Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Plot synopsis:
DAVID and ANN SMITH have a volatile marriage, to say the least. They also have several "rules" concerning their marriage. One is that they will not leave their room until they've patched up after a quarrel. The latest goes on for three days. David, a lawyer, hangs up his whole STAFF while the bickering couple patch it up.Once they've made up, they're back at the usual loving bickering. They also have a rule that once a day they can ask the other a question in which they must answer honestly. Mrs. Smith asks her beloved: "If they could do it all over again, would he marry her?" Mr. Smith, believing honesty is the best policy, tells her "No," which is decidedly the wrong answer.That afternoon, MR. DEEVER comes to see David. An officious man, Deever informs David that because of a legal technicality, he and his wife aren't legally married. They'll have to marry again. David's somewhat amused by the whole idea, not realizing that Mr. Deever also goes to see Ann, telling her the same thing.David takes Ann out for a romantic evening, going to the restaurant they used to attend, which has now become somewhat of a hovel. Further, the dress that Ann wore when they were courting doesn't quite fit. When David takes Ann up to the apartment and appears intent upon still sleeping with her, Ann is outraged when she realizes he, too, knows they aren't legally married and intends taking "advantage."Furious, Ann tosses him out of their apartment. David seeks solace at a local club, where carousing member CHUCK BENSON gives him advice. Now David finds himself in a peculiar position. Having stated that morning to Ann that he might not marry her again if he had it to do over, he now has the chance "not" to be married but now realizes he does want to be married to her, after all.Thus, David pursues her all over town. Unfortunately, Ann will have none of it. When he threatens to cut her off financially, Ann allows that she's taken a job at a department store. David tries to drag her away physically from her new position. Ann loses the job anyway, when her BOSS realizes she's married, which is against store policy.Meanwhile, David abandons his work, getting behind in his cases. His partner, JEFF, asks to make a dinner date with Ann, hoping to straighten everything out, but, to David's chagrin, Ann shows interest in Jeff and begins dating him. David retaliates by going out with some FLOOZIES arranged by club member chuck Benson, everyone ending up at the same club. David tries to extract himself from the embarrassing situation by giving himself a bloody nose - not an easy task, requiring that he bop himself in the face a few times.Ann leaves with Jeff, angry that David's "date" is acting like Florence Nightingale. Ann and Jeff attend an amusement park, getting stuck in a ride in the rain. Jeff starts getting a cold. They go back to Ann's apartment, where Jeff proves ever the gentleman, reluctant to make any moves on Ann. When he has a few drinks, he only gets goofy and she leaves.The following day, David continues following Ann, this time by cab, pretending to the CABBIE that he's a private detective. He follows her into his law office, finding her in partner Jeff's office, along with Jeff's PARENTS. David finds out that Jeff's Parents consider their son engaged to Ann, so David, determined to break this up, starts making it sound as though Ann's a problem. Horrified, Jeff's Parents start believing she's on the "trashy" side.Ann and Jeff travel to Lake Placid to meet Jeff's Parents. When they arrive, they find they've been relegated to remote adjoining cabins. David shows up, frozen in the snow, collapsing in front of them. They rush him to a warm bed, where he prattles on, apparently only half conscious. Ann feels sorry for him.When Jeff sees how connected they still are, he politely agrees to withdraw his offer of marriage. Ann is torn, but when she realizes that David is just faking being sick, she's furious with him, confronting him. The two have one of their royal fights. But later, after dinner, Ann worries about David, telling Jeff she intends to make him dislike her once and for all. While David's in an adjoining cabin, Ann pretends that she and Jeff are more intimate than they really are.David rushes in, realizes that she's only pretending. Furious, Ann wants David to stand up to David, but he doesn't. Jeff's Parents show up as all parties are entangled in this most sticky romantic mess. But the bickering David and Ann end up together, after Ann, hoping to escape him on skis, becomes trapped in a room with him when he knocks her back into a chair, skis akimbo. As with their rule, they won't leave the room until they've made up. After a few angry words, Ann begins to calm down and soon they begin to kiss

Tags: comedy

Review:
The offbeat premise leads you to expect a 1930s-style screwball comedy, but instead it has a different brand of humor altogether.The tone of the film blends together the screwball plot idea with Hitchcock's dry sense of humor and the upbeat charm of Carole Lombard.
Mr.&Mrs. Smith is not the best of comedies, but it is far from the worst.I have a feeling that Alfred Hitchcock may have had Lombard in mind for future projects more of his own taste.
You can just barely see Hitchcock in this film - there are a few marvelous camera movements and angles that seem like Hitchcock was sighing, saying, "God, I'm bored!" The two leads, Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, are wonderful.
Starring along with Carole Lombard is Robert Montgomery; the pair plays a married couple who find out that their marriage is unofficial, and instead of going through the legal paperwork to make their union legal, they question each other and their feelings.
Elite New York couple Ann Smith (Carole Lombard) and David Smith (Robert Montgomery) have enjoyed an affectionate, loving, wedded bliss for three years.
Fans of Hitchcock must see this film, if for no other reason, just to see the famous suspense director trying his hand at comedy; although, if given a chance, one won't be disappointed with a Carole Lombard film, either..
Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery are the couple who discover they were never legally married and spend the movie bickering their way back to true love.
Even the talents of Lombard, Montgomery and Raymond can't really save this Hitchcock screwball comedy-curio.
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 what follows is a comedy of errors and airs in which the groom pursues his bride all over again, while she plays hard to get.Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard are the leads as David and Ann Smith.
No one else would have been able to take so much time away from work as David did to pursue Ann. Some reviewers are surprised that this film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
He continued to work in the theater in the 1950s and won the 1955 Tony Award as best director for "The Desperate Hours." In 1968, Montgomery wrote a book entitled "An Open Letter from a Television Viewer" in which he lambasted the TV industry for its programming of violence.A favorite scene of mine in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" has Jeff and Ann riding in a sleigh to the cottages they have booked at Lake Placid in the Adirondacks.
And to tell the truth, not discovering this film isn't really a lost."Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is an average and conventional screwball comedy, where it's rather hard to find the Hitchcock's touch.
So, there is really little to save in this movie, that can without annoying anyone (or maybe only both hardcore fans of Hitchcock and screwball comedy, who are in love with Carole Lombard), stays one of the not too well known early American Hitchcock's movie..
Perhaps the wildest outlier in Alfred Hitchcock's career is this straight-out comedy vehicle by the director, pairing Carole Lombard with Robert Montgomery as a couple who discover a mistake has invalidated their marriage.
Where do they really stand with each other?Contrary to what others say, there IS an element of suspense here: The idea that these two miserable people might escape each other, free to inflict their awfulness on some other, undeserving mate.It's funny reading comments here about how miserable Lombard's Ann Smith plays out in this film, because Montgomery's role is as much of a heel.
Montgomery rolls his eyes a lot like Groucho, a study in smugitude.The only really decent thing in this movie that lasts more than a few seconds is Gene Raymond as David's law partner Jeff Custer, who makes a play for Ann and acts with honor and decency.
Occasionally Hitchcock's style does roughly coincide with the comedy – for example the arrangement of characters in the scene at the club, where Robert Montgomery tries to make it look as if he is with the attractive, sophisticated woman at the next table – but such moments are few and far between.Even the cast of Mr and Mrs Smith are not up to standard.
Of course, neither of these fine comedy actors is helped by the screenplay, which isn't exactly bursting with laughs in the first place, even if the basic story is a fairly good premise.The only full-on comedy Hitchcock made after this was the Trouble with Harry, and that sort of worked because it played upon his familiar suspensefulness.
I am a great fan of the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, but the comedy "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is not a good movie, indeed it is a great deception.
The characters are simply awful: Mrs. Ann Krausheimer Smith (Carole Lombard) is a ridiculous bitch; Mr. David Smith (Robert Montgomery) is a sucker cheated husband without any self-respect and without knowing his wife and his own partner (his "friend" since elementary or high-school); and Jeff Custer (Gene Raymond) is a scum, betraying his old friend in a very sordid way.
It's an interesting, yet ultimately flawed exercise.Hitch filmed 'Mr and Mrs Smith' primarily because of his desire to work with the lovely Carole Lombard.
He obliged with this piece, also starring comedy regular Robert Montgomery.The somewhat convoluted plot has Montgomery and Lombard as husband-and-wife David and Ann Smith.
There a few good scenes, and probably the funniest is when Montgomery tries to make Lombard jealous in a restaurant.It's remarkable that this is a Hitchcock film- it feels so American in style.
Out of the blank the set moves to Lake Placid where it lags till one last good but classical scene, making the reuniting of the couple merely incidental in the course of the movie while it should have been a climax.Hence Mr & Mrs Smith is not a great Hitchcock which shows us the sense of humor is rather different than the sense of comedy.
I only voted it 2/10 mainly because Hitchcock agreed to direct it.He certainly had an off-day with predictable plot lines, stupid childish characters who are desperately trying to be funny.There were "twee" hygenic, sanitised, emasculated "sex" scenes at a time when the Hollywood Production code was in full force.Lazy male characters in the film who like "soap" characters never do a stroke of work for which they are paid.It always irritates me when food is usually never eaten by actors (one exception was in the eating scene in "Tom Jones" (1963); although copious amounts of drink are consumed - actors have to leave their mouths free for the next line!
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard) find out that after 3 years of living together their marriage isn't legal.
But Lombard's Mrs. Smith plays so hard to get and is so manipulative in trying to make Montgomery jealous that you end up wishing he would just give up on her and tell her to get lost.Hitchcock didn't have anything to do with the movie except direct it.
With Hitchcock directing and Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery taking the leading roles it has a wonderful pedigree and should be hugely entertaining; but, I'm sad to say, this is not a great film.
Instead, look for a surprisingly deft comedy, a sophisticated comedy of the same genre as THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, released about the same year.The plot goes something like this; Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Robert Montgomery and Carol Lombard) are this evidently well to do couple (he's a lawyer who apparently can take days away from the office to resolve marital battles), who live on Park Avenue.
& Mrs. Smith", a fun little comedy that shows Hitchcock indeed has a sense of humor.For a basic plot summary, "Mr.
& Mrs. Smith" sees "married" couple Ann (Carole Lombard) & David (Robert Montgomery) discover that, due to a technicality, they are not not officially betrothed.
While the plot was under the fine premisse,in half hour everything collapsed in a dead end,apart that had some fine back humor along the movie,some in a bad taste to say a bit,Carole Lombard was in a peak of his career and bring a sexy bright to the role,the starring couple were prefect in the beginning on a hot chemistry,somehow after this all thing becomes in a heavy mood,no make sense after this sudden twist,so remains to the master here in a unknown field for him faces the failure that is near and try found out a honorable exit,so the final shown exactly that....a predicable movie,sorry for Hitchcock!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.
A romantic comedy with some screwball elements --- Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery have great chemistry and the script is filled with great lines.Even though this is very much a departure from anything else Hitchcock did, he really left his mark on this.
Hitchcock later admitted he did not really understand the characters so just followed the screenplay.Ann (Carole Lombard) and David Smith (Robert Montgomery) are a married couple in New York.
Despite some neat touches, this Carole Lombard feature proves that Alfred Hitchcock was right to stay in the suspense thriller rather than screwball comedy genre.
Not that some of his best films don't feature some arch humour (think "The 39 Steps" or "The Lady Vanishes" but a Hitchcock film devoid of thrills is like a bird without wings, in other words it won't fly.The storyline is typical of its type, a married couple learn that by a fluke they aren't actually married and before you know it are frantically competing to make the other jealous, Lombard even threatening to marry "husband" Montgomery's best pal and business partner, played by Gene Raymond, before it all unsurprisingly resolves itself happily ever after for the would-be warring couple.
There are some likable things in the movie, the nice use of locations such as a pizzeria, funfair and snow lodge, some typically coarse directorial humour over the dining table, Miss Lombard's effervescent performance and some minor directorial flourishes from Hitchcock, like the on-high shot on the fun-fair's big-wheel ride or the last scene when Lombard surrenders back to Montgomery, oddly prescient of Grace Kelly's murder scene in the years later "Dial M For Murder", but on the whole the movie lacks sparkle or even a spark.Montgomery just moons about and Raymond's character for all he's trying to steal his best friend's girl is very bland,a mummy and daddy's boy, leaving Lombard to try to carry the movie on her own, but it's beyond both her and Hitchcock's talents and more or less plods along to its predicable conclusion.As a Hitchcock fan, I was intrigued to see a film of his I'd not seen before, but in truth, there was little to identify it as one by the Master and it's not one I'll be returning to anytime soon..
Carole Lombard relishes her very showy role with great comic timing, not the most pleasant of characters mind you especially towards the end of the film, and looks radiant on screen.
Also, if Jeff were to appear in a recent film, he would probably be assumed to be gay - a successful, handsome, intelligent, unmarried man in his 30s who takes great pride in having decorated his own apartment.Ann strikes out on her own and gets a job (in an early foreshadowing of the women's movement), but when David clouds the issue of her marital status with her boss, the boss says that the company is not allowed to hire married women due to job shortages.There are some Hitchcock directorial touches like the scenes at the fair - the parachute ride in particular.
Wealthy lawyer Robert Montgomery (as David Smith) and beautiful Carole Lombard (as Ann "Annie" Krausheimer) frequently battle, but are nonetheless happily married.
& Mrs. Smith (1/31/41) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, Betty Compson.
so far i have loved her in very film she has been in(that i've seen).those have all been comedies.i think she's hysterical,with amazing comedic timing.Alfred Hitchcock directs this movie,his only comedy that i'm aware of.anyway,it's fast paced, as brilliant dialogue and is very funny.Lombard is great,and Robert Montgomery is also great,as is Gene Raymond.the rest of the cast is great,as well.if you're feeling down this movie should definitely cheer you up.it's too bad they don't make movies like this anymore.sure,there are still some good character driven dramas and comedies,but mostly all we get is special effects bombast.there isn't necessarily anything wrong with that.i mean i liked the the X-Men series and i thought the recent Star Trek movie was outstanding,but they all had character and story.most of the movies today don't and that's a shame.there are a lot of classic movies out there waiting to be discovered.unfortunately,most people under thirty and most teenagers won't go near them.anyway,for a great pick me up and to see the great Carole Lombard in action,check this movie out.for me,Mr.& Mrs. Smith is a 9/10.
A married couple discover that technically, they're not really married in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," a foray into comedy directed by, of all people, Alfred Hitchcock.
This is one married couple who likes to fight and make up, and when it's discovered that they need to remarry and Mr. Smith doesn't rush into it, Mrs. Smith becomes Miss Krausheimer again in a hurry and starts dating her pseudo-husband's business partner, Gene Raymond, a southern gent.There are some very funny scenes and good performances, but I agree with the other posters that Mrs. Smith is one unforgiving woman, while Mr. Smith is quite a sympathetic character in his attempts to woo her back.
Hard to believe that the beautiful Lombard would die after making just one more film.I thought Robert Montgomery was great in his role, and I particularly enjoyed the scene at the restaurant where he says, "That cat knows something," when the cat wouldn't eat any of his soup.
Frankly given Lombard character I think the movie could have been made better if Hitchcock had added a scene where Carol Lombard is in the shower and Robert Montgomery comes in and stabs her to death!.
Along with Hitchcock's direction, the film is really made by the wonderful acting of both Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard.
Alfred Hitchcock directed this comedy(unusual for him) that stars Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard as David & Ann Smith, who have been happily married for three years until they one day have an argument about their marriage, then(by one of those standard movie coincidences) learn that day that, because of a dispute between local and state jurisdictions, their marriage license is invalid, meaning they are no longer legally married!
If this movie had been directed by Leo McCarey or W.S. Van Dyke or any director other than Alfred Hitchcock, who herein strayed from his customary suspense genre, this film would be considered a superb achievement in sophisticated comedy.Carole Lombard is at her best, her performance here equaled only in 'To Be Or Not To Be', her next (and final) film.
As Ann and David Smith, a volatile married couple who find out that their marriage is not legal due to a jurisdiction technicality, Lombard co-stars with Robert Montgomery, who excelled in light comedy but remains relatively forgotten today compared to his peers, Cary Grant and William Powell.At first glance, it is amazing to believe that Alfred Hithcock directed this confection given the master of suspense was between two classics, "Rebecca" and "Shadow of a Doubt", but if you look closely enough, you will likely notice quite a few of his touches, including his cameo walk-on appearance in front of the Smiths' 72nd Street apartment building.
Mr Smith [Robert Montgomery] then fails as first opportunity to propose again to his wife [Carole Lombard] and she doesn't make him forget it, as he chases her from pillar to post in order to convince here of his genuineness.Well acted and directed, this was short of a classic in that it wasn't a real gripping tale, it was just a fun and enjoyable film without being too deep..
Routine fanfare with famed director Alfred Hitchcock, who attempts to make a comedy in this 1941 farce.Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard play a couple, who have a spat and later learn that their marriage is invalid.When Montgomery hesitates to marry Lombard, the fun starts with her throwing him out of the house, as he spends the rest of the film trying to win her back.
Of course, any director was going to excel with Carol Lombard and Robert Montgomery playing the lead roles of any movie!.
The film has any merit at all because of the fine acting of Carol Lombard and Robert Montgomery.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941): Dir: Alfred Hitchcock / Cast: Robert Montgomery, Carole Lombard, Gene Raymond, Jack Carson, Philip Merivale: Director Alfred Hitchcock tackles marriage issues in this romantic comedy break from his usual thrillers.
Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard play Mr. and Mrs. Smith who learn that their three year marriage is not valid.
Enjoyable Carole Lombard comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Carole Lombard was adored by all and Hitchcock directed this film as a favor to her.
Lombard and Robert Montgomery play Mr. and Mrs. David Smith.
Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery are the Smiths, a loving but eccentric married couple; they have a rule that they won't leave a room after an argument until they've made it up.