Shadow of a Doubt

Watch: Shadow of a Doubt

1/15/19431h 47m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ What horror did her secret life hold… that made her dread this man of her dreams? ~

Overview:

Just when Charlie is feeling especially frustrated by the lack of excitement in her small town in California, she receives wonderful news: Her uncle and namesake, Charlie, is coming to visit. However, as secrets about him come to the fore, her admiration turns into suspicion.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

small town
california
library
widow
bank
detective
telegram
housewife
film noir
incest overtones
murder
fugitive
teenage girl
black and white
murderer
police detective
privacy
visit
gender roles
brother sister
wealthy widow
precocious child
misogynist
americana
uncle niece relationship
money in the bank
murder suspect
northern california
conflicting worldviews
bluebeard

Cast

Teresa Wright

~ as ~

Young Charlie

Joseph Cotten

~ as ~

Uncle Charlie

Macdonald Carey

~ as ~

Jack Graham

Henry Travers

~ as ~

Joseph Newton

Patricia Collinge

~ as ~

Emma Newton

Hume Cronyn

~ as ~

Herbie Hawkins

Wallace Ford

~ as ~

Fred Saunders

Edna May Wonacott

~ as ~

Ann Newton

Charles Bates

~ as ~

Roger Newton

Irving Bacon

~ as ~

Station Master

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 5 year(s) ago
9
Merry Widow Murderer - Hitchcock style!

Shadow Of A Doubt was believed to have been Hitchcock's own favourite movie, the one that he was most proud of as he felt his critics hadn't got any justifiable ammunition to shoot him down with. The film stands out because it doesn't have the tongue in cheek dark humour traits that light up most of the maestro's classics. The cheeky bonus is that of having the central premise of the main protagonist being a hero of the people. His family all adore him, where he is on the surface a man that all men want to be, and it's here that Hitchcock moulds a chilling filmic arc, in fact, it's a masterstroke of filmic manipulation.

The plot involves Uncle Charlie returning to his adoring family in Santa Rosa after avoiding his apprehension for the murder of a widow. His niece Charlie treats Uncle as a hero, she worships the ground he walks on, but as the detectives close in, niece Charlie starts to piece together things and suspects herself that Uncle may just in fact be The Merry Widow Murderer. We are then pitched into the cat & mouse story and become privy to Uncle Charlie's switch from debonair handsome hero, into that of the devil incarnate. The reoccurring theme of The Merry Widow Waltz adds to the uneasy feel, while the relationship between Uncle & Niece is one that I'm sure Hitchcock was revelling in. Make no bones about it, it's in itself bordering on being unhealthy, and it's something that helps make this a more edgier thriller than other genre pieces of the era.

Joseph Cotten is special as Uncle Charlie, his duality acting hits the spot on both fronts, whilst Teresa Wright is beguiling as the niece because she really makes the character infectious. Thus it's with these two great performances that the pics final reel brings socko results. Screenplay is written by the wonderfully talented Thornton Wilder, and with the master directing with swagger in tow, this rounds out as a triumphant classic that shouldn't be missed by fans of such terminologies. 10/10