Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941 film)
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith | |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Produced by | Harry E. Edington |
| Written by | Norman Krasna |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Edward Ward |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling Sr. |
| Edited by | William Hamilton |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $743,000 |
| Box office | $1.4 million |
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 1941 American screwball comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Norman Krasna, and starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. It also features Gene Raymond, Jack Carson, Philip Merivale, and Lucile Watson.
While Hitchcock later claimed he directed the film—the only pure comedy he made in America—as a favor to Lombard, the files at RKO Radio Pictures show that Hitchcock himself pursued the project.
Ann (Carole Lombard) and David Smith (Robert Montgomery) are a married couple living in New York City who, though happy, have fights that last for days before they reconcile.
One morning, Ann asks David if he would marry her again if he had it to do over. Although he says he is very happy with her now and wouldn't marry anyone else, he says he would not.
Later that day, Harry Deever (Charles Halton), an Idaho county official, informs David at work that due to a jurisdictional mishap, their three-year-old marriage license from Idaho is not valid. Since Deever is a family acquaintance of Ann's from Idaho, he stops by their apartment to tell Ann and her mother (Esther Dale) the same thing. Ann does not mention this to David. She believes he will remarry her that very night when he invites her to a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant they frequented before they were married.
When they arrive at the restaurant, it has declined in quality and become rundown, and they return home. Ann grows impatient and confronts David, accusing him of not wanting to marry her again. David protests and claims he was going to ask her shortly, but Ann dismisses him and kicks him out of their apartment.
David spends the night at his club, but when he goes home after work the next day Ann's maid refuses him entry. David waits in the lobby and sees Ann return with an older gentleman. Believing the man is her suitor, David becomes angry and disheartened. He follows Ann and threatens to withhold support. He gets her fired from her new job (the older gentleman is not her suitor, but her new boss). Ann tells David she has no intention of ever marrying him again.
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