Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten
Honors:
Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock would be known for many of the
finest motion picture thrillers of all time and in many instances he stated his
1943 motion picture to be his personal favorite of all the films he had
directed. Showcasing Hitchcock’s fascination for crime and criminals this feature
delves into the innocent idea of evil entering a small town in an unlikely form.
Shadow of a Doubt
is a psychological thriller about a teenage girl who begins to believe her
uncle is a serial killer. Charlotte “Charlie” Newton and her beloved Uncle
Charlie Oakley have a very special, loving relationship which the young niece
holds very dear. At first she is overjoyed by his most recent visit to what she
may consider a unexciting Northern California town of Santa Rosa, but her uncle
behaves suspiciously on edge leading her down a road of curiosity. Through
clues and a visit from federal agents, one (MacDonald Carey) who even takes to
courting Young Charlie, she comes to believe Uncle Charlie is a serial murder
of wealthy elderly widows the authorities are seeking. Further complicated the
matter is how Young Charlie struggles with the idea of sharing the news which
would break the heart of her mother (Patricia Collinge), who thinks of the
world of Uncle Charlie.
Understanding of young Charlie’s new discovery, Uncle
Charlie attempts of series of staged accidents to hurt or even kill his once
favorite niece to keep her from sharing her new found knowledge. After being incorrectly
exonerated Uncle Charlie decides to leave town at the demand of Young Charlie,
but no without a final attempt on her life. In a deadly act Uncle Charlie attempts
to throw his niece from a running train that is taking him out of town, but in
the struggle falls to his death. In passing without Young Charlie sharing of
knowledge Uncle Charlie dark secrets he is honored. However Young Charlie must
live on with the pains of what only she knows.
Near universally acclaimed at the time of its release Shadow of a Doubt was a thriller that
captured the imaginations of movie goers. Teresa Wright shines with a youthful
exuberance of an excited teenager, yet quickly portrays the emotions of a
troubled woman torn with the unexpected revelation of who her beloved uncle
really is. Joseph Cotten is both charming and menacing as the role of Uncle
Charlie, the energetic favorite relative whose attitude turns sinister on a
dime when he senses individuals are close to discovering his truth.
The plot of the picture was based off a story presented to
Hitchcock, itself inspired by a real criminal who murdered windows to collect
money. Along with the filmmaker’s fascination with the idea of a major criminal
innocently coming to a small town Hitchcock found an interesting mix for his next
motion picture. Within the picture the audience follows Young Charlie and must
piece together the clues that reveal who her uncle truly is, then must juggle
with the whether or not she too must believe it. As the tale moves forward she
ultimately fears for her own life as her uncle attempts to keep her from sharing
what she knows.
Filmed on location in the actual Santa Rosa, then only a
quiet, sleepy town, this marks a first in a long history Alfred Hitchcock would
have with locations in Northern California. The then quaint town contained all
the all-American ideals Hitchcock was looking for in the unsuspecting community
within his movie.
In Santa Rosa he found the location of what he deemed the
perfect house for Young Charlie’s family. It was sizable to fit her family’s
needs, but just slightly worn down to manifest it was a well lived in, as well
as being a warm home of a loving family. After the house was confirmed as a
location in the picture it’s residents were so overjoyed that they proudly painted
the house, much to the dismay of Hitchcock. The director loved how it look,
with its slightly worn look and had the exterior aged once again by his set
decorators to the point he wanted in the picture. Of course he had house
repainted after production concluded.
The picture focuses primarily on the dramatic relationship of
the two Charlies, but fleshed out the picture with supporting characters that
you as an audiences come to care for, but are completely oblivious to the
struggles between the two. Young Charlie’s parents portrayed by two of the most
lovable actors in Patricia Collinge and Henry Travers give the home a warm
welcoming feel any all-American home would wish for. Collinge portrays the
innocently loving sister to Uncle Charlie that Young Charlie would never wish
to hurt by unveiling the news of her brother’s criminal ways. Travers, who has had
a history of playing lovable supporting character, as Young Charlie’s father shares
a fascination and ongoing discussion with his friend Herbie, played by Hume
Cronyn. Much like Alfred Hitchcock, these two share ideas openly with how
criminals would secretly murder people, much to the annoyance of his daughter.
The picture is filled with suspense as Young Charlie juggles
with the idea that her Uncle as this dangerous man, yet the light of the world
to her mother. Through the picture she struggles over how to get her Uncle to
leave without putting herself in danger or breaking her dear mother’s heart. It
is this struggle that ultimately leads the conclusion that only serves to
resolve that fact that she is safe, but must hold in this ugly truth for the
sake of her family as an overwhelmingly climactic close.
Shadow of a Doubt
played well to both audiences and critics. The reviews upon its release praised
Hitchcock’s inventiveness of how to hold audiences in suspense to points of
great tension. Film historians came to anoint the feature as one of, if not
the, very best of Alfred Hitchcock’s career. Certainly at its time, it was the most
“American” of Hitchcock’s movies as he had transition from his English roots to
his new place where he practiced his trade within Hollywood over the last
couple of years. Despite Shadow of a
Doubt not being nominated for an honor as Rebecca did a few years earlier, this was undoubtedly Hitchcock’s
finest work to date in Hollywood.
In the years following Hitchcock would produce various other
timeless classic suspense pictures, including Rear Window, North by
Northwest, and Psycho, who in
many cases overshadow the praise and success of Shadow of a Doubt. However Shadow
of a Doubt held a special place in the heart of the filmmaker. In many
instances when asked which of his features he felt was his finest work, or was
his favorite his answer would be Shadow
of a Doubt. In very few cases his answer would change or he would deny this
claim, but in researching the filmmaker it is clear Shadow of a Doubt was a point of great pride for the famed director.
The only major prize the feature would be nominated for
during its initial release would be an Academy Award nomination for Best Story
as Hitchcock’s works never appeared to be much praise for the Academy. In 1991
the picture would be elected for the National Film Registry, making it an early
entrant into the Library of Congress motion picture preservation wing within
only its third year of existence. Decades later Shadow of a Doubt would be somewhat buried behind the various other
Hitchcock classics. Perhaps it was because these other films were fresher in viewer’s
minds, or in many cases they were in color. Shadow
of a Doubt does not get as easily recognized as these other features, but
it serves a s one of the director’s finest works in cinema and stands up
incredible well to this day.
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