Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

A young woman discovers her visiting "Uncle Charlie" may not be the man he seems to be.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Thornton Wilder (screenplay), Sally Benson (screenplay),

Stars:

Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Teresa Wright	...	Young Charlie
Joseph Cotten	...	Uncle Charlie
Macdonald Carey	...	Jack Graham
Henry Travers	...	Joseph Newton
Patricia Collinge	...	Emma Newton
Hume Cronyn	...	Herbie Hawkins
Wallace Ford	...	Fred Saunders
Edna May Wonacott	...	Ann Newton
Charles Bates	...	Roger Newton
Irving Bacon	...	Station Master
Clarence Muse	...	Pullman Porter
Janet Shaw	...	Louise
Estelle Jewell	...	Catherine

Storyline

Charlotte 'Charlie' Newton is bored with her quiet life at home with her parents and her younger sister. She wishes something exciting would happen and knows exactly what they need: a visit from her sophisticated and much traveled uncle Charlie Oakley, her mother's younger brother. Imagine her delight when, out of the blue, they receive a telegram from uncle Charlie announcing that he is coming to visit them for awhile. Charlie Oakley creates quite a stir and charms the ladies club as well as the bank president where his brother-in-law works. Young Charlie begins to notice some odd behavior on his part, such as cutting out a story in the local paper about a man who marries and then murders rich widows. When two strangers appear asking questions about him, she begins to imagine the worse about her dearly beloved uncle Charlie.

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Plot Keywords:

widow | visit | murderer | suspect | detective | 

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Taglines:

A Blast of DRAMATIC Dynamite exploded right before your eyes!

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shadow of Doubt

Filming Locations:

904 McDonald Avenue, Santa Rosa, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Skirball Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alfred Hitchcock often said that this was his favorite film.

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Goofs

In the first scene at the Newton house, Ann's collar gets flipped up while she is standing to answer the telephone. In the next close up shot of her on the telephone, her collar is back in place.

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Quotes

Ann Newton: [Answering the phone] Newton's residence, Ann Newton speaking. Oh, hello, Mrs Henderson, this is Ann. No, Mother isn't here. A telegram? Well...
[looks right, then left]
Ann Newton: I don't see a pencil so I'll have to have her call you back. I'm trying to keep my mind free of things that don't matter because I have so much on my mind. Oh, innumerable things.

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Connections

Featured in 'Torn Curtain' Rising (2000)

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Soundtracks

"The Merry Widow Waltz"
(1905) (uncredited)
Music by Franz Lehár
In the score throughout the movie

User Reviews

Hitchcock's first masterpiece

Shadow of a Doubt is perhaps Hitchcock's first real masterpiece - a more mature film than The 39 Steps or Rebecca. It is also incidentally his favorite of his own films. The sleepy town of Santa Rosa is far removed from the very real events of WW-2, events that figured at least a mention if not a central influence on most films of that period. Hitchcock's Rear Window and Vertigo were also far removed from the realities of the Cold War and the Communist Witch-Hunts of the 50's.

Shadow is taut with sexual tension - the incestuous overtones of the mental affinity of niece and uncle Charlie, the lusty infatuations of Charlie's teenage friend Catherine, and Herb, who just happens to be around the corner where ever we see Charlie. Charlie, the niece, is played by Teresa Wright in one of Hitchcock's best female performances. She is very warm, innocent and genuinely good-natured - completely unlike Hitch's usual icy blonds. I have always found Joseph Cotten to be quite inexpressive. He is slightly better than his usual self and is believable in charming and winning over the small town-folk.

This is probably Hitchcock's only film with a strong human core, coupled with his well-known skills as a master technician. What other director of the era could have revealed the murderer at the start of the film and still maintained tension and a lingering unease throughout. Shadow of a Doubt is a precursor to the menace of Blue Velvet and the sexual tensions of American Beauty - and stays with you much longer than either of them.