Mr. & Mrs. Smith 1941

     David and Ann Smith have been married for three years.  They have been very happy during their marriage.  Suddenly, they are both told individually that due to a technicality, their marriage is not valid.  Ann decides that she is not going to marry David a second time?  David is an attorney and he starts staying in town at his club.  Ann goes about her life as a single woman and she takes back her maiden name Krausheimer.  David does whatever he can to win Ann back.  This turns out to be more difficult than he thought because Ann has started to date other men??  She is now dating David’s law partner and best friend??

     This film has a LOT of funny moments!!  David didn’t have any idea that Ann would take the stance of not marrying him again?  He thought it was a cinch that they would get married right away?  David is also very surprised that Ann is dating Jeff!!  His wife and his best friend are dating??  How could they both stoop this low!!  4* (I really liked this movie)

95 min, Comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, Jack Carson, Philip Merivale, Lucile Watson, William Tracy, Charles Halton, Esther Dale, Emma Dunn, Betty Compson, Patricia Farr, William Edmunds, Pamela Blake.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 65% critic 49% audience, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, Views from the Sofa 2 1/2* out of 5*, Three Movie Buffs average 3* out of 4*, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 151 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at RKO Radio Pictures.  Carole Lombard directed Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearance.  She made him do repeated takes!!  This is the only comedy directed by Hitchcock and he was talked into directing by Lombard.  RKO files indicate that Hitchcock actually pursued the project?  This was the first Hitchcock film to be shown on US network television.  This was also the first American movie to feature a pizzeria.  Lombard was a Democrat and Montgomery was a Republican.  During filming breaks, Lombard ran into the studio parking lot and placed election bumper stickers asking for the re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Montgomery’s car!!  Originally, Cary Grant was chosen for the role of David.

Extra Special Note:  There is another version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith from 2005 but the plot is entirely different.  This 2005 film stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.  After this film was completed, Pitt left his wife Jennifer Aniston and married Jolie.   Aniston and Pitt were married in 1998 and divorced 2005.  Jolie and Pitt began their relationship in 2005 and married in 2014.