Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) - Warner Archive Collection

If you ever wondered why Alfred Hitchcock directed only one romantic comedy during his 50-year career, take a look at Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pleasant but strained, this talky domestic romp possesses little of Hitch's patented visual flair and less of the wry, sophisticated humor that makes his suspense thrillers sparkle. The delightful Carole Lombard and mischievous Robert Montgomery try their best to inject some joie de vivre into the film, but even their considerable talents can't rescue this mundane marital mix-up.

David and Ann Smith (Montgomery and Lombard) seem to relish their tempestuous marriage and its cyclical fights, standoffs, and romantic reconciliations, but when Ann innocently asks David if, given the chance, he'd marry her all over again, he commits the cardinal spousal sin of answering with honesty. His negative, matter-of-fact response shocks and saddens Ann, but David quickly soothes her by explaining it's merely marriage - not his lovely wife - that turns him off.

In true screwball fashion, however, a legal technicality soon renders their union null and void, and surprisingly, David is the one who seeks to rectify the situation with a hasty visit to the nearest justice of the peace. Ann, on the other hand, isn't so sure she wants to retie the knot and her indecision inspires her now frantic husband to woo her all over again. David faces stiff competition from his business partner (Gene Raymond), who's salivating at the prospect of courting the newly independent and oh-so-worldly Ann.

Although history often holds directors accountable for disappointing films, screenwriter Norman Krasna deserves the lion's share of blame for contributing a static story and verbose script. The premise of Mr. & Mrs. Smith brims with promise, but predictable complications soon deflate audience enthusiasm. And while it's fun to see Lombard and Montgomery bicker and spar, Krasna keeps them apart for much of the film, leaving Lombard saddled with the bland Raymond and viewers shifting in their seats.

Hitchcock's slick, efficient style keeps the action moving as swiftly as the script allows, but the Master of Suspense seems stymied by the constraints of the romantic comedy genre. To someone so attuned to violence, chaos, and deceit, the battle of the sexes is pretty tame stuff and Hitchcock has trouble masking his boredom. One can sense his impatience with the story and characters and how he's just itching to punch up the proceedings with a bit of murder or psychological intrigue. Now and then, he slips in an interesting camera angle, but such creativity, though welcome, doesn't suit the subject matter.

Almost any project, however, suits the wonderful Carole Lombard. Equally adept at comedy and drama (but much more revered for the former), this gifted actress enlivens almost every film in which she appears. Mr. & Mrs. Smith would prove to be her penultimate screen appearance (she would die in a plane crash the following year at age 34) and her instincts, comic timing, and natural acting style help distract the audience from the movie's deficiencies. She's also lovingly photographed by Hitchcock, who captures her stunning beauty in several exquisite close-ups.

Throughout his career, Montgomery specialized in playing devil-may-care sophisticates, and though his mugging in Mr. & Mrs. Smith becomes tiresome over time, the role fits him well. He and Lombard share good chemistry, but their paucity of scenes together diffuses its impact. Still, Montgomery seems to be enjoying himself, even if, at times, his casual approach to David Smith could be mistaken for somnambulism.

Hitchcock's fans might term this labored farce a noble experiment, but "misguided misfire" more accurately describes this errant blip on the director's radar. In the end, Mr. & Mrs. Smith proves even someone as supremely talented as Alfred Hitchcock could dumb himself down and produce a run-of-the-mill studio comedy. Thankfully he was smart enough not to repeat the experience.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Mr. & Mrs. Smith arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

The new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the best nitrate preservation elements yields a sublime 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that showcases Hitchcock's flair and faithfully honors the cinematography of two-time Oscar winner and 14-time nominee Harry Stradling. Faint grain preserves the film-like appearance, while excellent clarity and contrast, deep blacks, bright, stable whites, and varied grays produce a lovely image that brims with depth. Razor-sharp close-ups highlight fine facial features like pores and stubble and Lombard's creamy complexion. Shadow delineation is quite good and all the nicks and marks that dotted the DVD have been meticulously erased. Mr. & Mrs. Smith has never looked better on home video, which is great news for Hitchcock fans anxious to complete their Master of Suspense Blu-ray collection.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track is crisp and lively. A wide dynamic scale embraces the highs and lows of the music score by seven-time Oscar nominee Edward Ward without any distortion and all the dialogue is clear and easy to comprehend. Sonic accents are distinct and any age-related hiss, pops, or crackle has been scrubbed away. Mr. & Mrs. Smith sounded good back in 2004, but the track sparkles even more today.

All the extras from the 2004 DVD have been ported over to this Blu-ray release. Warner Archive also adds some new vintage goodies to the package.

• Featurette: "Mr. Hitchcock Meets The Smiths" (SD, 16 minutes) -  This breezy 2004 featurette includes comments and reminiscences from several notable Hollywood figures, including directors Peter Bogdanovich and Richard Franklin, historians Robert Osborne and Richard Schickel, and Hitch's daughter Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell. Much of the discussion revolves around Lombard and her status as "the queen of screwball comedy," yet she's also called "the quintessential Hitchcock blond," and the interviewees believe Lombard, had she lived, would have made a terrific heroine in a Hitchcock thriller. Osborne compares the actress to America's other legendary funnywoman, Lucille Ball (who apparently worshipped Lombard), while O'Connell and Hitchcock granddaughter Mary Stone poignantly recall how Lombard's tragic death affected her husband, Clark Gable. All admit the screwball format was a definite departure for Hitchcock and without prior knowledge of his involvement, one would never attribute the film to him. Franklin, though, insightfully notes that, for an Englishman who was "just off the boat," Hitchcock adapted to this indigenous American genre with amazing success. The featurette also addresses the careers of Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, and Jack Carson, as well as the legend that Hitchcock disliked actors. And if you missed the director's cameo in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (and, believe me, it's tough to spot), this piece zeroes in on it.

• Vintage Cartoon: Holiday Highlights (HD, 8 minutes) - This 1940 Technicolor Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Tex Avery, salutes several holidays in a typically madcap manner.

• Vintage Cartoon: Stage Fright (HD, 7 minutes) - Another 1940 color cartoon, this Looney Tunes installment follows the adventures of two puppies who run afoul of a magician's bag of tricks in a deserted theater.

• Vintage Short: Cinderella's Feller (HD, 20 minutes) - Child actors Juanita Quigley and Scotty Beckett star in this 1940 two-reel, Technicolor juvenile adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Special effects, lush visuals, and an array of eclectic musical numbers are the main attraction of this lavish but languourous short.

• Radio Adaptations (90 minutes) - Two vintage radio adaptations are included. The first allows Carole Lombard to reprise her role alongside Bob Hope in a sprightly 60-minute adaptation that aired on June 9, 1941 as part of the long-running Lux Radio Theater series. This version spruces up Norman Krasna's labored screenplay with some zingy one-liners, most of which are delivered by Hope in his inimitable wisecracking style. The second is a very truncated 30-minute adaptation starring Errol Flynn and Lana Turner that was broadcast on February 8, 1942 as part of the Screen Guild Theater series. This one also makes changes to the plot, but lacks the hilarity of the Lombard-Hope collaboration. Still, it's a treat to hear Flynn and Turner in the parts.

• Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1 minute) - The film's original preview, which tellingly never mentions Hitchcock or includes his name on any of the title cards, complete the extras package.

Hitchcock's sole foray into romantic comedy remains a noteworthy novelty, but fails to captivate modern viewers. Sparks fly between Lombard and Montgomery, but never quite ignite this tedious break-up-and-make-up yarn. The top-notch transfer struck from a new 4K scan of the best nitrate preservation elements, solid audio, and hefty supplemental package eclipse all the elements on the 2004 DVD, but they can't quite rescue Mr. and Mrs. Smith from mediocrity. Hitchcock fanatics, however, will certainly appreciate the long overdue Blu-ray debut of this intriguing footnote on the master's résumé. Recommended.