Classic Revival… ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (1941)

No, this isn’t a type-o. Sure, everyone loves the funny action-packed killer assassin romance of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but that’s not the film I am speaking of. I would venture to guess most people reading this right now had no idea that the Pitt/Jolie film is actually a remake. Furthermore, it’s a remake of an old 1941 comedy by none other than Alfred Hitchcock himself. No, really… I’m not kidding!

The biggest difference between the two films is in the story. In the 1995 version, the quarreling couple are rival assassins that discover each other’s true identity and then go about trying to kill each other before thy finally realize they really do love each other. In the 1941 classic by Alfred Hitchcock, written by award-winner Norman Krasna, none of the assassin storyline exists. This was clearly added to the remake as a way to attract modern audiences. However, the original is still extremely funny and well made, as is to be expected from one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of filmmaking.

The story begins with friends and co-workers worried about the married couple, as Mr. and Mrs. SMith have locked themselves in their bedroom for what has been three days, refusing to exit. No, they’re not having a “sleep-in” like Lennon and Yoko. Mr. and Mrs. SMith have rules in their marriage and one of them is this… never leave the bedroom angry. So, the two remain locked in their bedroom after a fight until they’ve made up. The opening sequence is great. Mrs. Smith (Carole Lombard) is still in bed trying to ignore that Mr. Smith (Robert Montgomery) is even in the room. Anytime Mr. Smith makes an effort to get his wife’s attention, she buries herself deeper in the sheets.

Eventually, they make up when Mr. Smith tricks her into thinking he’s left the room as she pops up in bed looking surprised and hurt and Mr. Smith rises from behind the couch to join her in bed. The trouble really begins when Mr. and Mrs. Smith are sitting at the breakfast table and she asks him if he’d still marry her if he had it all to do over. Whereas most of us realize there is only one logical answer to this question (unless you enjoy having your “scruples” handed to you for breakfast), Mr. Smith feels he must be honest and tells her he’d like to remain single if he had it to do all over. Oops!

Obviously, Mrs. Smith is upset about the breakfast incident, but things get really interesting when Mr. Smith is informed at the office that, due to a legal mix-up, the couple is not “truly” married. Mr. Smith doesn’t really see this as a problem, so long as Mrs. Smith doesn’t find out. Well, we all know where this is going and Mrs. Smith, but instead of approaching her husband about this directly, she decided to wait and see if he asks her to marry him for real. After an incredibly awkward day of dashed expectations and a terrible date, Mrs. Smith decides she no longer wants to be married to Mr. Smith, who really does want to be married to her. Thus begins his efforts to win her back.

Not best-known for his comedies, Hitchcock delivers a gem. Most people have heard of ‘The Trouble With Harry’ and ‘To Catch a Thief’, both made in 1955. These were good comedies. ‘Family Plot’, his final film in 1976, doesn’t succeed as well as his past films, but this atypical Hitchcock film doesn’t involve a murder, a mystery or a deception. It’s a funny relationship comedy that predates modern romantic comedies by decades. Given Hitchcock’s knack for brilliant camera use, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ retains this edge. The presense of Hitchcock’s camera is still there, but is made more subtle as not to interfere with the story. Despite being over 60 years old, this Hitchcock original still holds up to modern comical standards, offering a story that is perhaps more relevant today than it was in the forties.