Suspicion (1941)

A shy young English woman marries a charming gentleman, then begins to suspect him of trying to kill her.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (screen play), Joan Harrison (screen play),

Stars:

Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Cedric Hardwicke

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cary Grant	...	Johnnie
Joan Fontaine	...	Lina
Cedric Hardwicke	...	General McLaidlaw (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Nigel Bruce	...	Beaky
Dame May Whitty	...	Mrs. McLaidlaw
Isabel Jeans	...	Mrs. Newsham
Heather Angel	...	Ethel
Auriol Lee	...	Isobel Sedbusk
Reginald Sheffield	...	Reggie Wetherby
Leo G. Carroll	...	Captain Melbeck

Storyline

Johnny Aysgarth is a handsome gambler who seems to live by borrowing money from friends. He meets shy Lina McLaidlaw on a train whilst trying to travel in a first class carriage with a third class ticket. He begins to court Lina and before long they are married. It is only after the honeymoon that she discovers his true character and she starts to become suspicious when Johnny's friend and business partner, Beaky is killed mysteriously.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | love | money | honeymoon | train | 

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Taglines:

Love in his Heart . . . Tragedy in his Mind ! The stars of "Penny Serenade" and "Rebecca" in this most thrilling mystery . . .

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 November 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Before the Fact

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After this film became a box office success, Alfred Hitchcock's name began to end up on the title of his films starting with Saboteur.

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Goofs

The "British" light switches in the sets are unmistakably American. They even operate in the American way - up for on, down for off - the opposite of real British switches.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Johnnie Aysgarth: Oh, I beg your pardon. Was that your leg? I had no idea we were going into a tunnel. I thought the compartment was empty.

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Connections

Featured in The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Wiener Blut, op. 354 (Viennese Blood)"
(1871) (uncredited)
Written by Johann Strauß
Arranged by Roy Webb

User Reviews

A wife suspects that her irresponsible husband is a killer

"Suspicion" is a classically Hitchcockian film, with Joan Fontaine as a woman who marries a charming scoundrel, played by Cary Grant, who she begins to think might kill for money. Parts of the film, such as Grant's "courting" techniques, seem rather dated, but the tension builds well, and my interest was held throughout. The ending, however, seems tacked-on and very unsatisfying in execution, even if not in content. This seemed to me to be a lesser film than the best of Hitchcock's output during the 40's, such as the earlier "Rebecca" (also with Fontaine) and the later "Notorious", but anyone who enjoys Hitchcock's films in general will likely enjoy this one as well.

Overall Rating: 3 stars (out of 4), or 7 (out of 10)