Shadow of a Doubt
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Movie Reviews of Shadow of a Doubt
Movie Review: The Moose Hole - Today's the Thing
Summary: 4 Stars
Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, a film celebrated as one of his best motion picture projects made in America, had its origins in the killing spree of the true `Merry Widow' murderer Earle Leonard Nelson. Nelson murdered twenty people, including an eight-month old child, in just a year and a half before he was captured in Canada and hanged for his crimes.
Having made himself a household name with his career defining performance in Orson Welles's celebrated motion picture drama Citizen Kane, Joseph Cotton was just the marquee lead actor Alfred Hitchcock needed to fill the role of Uncle Charlie, a man who hides a dark secret. He is a cunning and manipulative individual, whose near-fatal bicycle accident as a child left with a permanent mental scar, viewing the world with hostility and fear. One can even go so far as to suggest that Uncle Charlie is the American equivalent of Satan, Prince of Darkness. After attending Church, the young Charlie is confronted outside by her uncle, "How was church, Charlie? Count the house? Turn anybody away?" "No," she exclaims, "room enough for everyone". "I'm glad hear that," he retorts, "Show's been running such a long time, I thought maybe attendance might be falling off". Regardless of the `twin-ship' they share together, the opposing sides of the two Charlies can be seen clearly in this regard.
The balance between good and evil is a prime subject of Shadow of a Doubt, exemplified through the director's perpetual use of pairs - the two Charlies, the two detectives, the two 'questionnaire' men, the two church scenes, the two garage scenes, the two train sequences (as Uncle Charlie arrives in Santa Rosa and then departs), the two attempts on young Charlie's life, the two murder suspects, and, most cleverly of all, the 'Til Two Bar.
Hume Cronyn made his motion picture debut as the collective mother's boy Herbie Hawkins in Shadow of a Doubt. Additionally the film sparked a lasting friendship and partnership with director Alfred Hitchcock who brought him aboard future projects including Lifeboat, Suspense (a 1950s television program Hitchcock was requested to help put together), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents as well as requesting his assistance in contributing to the scripts of Rope and Under Capricorn. Henry Travers is best remembered today as Jimmy Stewart's guardian angel Clarence in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. Neither one contributes much in the way of advancing the storyline but they do provide some dark yet still light-hearted humor to the script. Bored with the melancholy of small town American life, they banter about how one might be able to commit the perfect murder, each coming up with more diabolical ways to one-up the other. Herbie is preoccupied with setting a detective novel (leaving clues and the like so as to write a book about his exploits) while Joseph is more obsessed with getting away with murder then producing a book about it. This of course is all the more perfectly ironic given that there is an actual murderer in their midst and they are too absorbed with their `game' that they are too `blind' to see Uncle Charlie for who he really is - the Merry Widow Murderer.
Although it is a shame, a near travesty really, that Shadow of a Doubt should be nominated for an Academy Award in one solitary category, it was at least selected for the category it deserved the most recognition in, Best Original Screenplay. By the time principle photography began on Shadow of a Doubt in 1942 nearly six or seven individual writers had contributed to its screenplay (only four were credited onscreen). Among them were Alma Reville (Hitchcock's wife), Sally Benson (whose later contributions would include Meet Me in St. Louis and Anna and the King of Siam), Gordon McDonell (who came originally came up with the story), and, most famously, Thorton Wilder, playwright of Our Town. Wilder's contributions to the script were arguably the most significant, solidifying the basic superstructure of the storyline which exposed the almost seedy underbelly of this small New England town, a dark side to Grover's Corners if you will.
Surprisingly Alfred Hithcock's Shadow of a Doubt delves into a few unconventional issues. Among them, one often overlooked by modern audiences (a perplexity given that it would have been more noticeable to audiences today then it was back when it was first released), is the incestuous relationship between Uncle Charlie and his young teenage niece who is named after him. Sadly the overwhelming presence of the Hays Office during this time eliminated any prospect other then merely suggesting such a sexually fueled kinship but it is enough to make anyone a bit unnerved, more so when Uncle Charlie's dark `secret' is finally exposed. The scene in which Uncle Charlie gives young Charlie a gift, an emerald ring, despite his niece's objections to being given anything other then his presence at their home, in the privacy of the kitchen is the most evident example of this. This of course means to suggest that two have been betrothed (a suggestion reaffirmed by young Charlie's kid sister who in response to hearing young Charlie hum the `Merry Widow Waltz' to herself, "Sing at the table and you'll marry a crazy husband"), something which makes the scene in which Uncle Charlie attempts to kill his young niece (the broken stairs, the running car in the garage, and attempting to throw her off a fast-moving train) all the more poignant. In addition, Shadow of a Doubt confronts issues of superstition, among them mental telepathy (young Charlie knowing exactly when Uncle Charlie was coming to visit them in Santa Rosa, California) and bad luck (Joseph's warning to Uncle Charlie not to toss his hat on young Charlie's bed and the green emerald - a sign of bad luck - Uncle Charlie gives to his niece).
Shadow of a Doubt is one of the select few Hitchcock productions in the time leading up to and after the United States' entry into World War II that he chose not comment, allusively or directly, to the political goings on of the world, although one scene can suggestively be interpreted as making a pointed commentary. Specifically in one scene Uncle Charlie teases Joseph, the young Charlie's father, about working in the bank saying, "Can you stop embezzling a minute and give me your attention? What's a little shortage in the books at the end of the month? Any good bank clerk can cover up a little shortage, isn't that right, Charlie? We all know what banks are. They look all right to an outsider, but no one knows what goes on when the doors are lock". This is exactly the sort of material that would have been ripe for censorship during the Hollywood Blacklisting. While director Alfred Hitchcock was concentrated during the 1940s on picking out the evils of Nazism and fascism in Europe, it would be much later in the 1950s when he tackled the political implications of Communism. This could very well be the first instance of this.
Shadow of a Doubt not only stands as one of Alfred Hitchcock's definitive best, but in general in represents solid filmmaking, plain and simple. Carefully orchestrated, leaving no detail untouched, it has intrigue, mystery, dark humor, brilliant performances, and a good ol' slice of hometown Americana which makes it simply irresistible.
Movie Review: Good versus evil on familiar turf
Summary: 4 Stars
Alfred Hitchcock was in the grave long before the DVD era, so there is no director's commentary on "Shadow of a Doubt," but "Beyond Doubt," a documentary about the making of the film included in this edition, offers enlightenment.
Patricia Hitchcock, the director's daughter, confirms that "Shadow of a Doubt" was her father's favorite film. He got a kick out of introducing evil into a peaceful small town. Did Hitchcock agree with the villain, Uncle Charlie, when he characterizes his adoring niece as someone who dreams her "peaceful stupid dreams" and knows nothing of the real world which he calls a "hell"?
Uncle Charlie regards those who live in small towns with borderline contempt, thinking they are naive and stupid, unaware of the horrors beyond the white picket fences that surround their homes. But Hitchcock and Thornton Wilder may be suggesting that big city sophisticates like Uncle Charlie secretly resent those who are content to devote their lives to their homes and communities, and are not burdened by the ambition that drives others to seek gratification for their lusts and egos in the more hectic and probably life-shortening environment of the cities. Before television and other forms of mass media invaded rural areas and helped stamp out independent thought and conscience, those who dwelled in remote, slow-paced areas were less susceptible to ideas that challenged their values.
It is the contrasts between cynical Uncle Charlie and his pure at heart niece, Young Charlie, that makes "Shadow of a Doubt" so fascinating and worthy of repeated viewings. Uncle Charlie mocks religion in a scene in which his niece returns from Sunday church services, asking his niece if the congregation has gotten smaller. After all, the "show" has been running so long at that point, he wonders if it can still attract much of an audience. There was a full house, she replies, a look of satisfaction on her face at having proved her once beloved uncle wrong.
"Shadow of a Doubt" is ultimately about the battle of good and evil as it is played out in our own backyards and living rooms. The two Charlies may be, as Uncle Charlie says, "twins," but they're still opposites.
But though "Shadow of a Doubt" was Hitchcock's favorite of his films (and it's one of my favorites, too), it's still better in parts than as a whole, and misses the mark as an example of absolutely top-flight Hitchcock. Part of the problem is in the casting.
Teresa Wright is wonderful as Young Charlie, and Joseph Cotton is delightfully cynical as her murderous Uncle. Henry Travers, the angel of "It's a Wonderful Life," as Young Charlie's banker father who relaxes by swapping murder plots with a shy neighbor played by Hume Cronyn, is fun, as Cronyn is himself in his film debut.
The rest of the supporting cast leaves something to be desired, though. MacDonald Carey is a smug bore as the detective on Uncle Charlie's trail, and Wallace Ford isn't any more appealing as his partner. Patricia Collidge as Young Charlie's mother and, of course, Uncle Charlie's sister, has a wide-eyed stare that suggests foolishness even if she's only attempting to appear gullible, and Edna May Wonacott as the bespectacled book reading younger sister, is too much the wind-up doll, a little too smart and condescending, a template for the unconvincingly wise children in Steven Spielberg's later films.
Then there's the waitress in the nightclub that Uncle Charlie forces his niece into visiting after he follows her when she storms out of the house in a rage. Played by Janet Shaw, she has a sleepy indifference that seems meant to suggest that she's defeated by life. That's fine, but the film suggests that working as a waitress in a bar is an example of having been thorougly corrupted. It's the last stop on the train to Hell. It's a fairly laughable portrayal, not unlike the way other films of the era depicted librarians as sexless spinsters whose emotions were as tightly controlled as the buns in their hair. There is a librarian in "Shadow of a Doubt," but she strays from that mold just a bit because of her age which I would guess to around 60.
"Shadow of a Doubt" is very worthwhile regardless. The writing, credited to Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville, but with input from the director, is generally outstanding, and, when it comes to Cotton's speech (what Peter Bogdanovich calls the villain's "position papers"), quite shocking.
Brian W. Fairbanks
Movie Review: Hitchcock's Personal Favorite
Summary: 4 Stars
1943's SHADOW OF A DOUBT, written by Thornton Wilder, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten, was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite amongst his own films, and is widely considered his best film, as well as Teresa Wright's finest performance.
As the film opens, we meet the debonair Charles Oakley (Cotten). Oakley is seen lying atop his bed, smoking and pensively staring up at the ceiling, trying to come to some sort of decision. The atmosphere in the room is suffused with unease. The skyline outside the window is Newark, New Jersey.
We then cut to Charlotte "Charlie" Newton (Wright), who likewise is lying atop her bed and staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling. The atmosphere is suffused with dissatisfaction. The town outside the window is Santa Rosa, California.
Young Charlie and Old Charlie are niece and uncle, and share an almost psychic bond. Young Charlie is chafing at the ordinariness of life in her small town. Old Charlie is chafing at a troubling and unusual situation in his life. Young Charlie decides to spice things up by inviting her uncle, a world traveler, to Santa Rosa, and sends him a telegram. Old Charlie decides to take up a more bland and mundane lifestyle and sends his niece a telegram telling her he will be arriving in Santa Rosa very shortly. Thus do innocence and worldliness collide.
When Old Charlie arrives, the family, especially Young Charlie, is ecstatic, but as the story slowly, deliberately, unfolds, it becomes clear that Old Charlie is hiding a dark secret. The mystery deepens when MacDonald Carey comes to town, showing an exaggerated interest in the Newton family. As it turns out, Charles Oakley certainly is hiding something, a something his adoring niece quickly discovers. Although she swears to keep his secret, Old Charlie prefers not to take any chances, and his niece and namesake soon begins to suffer a series of potentially deadly accidents. One of these accidents finally has results.
Cotten and Wright play off each other well as the close-bonded Charlies. Cotten is utterly contemptuous of Wright's innocence. She at first wishes she could shed her small-town ingenuousness, but then begins to realize how central it is to her conception of the good life. Cotten was known for his "bad guys," while the Academy Award-winning Wright is remembered as a serious actress devoted to playing only meaningful female roles in the sexist 1940s (her studio contract had a rider refusing 'cheesecake').
The Twenty-Something Wright is at the peak of her powers and reaches her highest standards in SHADOW OF A DOUBT.
Hitch himself appears as a card-playing passenger on a train, and the film is also notable as Hume Cronyn's film debut as a lighthearted neighbor who enjoys trading ideas on how to commit murder with Young Charlie's otherwise button-down Dad.
The pacing is a bit slow for a 200___ audience, but this moderately noir film is certainly worth enjoying.
Movie Review: Four out of Five stars for Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt
Summary: 4 Stars
Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten give good, solid performances in this Hitchcock thriller. Hitchcock evidently said this was his favorite movie:
Charlie (Teresa Wright) plays a young woman who "hero worships" her namesake: Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten).
Young Charlie feels her life in idyllic Santa Rosa, Ca. is boring/humdrum...she commiserates with her father - stating nothing ever happens to their family. She decides to send a telegram to her favorite Uncle asking him to visit. Coincidentally, Uncle Charlie has already sent a telegram stating he is coming for an extended stay. Young Charlie thinks this is another sign that her and her Uncle are on the same wave length as far as their thinking and attitudes. She even states at one pt. that they are like twins. Unbeknownst to the young woman, her Uncle is not what he seems...he has come to Santa Rosa to escape the police who are searching for him - he is a suspect in the killing of several wealthy widows.
The tension mounts as young Charlie comes to realize her Uncle is not as he appears. She fears for her familys' safety. More importantly, you see her struggle as she comes to grips with the knowledge that Uncle Charley is not the fine, upstanding man she thinks he is. You feel for young Charlie as she realizes her Uncle has severe flaws in character and thinking...and if they are alike - than does that mean she is flawed? Is her judgement in people flawed, since she thought so much of her Uncle?
Several great character actors make appearances in this film. Hume Cronyn, Henry Travers (famous for his portrayal of Clarence the Angel in "Its a Wonderful Life), Macdonald Carey and Patricia Collinge give fine performances. Charlie's father played by Henry Travers and Hume Cronyn (next door neighbor) savor their hobby of reading and solving/planning each other's murders - not realizing there is a real murderer in the house. This juxtaposition of a harmless hobby: plotting ea. other's deaths and psychopath Uncle Charlie's attempts to kill his niece make for an interesting study.
Movie Review: The Truth About Charlie,
Summary: 4 Stars
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
"Shadow of a Doubt" (1943), the story of a serial murderer as a loving uncle is the movie which Hitchcock himself had declared as his favorite. This movie is quite a departure from Hitchcock's previous Hollywood productions. For the first half, it is an intimate family dramedy that describes a typical American family in a typical small town, USA which in this film is called Santa Rosa, CA. Hitch said about the movie, "I am extremely anxious to avoid the conventional small-town American scene and the stock figures that have been seen in so many films." Much of the film was shot on location in a real California small town far away from the studio. The director worked closely with the famous writer Thornton Wilder on the screen (Oscar nomination) about a charming attractive young man (Joseph Cotten) who after many years comes to Santa Rosa to visit with the family of his older sister whom he truly loved. He brings into the lives of his relatives, especially his older niece and namesake Charlie (Teresa Wright) excitement and joy. Soon things begin look puzzling and even grim when two undercover detectives from a big city on the East Coast show up in Santa Rosa and reveal to Charlie who by the words of her father, "has brains" and the power of observation that her beloved uncle Charlie may be an infamous "Merry Widows murderer" on the run. The girl does not want to believe the detectives but she can't help noticing her uncle's strange behavior, his sudden and scary mood changes. The inscription on a gorgeous emerald ring he gave her as a gift makes her think of a previous owner of the pricey jewelry. She grows increasingly suspicious of the uncle who loves his niece but he loves his freedom much, much more...Unbearable tension builds up, leading to the series of accidents and to hair-raising climax in the best traditions of Hitchcock's movies.