Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Alfred Hitchcock

For his third American film, and his 26th in total, Alfred Hitchcock went from the propaganda of Foreign Correspondent to the other side of American film with a true screwball comedy named Mr. and Mrs. Smith. A very different type of film for him, yet a fun film to watch.

A couple that has been married for three years, Ann (Carole Lombard) and David (Robert Montgomery) made a pact that if they are angry with each other that they are not allowed to leave their bedroom until they make-up. This tidbit of information doesn't get thrown to the audience until late in the film so it is a bit of a mystery at the start why this couple has been stuck in their room for three days, not letting anyone in or out. You find out that they have done this before, with the longest being eight days. During this time he can not go work in his office as a lawyer so the firm sends someone over to get paperwork signed. Eventually they make-up and David is allowed to leave. He gets to his office and his first client is an older man from the town where David and Ann were married. He tells David that due to some logistical error, the marriage license is not valid. What this man doesn't know is that before David left the house, Ann asked him if he had to do it all over again, would he marry Ann. David responded, in all honesty which is what Ann requested, that no, he would not. However he is very happy he did. Ann takes this the wrong way, naturally. So when the older man stops by the house and tells Ann this same information about the marriage license...well...that is the start of everything. 

This is a classic screwball comedy - something that Lombard is very well known for and it shows. The cast is really quite fantastic, and while this film doesn't have much subtlety, it is a fun one to watch. I should state that very rigid gender roles are in play here, to the point where David consistently refers to and calls Ann a girl. There is also some physical violence between them - Ann throws things, David grabs her. Being that the rest of the film is played for comedy you know that it isn't serious violence, but that can be a bit distracting from a modern perspective. There is a cameo by Hitchcock. While I'm sure there are a few different editions out there, I watched this as part of the Signature Collection.