uniqueness within Hitchcock’s filmography.
The coolest extras, though, are the two audio-only radio broadcasts that adapted the film. The first, an hour-long broadcast for the Lux Radio Theater features Lombard opposite Bob Hope. It’s especially fun getting to hear Lombard play off another actor in the role. The second is a 30-minute Screen Guild Players broadcast with Errol Flynn and Lana Turner. These are wonderful pieces of history, and I’m so glad they’re preserved here.
Finally, we get some nice Warner Archive Collection bonuses in the form of two cartoons and a live-action short film. The short film is 1940’s Cinderella’s Feller, which I wasn’t familiar with. It’s a 19-minute musical directed by William C. McGann that features a few songs and a cast primarily of children. The sassy prince, played by Scotty Beckett, is particularly hilarious. Meanwhile, the two cartoons are by masters of the medium — Holiday Highlights by Tex Avery and Stage Fright by Chuck Jones. They’re not either of the legendary director’s best works, but they are fun watches, so they’re actually right at home in this collection.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray isn’t an essential purchase but no Hitchcock fan can go wrong with it. While not one of the director’s best movies, it’s a whole lot of fun to revisit and a breeze to watch. The Blu-ray is stuffed with interesting curiosities, especially the radio dramas, and it looks great. An easy recommendation.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent product from the publisher for our Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray review.
