Why Alfred Hitchcock’s only pure American comedy was a project he actively pursued
In short: Alfred Hitchcock is synonymous with suspense, yet in 1941, he directed a screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard. While Hitchcock later claimed he only took the job as a favor, studio records tell a different story. This forgotten gem remains a unique anomaly in the master of suspense’s legendary filmography.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith follows a married couple, Ann and David, whose lives are upended when they discover their three-year marriage is legally invalid due to a jurisdictional error. What follows is a series of farcical misunderstandings, including a disastrous date at the 1939 New York World's Fair and a tense confrontation at a Lake Placid ski resort. The script, written by Norman Krasna, was originally pitched to Carole Lombard, who then helped sell the project to RKO.
Although Hitchcock later dismissed the film, RKO files indicate he actively sought the project. His involvement was partly driven by a desire to work with Lombard, whom he believed possessed the range to excel in serious roles comparable to Paul Muni or Leslie Howard. Despite his later indifference, the film was a financial success, earning a profit of $750,000. It also holds the distinction of being one of the first films to depict a pizzeria and famously attempted to include the sound of a flushing toilet, which was replaced by banging pipes due to censorship.
The film's reception was mixed; The New York Times found it occasionally dull, while Variety praised Hitchcock for maintaining a steady, farcical pace. Beyond its critical standing, the production is notable for a brief cameo where Hitchcock walks past Robert Montgomery, a scene directed by Lombard herself. It was the final film released before Lombard’s tragic death in an aircraft crash in 1942. Today, the movie survives as a curious footnote, having been adapted for radio multiple times throughout the 1940s.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941 film)
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