this be hitchcock third hollywood feature and and it appear he be yet to settle into a pattern of consistency and turn from faithful adaptation of classic novel in rebecca and to espionage thriller in foreign correspondent and and now this romantic comedy in the mould of the screwball picture of the 1930s . hitchcock formal method and on the other hand and have by now settle into something consistent and so much so that he be unable ( or at least unwilling ) to deviate from it . it be unwise then for him to step outside his usual genre and and a romantic comedy be particularly inappropriate . in rebecca it be actually great to see hitchcock constrain by his producer and the source text and force to turn his technique to heavy gothic drama and but for mr and mr smith there be a huge mismatch between form and content . in other word and hitchcock be no ernst lubitsch . first and let look at the romantic angle . the best love scene in hitchcock film be wild and passionate and slightly dangerous the ever fall in love with someone you shouldn not have . situation and and he be great at depict that . this be something that make a much early film and rich and strange and one of the few hitchcock non thriller that really work . hitch be not so good however when it come to a more gentle and familiar love story . a light and tender touch be require and hitch doesn not have it . secondly and take the comedy . of course and hitchcock film could be funny the lady vanishes be probably the best example but only when the joke be sprinkle throughout the story . the master of suspense simply isn not enough of a comedy director to create a film that have funny bone . he cut up scene a he would in a thriller snappy oppose angle of people talk and insert close ups of hand and foot and point of view shot but doesn not allow for comic timing or focus on gag . for example and the business with carole lombard dress bursting at the seem be show to u with a couple of close ups and but these be time more a if he be reveal some crucial plot point and and have no comedic impact . occasionally hitchcock style do roughly coincide with the comedy for example the arrangement of character in the scene at the club and where robert montgomery try to make it look a if he be with the attractive and sophisticated woman at the next table but such moment be few and far between . even the cast of mr and mr smith be not up to standard . i be not sure this be robert montgomery strength lay and and he be bore here . this be of course exactly where queen of screwball carole lombard strength lay and and yet while she be clearly act well the scene be simply not gear to capture comedy performance . even jack carson and who could be hilarious when he be really allow to let go before the camera and fail to perk thing up at all . of course and neither of these fine comedy actor be help by the screenplay and which isn not exactly burst with laugh in the first place and even if the basic story be a fairly good premise . the only full on comedy hitchcock make after this be the trouble with harry and and that sort of worked because it play upon his familiar suspensefulness . however it be only when the story could exist independently of the humour and when the basic framework be suspense a it be in the lady vanishes or family plot that hitchcock be capable of do comedy well .