Reviews (19)

Best romantic comedy
(...)This is a wonderful movie!

Carole Lombard gives a brilliant, elegant & understated performance in this film. It is often overlooked for her more over-the-top roles such as Mildred Plotkin in "Twentieth Century" or Maria Tura in "To Be or Not To Be". Watch her facial expressions carefully, especially in the hallway scene on the way to the bedroom - -"Get goin' Annie". But enough boring analytics. Why should you watch this film?

1)Robert Montegomery & Carole Lombard have unbelievable sexual chemistry in this film.
2)If you've ever been in a relationship (...) you will get a good laugh out of this movie. It shows up both men & women and their foibles but in light-hearted way.
3)Robert Montegomery is hilarious as a manly, capable, sexy & yet hen-pecked husband.
4)It has a politically incorrect ending but it is still funny and very sexy.

So if you enjoy a good romantic comedy like me and are fed up with the trash Hollywood has been putting out lately (bad acting, bad scripts, lots of sex & NO sex appeal), ignore the stodgy Hitchcock fans (remember the word fan originates from fanatic), feminists and other assorted dour & unromantic poops and watch this film. By the way, why is this movie not out on DVD?

Not a Typical Hitchcock, but His Trademarks are Still There!
Hitchcock was "The Master of Suspense." His films were famous for combining action, big stars, Bernard Herrmann music, suspense, and even traces of wry and subtle humor. However, in his long career, Alfred Hitchcock only made two films that can be classified as total comedy. One was 1955s The Trouble With Harry, which was a black comedy, but still definitely a COMEDY. His only other comedy, he made 15 years prior to this, in 1940. He made the film as a favor to a friend of his. That friend was Carole Lombard, the undoubted Queen of Screwball Comedy. She had read the script and fallen in love with it, yet she couldn't find a director, so Alfred Hitchcock agreed to do it for her. The film was Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and it starred such comic legends as Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, and a young Jack Carson.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the story of a bickering, but non-the-less happily married couple. In the films hilarious opening scene, the Smiths are locked in their bedroom. It seems that they have a set of rules they follow each time they get into a quarrel. They lock themselves in their room and do not come out until the fight is solved. One time, they stayed in the room for 8 days. When they finally solve the dispute, they sit down for breakfast, where they are as happy and as "in love" as ever, but rule number 7 permits Mrs. Smith to ask Mr. Smith a question, and she asks him, "If you had to do it over again, would you have married me?" He tells her how much he loves her and how happy he is, but he concludes by saying that married life is too much for him, and that if he had the chance, he wouldn't have married her. At first a little disappointed, Mr. Smith soon comes to see that her husband really does love her, and he goes to work happy, and she blissfully starts the chores.

Unfortunately, a man comes to Mr. Smith's office and informs him that because of the fact of "the town is across the river and is in one county and has been considered in another county, but the other county isn't in the state" that Mr. David Smith and Mrs. Ann Smith aren't legally married. The laughter and humor keep rising after he is kicked out of the apartment and has to live in a local men¡Çs' club. Each gets a temporary partner and after a hilarious restaurant scene, a crowd of three is off for a weekend in the county in the uplifting conclusion of Hitchcock¡Çs classic Screwball Comedy.

Marvelously scripted with beautiful and flawless performances by all the cast, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a breathtaking and fast paced classic. Although not typical Hitchcock, his traces are still evident. There are small incidents of suspense, a small chase scene in a department store, a stalled Parachute Jump in the rain at the World¡Çs Fair, and some great chemistry and rapport between the stars on the screen. If Carole had not died tragically a few years later, in 1942, I would not have been surprised if Lombard and Montgomery had made more films together. Looking at them here, how can one have doubt as to how successful they would have been?

When is the DVD going to come out!
I wish that this movie would come out on DVD soon. It is a wonderful comedy filled with humor and action. It is truly a wonderful movie to see if you are looking for a really good classic, but like other Hitchcock films, this movie is a comedy, not a thriller. So, if you are looking for a mystery by Hitchcock, don't pick this one. Hitchcock has a great sense of humor when he created this spectacular classic. If there is a DVD, (which I hope) I hope there are great special features. If you are looking for a great film to make you laugh, Go see this one!

Extremely Funny!
This is a funny movie! It should be put on DVD. If you are expecting a mystery from Hitchcock, this is not the movie to see, but if you are looking for a funny and entertaining film, this is a great one. I recommend this to everyone. Go see it.

Hitchcock Does Comedy!
Alfred Hitchcock has always shown sly humor even in his darkest moves. This 1941 black and white comedy shows what he can do with obvious comedy as well. Mr. (David) and Mrs. (Ann) Smith are a well off couple who find that they are not legally married. When David (Robert Montgomery) is given this information, does he tell his wife? No way. Instead he chooses to toy with her first. Unfortunately, Ann (beautiful and talented Carol Lombard) and her mother have received the same information. Ann's mother makes her promise that as an unmarried woman she won't ---?!. 'Of course not' she promises. Later, Ann and David talk on the telephone, she asks about his day, he does not mention their invalid marriage but he does tell her that they are going to what used to be their favorite restaurant. As David is talking, he writes "Mrs.", crosses it off and replaces it with "Mistress" then smiles. This unshared knowledge starts a wonderful, sexy cat and mouse game between Lombard and Montgomery. The getting ready for bed scene is just super. Gene Raymond as Jeff Custer, David's friend and law partner is full of southern charm and is wonderfully sly as he double crosses David. Jack Carson as the hard drinking womanizing club friend Chuck, who helps to land Montgomery in more hot water than he is already in, is perfect for this role. One of my favorite scenes is the hilarious 'restaurant' scene where Montgomery and Carson are on dates with two of Carson's lady friends. Watch Montgomery's face as he desperately tries to make his nose bleed. It's our loss that they don't make sophisticated screwball comedy like this any more. (~.~) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Political Nail Biter
The setting is a National Nominating Convention of one of the major parties for President. The top two contestants are intellecutal Secretary of State Henry Fonda and scare-tactic headline grabbing Senator Cliff Robertson. The scramble for delegates, the dangling of endorsements, blackmail, extortion, and double-dealing are all part of a days work when the Presidency is on the line and no one has enough delegates to seal the deal. This is an honest and exciting look at the world of politics. Not a trite clear cut good vs. evil morality play, the Fonda character is not without his faults, but a race to the finish line that the viewer is given no clue as to who will win and there are some curious detours along the way, but the plot never gets too complicated and the convention actually LOOKS like a convention unlike in many political films. A great supporting cast including Shelley Berman as a nervous ex-army buddy of Robertson's who just might have the "goods" on him and formerly black-listed hillbilly entertainer John Henry Faulk as "everybody's favorite son" southern Governor T. T. Claypool, a great character. Wonderful photography, the crisp direction you would expect from Schaffner and a marvelous closing shot. Don't miss it.

When conventions still mattered.
Pretty good political drama that takes itself seriously & gives you the feel of the way the national conventions used to be. After all, they selected our presidents.
Henry Fonda & Cliff Robertson are the main contenders, different as night & day. Fonda's character is the intellectual Secretary of State, slow to act or make major decisions. Robertson's character is an outspoken McCarthy-like Senator who shoots from the hip. Fonda's character is kind & everybody likes him except his estranged wife. He likes to fool around.
Robertson is a totally disagreeable tyrant whose beautiful wife adores him & he doesn't have time for sex. The other minor canidates are buffoons.
When neither man can get the nomination the threatened mud slinging begins. It seems that Fonda might be a nut job & Cliff has written proof. Robertson might be a closet queen & Henry has witnesses. To me the resolution wasn't particularly satisfying, but it still gets 3 1/2 stars. Movie done in a documentary style which was effective.

HEY!!
It was a pretty good movie, but it seems Gore Vidal is always writing "gay" themes into his stuff. I can never figure that out.

the best man
this a great political drama.excellent acting and a great
screenplay.it shows the way our political elections system
really works.I highly recommend this movie for those who
like to see a good political drama.

I See Why It's A Favorite With Real Politicians - Fine Film
Engrossing, absorbing film of Gore Vidal's hit 1960 Broadway play, this film is always remarked upon by veteran politicians of both parties around election time as a good film that shows you something of how politics work. *The Best Man* deals with a party political convention which must decide which candidate is "the best man" to run for President. Henry Fonda plays a candidate with elements of Adlai Stevenson (intellectual) and John F Kennedy (womanizer) while Cliff Robertson mixes bits of Barry Goldwater (ultra conservative) and aspects of Robert Kennedy (ruthless manipulator - obviously there's a bit of Nixon here, too, but Vidal is at pains to point out the ambiguity of loyalty to one party or theme when it comes to getting nominated - candidates of both parties must, and do, grab and hustle to get elected). When Robertson's character plans to release embarressing medical information about Fonda's, the latter must decide whether he will use an equally ruthless tactic (and reveal an even more sordid secret about Robertson) when he has already pledged (and sincerely wishes) to stay away from smear tactics (folks, this was the early sixties when politicians like Adlai Stevenson still gave some real thought to such notions!) If he refuses, he may lose the support of the aging, outgoing President which he desperately needs - and perhaps prove *himself* NOT to be "the best man" that we presume he is (if can't act ruthlessly and decisively to win, what will he do in the White House, if he needs to decide in a moment how to act to defend the country from invasion, say, the outgoing president scornfully tells him?)

The ending is quite exciting. This film holds up surprisingly well given its age. I understand now why politicians of both parties recommend this film. I'm not surprised it was successfully revived as a stage play on Broadway before the last elections. One thing: although this film is listed as being directed by Frank Schaffner, it was actually the author Gore Vidal who directed it behind the scenes, after first firing an aging, senile Frank Capra who had plans for a sentimental film complete with a scene showing Henry Fonda dressed up as Abraham Lincoln walking around the convention floor shaking hands!. Keep an eye for Vidal's cameo appearence about halfway through - he walks up and shakes the hand of Mrs Cantwell and Mrs Gammage as they walk through the hotel lobby (and who greet Vidal as "Mr Senator"!). ... Read more