Shadow of a Doubt

This was a great movie, that had strong moments of suspense, mystery, terror and also sadness, for the fallen idols, wasted devotion, childhood fantasy morphed into grim adult reality.

Teresa Wright plays Charlotte ("Charlie"), a young woman from a small town, whose dull life is brightened by the visit of her Uncle Charles (Joseph Cotton), her mom's younger brother whom she adores, and whom Charlie idolizes. (She was named after him.) At first, Charlie and her mom, Emma (Patricia Collinge) are delighted with his visit, especially when it appears he wants to settle in their town. Soon, however, Charlie finds out that things are not what they seem, and her beloved uncle may be a serial killer of wealthy widows. The more Charlie discovers, the more determined her uncle is to keep those discoveries from being known, whatever that takes. Meanwhile, a young detective on the case, Jack Graham (Macdonald Carey) falls for Charlie. She's torn between wanting to help her new love, and wanting to protect her uncle, whom she soon starts to see for what he really is.

There's an interesting theory briefly mentioned, when Emma recalls a time when Charles had been injured as a boy when he took a bad fall, and they weren't sure if he'd recover, or if he'd be the same. Could that head injury account for the man he became?

This is one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest.

The story of Shadow of a Doubt kept me on the edge of my seat, but I had a hard time accepting some of the actions (and reactions) of the characters. It also seemed to play its hand a little too early, and the big reveal didn't feel as shocking. Teresa Wright makes a wonderful protagonist, though, and I may never trust Joseph Cotten in any other role now.

Cinema legend Alfred Hitchcocks' personal favorite film out of his vast resume, "Shadow of a Doubt" is a solid and involving thriller in which cast & crew alike are showcased to great effect. It was co-scripted by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Hitchs' wife Alma Reville, from a story by Gordon McDonell.

Teresa Wright is appealing as "Young Charlie", a small town girl named after her often-on-the-move Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten). She dotes on him, even though she hasn't seen him that much during her life. Then she comes to realize that he has a very secretive, elusive nature, and may in fact have a criminal past that has drawn two detectives (Macdonald Carey, Wallace Ford) to this typical American burg.

The nefarious evil that Charlie could potentially be bringing to town is sharply contrasted with the cheery but unremarkable nature of the community. The excellent supporting cast also includes Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Irving Bacon, and Clarence Muse, with a young Hume Cronyn (in his film debut) stealing his scenes as a nosy pulp fiction lover who frequently discusses with Travers how he might possibly murder him without arousing suspicion!

Wright is winning in the central role, the girl who reluctantly must accept the fact that her uncle may not be the kind of man she always believed him to be. And Cotten offers a master class at subtle villainy. You'll never see him chewing on the scenery here.

"Shadow of a Doubt" is definitely far more character and plot-driven than action-oriented, but there is still time for some superior Hitchcock suspense scenes - although the ending is rather abrupt.

This might not get as much press as some of Hitchs' subsequent, even more famous work, but it's still worthy of a great deal of respect.

Eight out of 10.

I own the Hitchcock collection (14 films in toto), and while this isn't my favourite of the bunch ('Psycho' is one of my favourite movies of all time, and 'Birds' never gets old), I like to watch it every now and again to remind myself what it means to make a "suspense film", and why Hitchcock was and always will be the master of this craft.

To give away even the slightest story detail would ruin it for new viewers, because it is essential that everyone begin with the wrong impressions of the major characters. This allows Hitch to pull off his famous 'twists' throughout the course of the movie, hitting you every now and then with something you simply weren't expecting.

One of my favourite elements in the movie is the ongoing dialogue between Henry Travers and Hume Cronyn, avid mystery readers who are constantly discussing the best ways to murder each other. Apart from being a bit of comic relief in an otherwise very dark film, it also demonstrates how lightly people think of murder and murderers...until they encounter them face-to-face.

My advice then, if you want to see this movie, is not to learn anything about it beforehand. Going in with no knowledge will increase the movie's initial impact, and will help you to appreciate why Hitchcock was the 'Master of Suspense'. This is a taut thriller with no gratuitous violence, foul language, or mature situations.

(Hitch considered it 'a family film'.)

Enjoy!

A young woman (Teresa Wright) discovers her visiting "Uncle Charlie" (Joseph Cotten) may not be the man he seems to be.

This is classic Hitchcock, and one of Joseph Cotten's finest roles, which is quite a compliment considering how great Cotten is/was. He is dark, misanthropic, misogynistic, and keeps you guessing. That is the beauty of this film: you will debate with yourself Charlie's true identity (maybe he really is who he says he is).

The film has a good deal of suspense, and solid performances from everyone involved. I do not think this is one of Hitchcock's most well-known films, and I am sorry about that. For me, it ranks above "Rebecca" in his catalog. Really a fine film and worth seeing again.