Suspicion (1941)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (screen play) &
Joan Harrison (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 November 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Love | Money | Honeymoon | Train

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Billy Bevan	...	Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Faith Brook	...	Alice Barham (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Burton - McLaidlaws' Butler (uncredited)
David Clyde	...	Trunk Man (uncredited)
Clyde Cook	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Hogarth Club Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Carol Curtis-Brown	...	Jessie Barham (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Benson (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Mr. Bailey (uncredited)
Edward Fielding	...	Antique Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Gavin Gordon	...	Dr. Bertram Sedbusk (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Inspector Hodgson (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Mailing Letter (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Mrs. Wetherby (uncredited)
Kenneth Hunter	...	Sir Gerald (uncredited)
Dorothy Lloyd	...	Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Aubrey Mather	...	Executor of General Laidlaw's Will (uncredited)
Nondas Metcalf	...	Phyllis Swinghurst (uncredited)
Rita Page	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Postmistress (uncredited)
Clara Reid	...	Mrs. Craddock (uncredited)
Maureen Roden-Ryan	...	Maid - Winnie (uncredited)
Violet Shelton	...	Mrs. Barham (uncredited)
Donald Stuart	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Denis Tankard	...	Footman (uncredited)
Pax Walker	...	Maid - Phoebe (uncredited)
Ben Webster	...	William Howe - Registrar (uncredited)
Elsie Weller	...	Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Constance Worth	...	Mrs. Fitzpatrick (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Samson Raphaelson		(screen play) &
Joan Harrison		(screen play) &
Alma Reville		(screen play)
Anthony Berkeley		(from the novel "Before the Fact" by) (as Francis Iles)

Produced by
Harry E. Edington	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dewey Starkey	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director

Sound Department
John E. Tribby	....	recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Roy Webb	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Mal Merrihugh	....	stand-in: Cary Grant (uncredited)
N. Russell	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as R K O Radio Pictures, Inc.)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (as An R K O Radio Picture)
• Radio Filmes (1941) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures Argentina (1942) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Motion Picture Export Association (MPEA) (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• VidAmerica (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmituonti (1944) (Finland) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1951) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Lii-Filmi (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• DHE Castle (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Pan Vision Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (3-disc Cary Grant Collection)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1967) (1978) (1988) (2002) (2004) (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• David O. Selznick Productions Inc.  services of Miss Fontaine and Mr. Hitchcock secured through the courtesy of (as David O. Selznick Productions, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (1999) (2003) | USA:Approved (certificate #7113) | Spain:13 | UK:U (tv rating) | Brazil:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1946) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

First cinema film of Faith Brook.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lina looks at Isobel's book while Johnnie is on the telephone, there is a large tear in the book jacket above Isobel's photo. In the next scene, when Lina takes the book on her visit to Isobel, the book jacket is undamaged.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The All New Alexei Sayle Show: Episode #1.1" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Frühlingsstimmen, op. 410 (Voices of Spring)

One of my favorites

The first time I saw this movie, I was kind of undecided. I had taped an Alfred Hitchcock marathon on TV and I only watched it for the sake of watching another Hitchcock film. The second time though, was in the back seat of a conversion van on a LONG road trip and I had a lot of time on my hands, so the more movies I had to watch, the better.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having read about the movie, I knew that the ending wasn't Alfred Hitchcock's first choice, but I thought the final shot was very beautifully filmed, and the ending was ok with me.

Of course, the whole movie is beautifully filmed in brilliant sunlight. I think the only really dark scene is the milk one. However, the theme of a woman suspecting that her husband is a murderer is indeed dark.

The movie is about Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine) who marries the rascally Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant). She slowly begins to suspect that he is plotting to murder her for money, and it certainly doesn't help when his best friend dies under mysterious circumstances. Fontaine is excellent in her role and she certainly deserved her Oscar.

The movie is really quite entertaining. Many people consider Rebecca or Notorious Hitchcock's best movie of the 40's. I like both films a lot, but something about Suspicion makes it my personal favorite of the decade.

This is a must-see for Hitchcock fans. Full of classic performances and of course, suspensefully directed!