Yes, this is an Alfred Hitchcock film, albeit a very different one. The Master of Suspense crosses over to the screwball comedy genre in the 1941 film 'Mr and Mrs Smith'. It's an interesting, yet ultimately flawed exercise.
Hitch filmed 'Mr and Mrs Smith' primarily because of his desire to work with the lovely Carole Lombard. She herself desperately wanted to work with Hitch, though not in a suspense film. He obliged with this piece, also starring comedy regular Robert Montgomery.
The somewhat convoluted plot has Montgomery and Lombard as husband-and-wife David and Ann Smith. One fine day Lombard questions Montgomery over the dinner table with the line 'If you had it all to do over again, would you still have married me?' His reply of 'Honestly, no' is not what she had been expecting. Coincedentally, on the same day David and Ann discover that, due to a technical glitch, they aren't really married after all. Like all, screwball set-ups, havoc quickly ensues.
The problem with Mr and Mrs Smith is that too many jokes simply fall flat on their face. The film does not have enough gags that truly work, with only a few moments that gain a genuine smile. Also, Lombard's character is also portrayed at many times as being unnecessarily cruel. Overall, Lombard and Montgomery play their roles very well, Lombard shines as usual, but the magic just isn't there. There a few good scenes, and probably the funniest is when Montgomery tries to make Lombard jealous in a restaurant.
It's remarkable that this is a Hitchcock film- it feels so American in style. A fun side point to note is that this film contains possibly the first Italian 'Pizza-Pasta' joint in America ever to be put on film.
It's a tragedy that Carole died the following year in a plane crash. She was a great comedic actress who may have blossomed into one of Hitchcock's 'cool blondes' in a suspense film. She certainly had the potential.
6/10
