Mr. & Mrs. Smith Blu-ray Review
Warner Archive Collection
Score: 88
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Blu-ray offers the best A/V presentation yet, with standout performances and solid extras, but the film itself may not captivate all Hitchcock fans.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 91
Warner Archive's 1080p Blu-ray of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' from a new 4K scan offers stunning clarity with supportive grain and smooth contrast, preserving Hitchcock's cinematography and yielding a film-like appearance. Though a few scenes show minor quality drops, overall clarity, deep blacks, and crisp whites make it an excellent transfer.
Audio: 91
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix for 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' provides a crisp, dynamic range and clear dialogue, with only minimal hiss or distortion. The background score and sound effects are distinct, making it a significant upgrade from the older DVD's lossy Dolby Digital counterpart.
Extra: 85
The Blu-ray of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" offers a robust array of extras, primarily ported from the 2004 DVD, but enhanced with new vintage content. Highlights include insightful commentary on Hitchcock's atypical screwball comedy, classic cartoons, a lavish "Cinderella" short, and two engaging radio adaptations featuring Hollywood legends.
Movie: 84
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Hitchcock’s rare foray into screwball comedy, blends a light, turbulent plot and outstanding performances by Lombard and Montgomery but falls short of his usual flair; the Warner Archive Blu-ray, offering 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono, makes this intriguing, albeit imperfect, film ripe for rediscovery.
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Video: 91
Warner Archive applies their considerable expertise to the Blu-ray release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," offering a robust 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer derived from a new 4K scan of the finest available presentation elements. This meticulous restoration yields impressive results, with the majority of the film exhibiting remarkable clarity, enhanced by supportive grain and smooth, consistent contrast levels. Notable in particular are scenes utilizing the original nitrate negative or safety negative, which shine with exceptional detail and depth. While a few shots, showing reduced grain and less refined mid-range grays, stand out as slightly inferior, they remain minor distractions in an otherwise uniformly strong visual presentation.
Cinematographer Harry Stradling's work on this 35 mm black & white film is faithfully respected in this rendering. Presented in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, the Blu-ray showcases excellent grayscale with vibrant whites and deep, stable blacks. Fine details are well captured, from Lombard's dress patterns to the textures of the ski lodge's log walls and cluttered bedroom settings. The film maintains a distinguished cinematic quality with faint grain preserving a film-like appearance while razor-sharp close-ups reveal fine facial features and shadow delineation remains commendable. Background projections for outdoor scenes are seamlessly integrated, maintaining immersion without drawing attention to their artifice.
The Warner Archive's manual cleanup process has eradicated many of the imperfections seen in previous DVD releases, ensuring an artifact-free viewing experience. The disc's encoding aligns with the label’s high standards, devoid of macro blocking or other anomalies, supported by a substantial bit rate within the format's limitations. This presentation marks "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" as an essential upgrade for Hitchcock aficionados and classic film enthusiasts alike.
Audio: 91
The audio presentation of the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" Blu-ray is anchored by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track that offers a crisp and lively listening experience. This mix adheres to the high standards typical of its era, ensuring dialogue is clear and distinct throughout. The dynamic range is impressive, capturing the highs and lows of Edward Ward’s excellent music score without any distortions. Notably, the track manages to retain its integrity by minimizing age-related artifacts such as hiss, pops, or crackles, providing a smooth and pleasant auditory experience.
Sound effects are rendered meticulously, adding depth to various scenes. Elements like smashing dishes, ambient nightclub noise, and car engines are delivered with precision, creating an engaging soundscape. Despite some occasional soft hiss in quieter scenes, these minor imperfections are well within acceptable bounds and do not detract from the overall quality. The intelligent mix ensures that every element is balanced, making for a highly enjoyable listening experience.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided for the main feature but are not available for the extras. This minor limitation aside, the overall audio quality of this DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track significantly outpaces its older DVD counterparts, offering a revitalized and immersive sound experience that stands out even more impressively today than it did back in 2004.
Extra: 85
The Blu-ray release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" provides a comprehensive and engaging set of extras that significantly enhance the viewing experience. A standout is the featurette "Mr. Hitchcock Meets the Smiths," where luminaries such as Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Franklin, and Hitchcock family members reflect on the film's unique place in Hitchcock's oeuvre and Carole Lombard's iconic performance. Viewers can enjoy a series of well-remastered classic cartoons and a noteworthy Technicolor short, “Cinderella’s Feller.” For audio enthusiasts, the inclusion of two vintage radio adaptations offers a nostalgic and immersive experience.
Extras included in this disc:
- Mr. Hitchcock Meets the Smiths: Interviews and commentary about the film's production and its stars.
- Holiday Highlights: Tex Avery-directed Technicolor Looney Tunes cartoon.
- Stage Fright: Looney Tunes cartoon featuring two mischievous puppies.
- Cinderella’s Feller: Child-starred Technicolor adaptation of the classic tale.
- Lux Radio Theater Broadcast: Carole Lombard and Bob Hope in a 60-minute adaptation.
- Screen Director's Playhouse Radio Broadcast: Abridged version with intro by Alfred Hitchcock.
- Theatrical Trailer: A brief, text-and-stills trailer for the film.
Movie: 84
Alfred Hitchcock's 1941 film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" stands as a unique entry in the director’s storied career, diverging notably into the screwball comedy genre. Despite its deviation from Hitchcock's hallmark suspense, the film is not without merit. Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery star as the titular couple, whose marriage is rendered null due to a legal loophole discovered after three years. Their turbulent relationship provides ample fodder for comedy, although the screenplay by Norman Krasna lacks the sophistication typical of Hitchcock’s work, leaning instead on more straightforward, sometimes predictable humor.
While “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” aims for lighthearted romantic antics, its success is largely buoyed by the charm and skill of its cast. Lombard’s effervescent performance and Montgomery’s adeptness at both verbal and physical comedy elevate what could have been a mundane marital farce. However, the narrative often feels disjointed and thin, particularly as it diverts into overly convoluted comedic set-ups and subplots that lack genuine momentum. Despite this, certain scenes — such as the Florida Club sequence and various slapstick moments — are handled with Hitchcock’s characteristic precision, offering glimpses of his brilliant directorial capabilities.
The film's production values are commendable, featuring scenic locales and Edward Ward’s playful score that complements the film’s tone. Although some humor strains credulity, there are enough amusing moments to maintain a light, pleasant atmosphere. However, Hitchcock’s direction occasionally betrays a sense of impatience with the genre, leading to an uneven pacing and missed opportunities for deeper character engagement. Overall, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" emerges as an intriguing detour in Hitchcock’s oeuvre — an imperfect yet charming experiment in romantic comedy buoyed by its talented cast.
Total: 88
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Alfred Hitchcock's singular foray into American screwball comedy, offers an intriguing departure from his celebrated suspense oeuvre. While the film doesn't rank among Hitchcock's most revered works, it showcases his versatility and features captivating performances from Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery. The narrative unfolds through a series of break-ups and make-ups, displaying Hitchcock's deft handling of witty repartee and situational humor, even if the overall story occasionally falls flat by modern standards.
The Blu-ray presentation from Warner Archive marks a significant improvement in audio-visual quality over previous releases, benefiting from a 4K scan of the best available nitrate preservation elements. The transfer is top-notch, presenting a crisp and vibrant image that brings out the film's period charm. Additionally, the sound quality is solid, ensuring that dialogue and music are cleanly rendered. Supplementary materials add substantial value, offering a treasure trove of insights for Hitchcock enthusiasts and cinephiles alike.
While "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" may not captivate all contemporary viewers with its sometimes tedious narrative, it remains a noteworthy footnote in Hitchcock's distinguished career. The improved AV presentation and invaluable bonus features make this Blu-ray release a compelling acquisition for die-hard fans and curious newcomers alike. In conclusion, Warner Archive's Blu-ray release of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is an essential rediscovery, providing the film its best home video incarnation yet. Recommended to the right crowd.
Blu-ray.com review by Randy Miller IIIRead review here
Video: 80
Disc encoding seems to be in keeping with the boutique label's better titles during the past year or two, with few to no instances of macro blocking or other anomalies and a supportive bit rate within...
Audio: 80
Again, just about everything here keeps pace with most recent WAC release as if late, largely retaining what seems to be a good dynamic range for this era of cinema while nonetheless retaining trace elements...
Extras: 70
Cinderella's Feller (19:34) - The classic fairy tale is given a then-new facelift for 1940 in this surprisingly lavish three-strip Technicolor short, with one interesting side note being that all the main...
Movie: 70
Even so, there's a certain charm to Mr. and Mrs. Smith that extends beyond the intrigue of Carole Lombard's second-to-last film (Ernst Lubitsch's outstanding To Be or Not to Be was release posthumously),...
Total: 70
Die-hard fans and curious newcomers should (re)discover the film via Warner Archive's welcome new Blu-ray, which not only gives the film its best home video A/V presentation by a fairly wide margin but...
The Digital Bits review by Dennis SeulingRead review here
Video: 95
Details are well delineated in patterns of Lombard’s dresses, grain in log walls of the ski lodge, clutter in the Smiths’ bedroom, and decor in the nightclub....
Audio: 95
There are no problems with crackling or popping, making for a smooth listening experience....
Extras: 80
Regarding Hitchcock’s attitude toward actors, Schickel, who had interviewed Hitchcock, postulates that during his British period, he resented the fact that some of his actors had to leave the set early...
Movie: 75
Shortly after his arrival in the United States, however, he took the reins of a decidedly different sub-genre—the screwball comedy—in Mr. & Mrs. Smith....
Total: 86
A lot of the picture falls flat, but it’s worth a look, if only to enjoy Carole Lombard’s performance and to see how Alfred Hitchcock handled a genre new to him....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
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....
Audio: 80
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....
Extras: 60
This one also makes changes to the plot, but lacks the hilarity of the Lombard-Hope collaboration....
Movie: 60
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...
Total: 80
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...
Home Theater Forum review by Matt HoughRead review here
Video: 90
Though the main titles seem a bit soft, the remainder of the film is sharp and very appealing....
Audio: 90
Dialogue has been well recorded and has been combined with Edward Ward’s rather precious and precocious background score and the numerous sound effects (smashed vases and water pitchers have real heft...
Extras: 80
Vintage Radio Adaptations of the Film: 1941’s Lux Radio Theater (59:46) hosted by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Carole Lombard and Bob Hope and 1942’s Screen Guild Playhouse (29:34) starring Errol Flynn...
Movie: 80
He’s even better directing an extended sequence at the Florida Club where David and Ann with their respective dates bring the hilarity in spades (David’s crass date, David’s attempt to mime intimacy with...
Total: 80
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith may be an atypical outing for him, but it’s a fine battle-of-the-sexes comedy that he handles with great aplomb....
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond
PlotDavid and Ann are a married couple living in New York City, thriving on their passionate but often contentious relationship. Following one of their many heated arguments, David receives startling news from a city official: a legal technicality has voided their marriage. Unsure whether to reveal this to Ann immediately, he decides to keep it a secret. However, the truth soon emerges unexpectedly, leading to a cascade of misunderstandings and complications that challenge the very foundation of their relationship.
As emotions flare and pride takes the stage, the once seemingly indomitable pair begins to question their bond. Ann, feeling betrayed by David's initial secrecy, decides to test her independence, creating friction and rivalries. Their mutual stubbornness leads them both into a series of comedic, yet progressively more serious situations. They must navigate through their misunderstandings and rediscover how much they truly value each other to determine if they can rebuild what they once had.
Writers: Norman Krasna
Release Date: 12 Apr 1941
Runtime: 95 min
Rating: Approved
Country: United States
Language: English