Shadow of a Doubt
In the quiet town of Santa Rosa, a restless young Charlie finds her world brightened when her urbane Uncle Charlie drops by for an extended visit. Yet as his conduct grows increasingly unsettling, she suspects that her beloved uncle may be hiding a dreadful secret—and that danger has quietly infiltrated her home.
Director(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Adele Cannon
Ralph Slosser
William Tummel
Where to watch
Amazon Video
Rent
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
John Chard
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
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Shadow of a Doubt FAQs
The directors of Shadow of a Doubt are Alfred Hitchcock, Adele Cannon, Ralph Slosser, and William Tummel.
The cast of Shadow of a Doubt includes Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie, Hume Cronyn as Herbie Hawkins, Shep Houghton as Ballroom Dancer (uncredited), Edward Fielding as Doctor on Train (uncredited), Shirley Mills as Shirley (uncredited), Irving Bacon as Station Master, Edwin Stanley as Mr. Green (uncredited), Teresa Wright as Young Charlie, Patricia Collinge as Emma Newton, Virginia Brissac as Mrs. Phillips (uncredited), Eily Malyon as Mrs. Cochran (uncredited), Macdonald Carey as Jack Graham, and more.
The duration of Shadow of a Doubt is 1h 47 mins.
Yes. You can watch the Shadow of a Doubt trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
You can watch Shadow of a Doubt on Amazon Video (Rent). Check this Fanbiz page for the latest platforms.
Shadow of a Doubt was released on 12 Jan 1943.
Shadow of a Doubt is listed under Thriller, Mystery, and Crime on Fanbiz.
Shadow of a Doubt has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 9.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "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..."
