Although Alfred Hitchcock is known as the "Master of Suspense" and remembered for his great thrillers, he did direct a lone comedy, 1941's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It's not the legendary director's best film, but it shows off his versatility and provides a fair few laughs during its brisk 94-minute runtime. For that reason, the Blu-ray of Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) is definitely worth a look for cinephiles.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (1941) – Alfred Hitchcock's comedy
"If you had it to do over again, would you marry me? Yes, gentlemen, there is a right answer. David Smith learns this the hard way when his bubbly, beautiful wife Ann questions him over breakfast. The radiant Carole Lombard and the easygoing Robert Montgomery also star in this lighthearted Alfred Hitchcock comedy. For three years, the Smiths have been ecstatic but feuding. When a formality invalidates their union, Mr. Missus misses him, transforming the story into a deliciously delicious treat of the screwball genre. Working from a script by Academy Award winner Norman Krasna, Hitchcock's foray into all-out humor is memorable. Here again are his unmistakable touches, declared Look Magazine. The net effect is the same: another Alfred Hitchcock hit," reads the synopsis.
One thing is clear when you watch the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray — Carole Lombard, who tragically died in a plane crash just a year after its release, was an absolute star. She truly shines in the screwball comedy and is the epitome of a Hitchcockian blonde, so it’s a shame she didn’t also get to star in one of his thrillers. Robert Montgomery plays her husband, and he plays him quite well, as Hitchcock gives both actors ample time to charm the audience as they question whether or not they’re truly meant to be together after a formality annuls their marriage.
Despite being a black and white film, the Blu-ray transfer is absolutely gorgeous. It's great to see such an old film in high definition, and both the sets and the actors really pop. It's honestly hard to go back to the DVD version after seeing it look so great on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) Blu-ray, so anyone obsessed with quality will definitely want to upgrade.
