Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

63% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(4,538 ratings)

In Hitchcock's rare foray into comedy (courtesy of a wittily risque script by Norman Krasna), Mr. Smith (Robert Montgomery) makes the mistake of telling Mrs. Smith (Carole Lombard) that if he had it to do all over again, he might not have married her. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Smith discovers that his… More In Hitchcock's rare foray into comedy (courtesy of a wittily risque script by Norman Krasna), Mr. Smith (Robert Montgomery) makes the mistake of telling Mrs. Smith (Carole Lombard) that if he had it to do all over again, he might not have married her. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Smith discovers that his marriage is invalid. Rather than say goodbye, the newly aroused Mr. Smith attempts to entice Mrs. Smith into the bedroom, thrilled at the prospect of an "illicit" romance. But Mrs. Smith has also been apprised that her marriage is no more--and, remembering Mr. Smith's "second thoughts", she kicks him out of the house. This comedy of misunderstanding rolls merrily along from this point onward, accommodating an uproarious scene at a fancy restaurant, a near-liaison between Mrs. Smith and new beau Gene Raymond on the World's Fair parachute jump, and a farcical denouement at a ski lodge, with Mrs. Smith's conjugally crossed skis symbolizing the carnal pleasures ahead for both Mr. and Mrs. Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Written By: Norman Krasna
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 31, 1941 Wide
On DVD: Sep 7, 2004
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery are teamed successfully here in a light and gay marital farce.
Theodore Strauss, New York Times
The result is a chucklesome comedy that fails to mount into a coruscating wave of laughter.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Many 'minor' Hitchcocks turn out to be intriguing films once you forgive them for not being thrillers.
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine
Some sparkling moments but this rare Hitchcock comedy farce is hit and miss.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It's a cute film, not nearly as funny as most of Lombard's other comedies, but there's enough good humor in Mr. & Mrs. Smith to make it pleasant.
, Time Out
A gentle crazy comedy.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A bland screwball comedy that never kicks into high gear.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
When all's said and done, the most that can be remarked about it is how odd it is that this Hitchcock picture is so very predictable.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Hitchcock's foray into screwball comedy is breezy fun
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
I won't pretend to tell you that Mr. & Mrs. Smith is anywhere near as funny as some of the very best screwball comedies of the era....
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Hitchcock would later admit that he had no idea what he was doing out of his element.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's so crisp and snappy that one might think Howard Hawks or Ernst Lubitsch had made it.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Offbeat comedy from Hitchcock
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
you can practically hear Hitchcock snoring in the director's chair
, Film4
This uncharacteristic Hitchcock comedy benefits from the delightful Krasna script. And Hitchcock is wise enough to play along without imposing his style on the material.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Ill-advised comedy from Hitchcock. His thrillers often have more laughs

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

Oh, this is supposed to be a comedy? My mistake...
Michael G

The only way I can rationalize the steaming pile of shit that is known as Mr. & Mrs. Smith was that Alfred Hitchcock had no idea what to do for his next movie or he needed to make a really big step back before taking many steps forward in the coming years. I love screwball… More
The only way I can rationalize the steaming pile of shit that is known as Mr. & Mrs. Smith was that Alfred Hitchcock had no idea what to do for his next movie or he needed to make a really big step back before taking many steps forward in the coming years. I love screwball comedies from this era but Mr. & Mrs. Smith is disappointing. Compound the fact that Hitchcock made it (comedy wasn't his specialty admittedly) and you're talking a borderline crime against humanity. Carole Lombard was admittedly beautiful but crazy as a shithouse rat to the point where I almost shut this down in the first half hour. I was filled with rage at how shitty the characters were and how the whole resolution was tacked on at the very end. I think I actually would've been happier if one of them died at the end. Watch with e x t r e m e caution and incredibly low expectations. Mr. & Mrs. Smith had a few funny moments but they didn't outweigh the painful and embarrassing ones.
AJ V

Forget that stupid movie with Jolie and Pitt, this is the real Mr. & Mrs. Smith! Hitchcock, unlikely enough, brings us a romantic comedy! It's really enjoyable, I liked it.
Conner R

Just a really odd movie for Hitchcock to do. It isnâ??t all that bad, itâ??s obviously shot well, itâ??s just really mediocre. The plot is really flat and unoriginal, itâ??s a sub-par attempt at screwball comedy. None of the performances are all that noteworthy, but none are bad.… More
Just a really odd movie for Hitchcock to do. It isnâ??t all that bad, itâ??s obviously shot well, itâ??s just really mediocre. The plot is really flat and unoriginal, itâ??s a sub-par attempt at screwball comedy. None of the performances are all that noteworthy, but none are bad. Itâ??s probably the lowest point in Hitchcockâ??s career.
Stella D

hitchcock's disappointing stab at screwball comedy. extra half star for gorgeous carole. and no, the brangelina film is not a remake of this :P
jay n

not typical Hitchcock by any means but played well by two comedic experts.
Doctor S

You'd never know Hitchcock was involved if his name wasn't in the credits as this is pretty standard '40s battle of the sexes comedy with a quarreling couple discovering they were never legally married. Slow to start and overstays its welcome, but boosted by an often… More
You'd never know Hitchcock was involved if his name wasn't in the credits as this is pretty standard '40s battle of the sexes comedy with a quarreling couple discovering they were never legally married. Slow to start and overstays its welcome, but boosted by an often funny midsection beginning with dinner at the Florida Club. Carole Lombard looks great but her character is too unreasonable to really get behind. <i>"I'm telling you that cat knows something about this soup!"</i>
Audrey L

This is a delightful romantic comedy starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. I was not aware until I watched it last night that it was directed by Hitchcock. The comedy is a wee bit risque for 1941 and much more clever than the standard fare for that genre in that time.
monty h

Very funny classic comedy with Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a husband and wife who after three years discover they aren't really married. So when it comes time to actually make it legal, the husband has second thoughts. Screwball hi-jinks ensue with Lombard and… More
Very funny classic comedy with Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a husband and wife who after three years discover they aren't really married. So when it comes time to actually make it legal, the husband has second thoughts. Screwball hi-jinks ensue with Lombard and Montgomery making a great team. And what's surprising about this film is the fact that it is directed by the master of suspense-Alfred Hitchcock. I recommend this film to any film lover of classic screwball comedies. It's one of the best. <div style="width:462px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/servlet/embed/photo/link/10064344"><img src="http://www.flixster.com/servlet/embed/photo/10064344.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">Flixster</a> - Share Movies</div></div> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ann: If you had it all to do over again, would you still have married me? David: Honestly, no.

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Carole Lombard as Ann Smith aka Ann Krausheimer

            Robert Montgomery as David Smith

            Gene Raymond as Jeff Custer

            Jack Carson as Chuck Benson

            Philip Merivale as Mr. Custer

            Betty Compson as Gertie

            Lucile Watson as Mrs. Custer

            William Tracy as Sammy

            Charles Halton as Mr. Deever

            Esther Dale as Mrs. Krausheimer

            Emma Dunn as Martha

            Patricia Farr as Gloria

            William Edmunds as Owner of Lucy's

            Adele Pearce as Lily

            Ernie Alexander as Bellhop

            Murray Alper as Harold the Driver

            Pamela Blake as Lily

            Ralph Brooks as Waiter Captain

            Georgia Carroll as Pretty Girl

            Francis Compton as Mr. Flugle

            Alec Craig as Thomas the Clerk

            Ralph Dunn as Cop

            James Flavin as Escort

            Jack Gardner as Elevator boy

            Sam Harris
            
            Robert Emmett Keane as Section Manager

            Beatrice Maude as Secretary to Jeff

            Emory Parnell as Conway

            James Pierce as Doorman

            Ralph Sanford as Store checker

            Melinda Wood Allen as Bellhop

            Margo Woode as Secretary to David

            Frank Mills as Cab Driver

            Ronnie Rondell as Waiter captain
See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started