Lots of Shadows, Lots of Doubt

Director Alfred Hitchcock was quoted as saying that Shadow of a Doubt was his favorite among his own movies. It was released in 1943 and was based on the case of the real-life "Merry Widow Murderer," Earle Leonard Nelson, a mass strangler of the 1920s.


The Newton’s are an average family living in quiet 1941 Santa Rosa, California. Excitement starts when they learn that Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotton) is coming to visit. Little do they know that Uncle Charlie is running away from something, exactly what we’re not sure of. No suspicions are raised as he opens a bank account with $40,000 and endows his favorite niece (Teresa Wright) with an emerald ring. But Uncle Charlie’s past can’t escape him for long as his antagonists eventually track him down.


The story unfolds slowly with the Uncle and his adoring niece, ironically also called Charlie, playing out the central storyline. You don’t know exactly what Uncle Charlie is running from until a good way through the movie, then you’re not sure what his involvement is, and then of course in typical Hitchcockian style you don’t know what twists and turns will follow. The suspense is high as Uncle Charlie’s behavior ignites suspicion, while Hitchcock throws in plenty of extra subtle tricks along the way. He also manages to mix in a fair amount of humor, predominantly through family friend Herbie Hawkins (Hume Cronyn), who is constantly trying to conceptualize the perfect murder. Could there be any relevance to the story there?


Joseph Cotton and Teresa Wright do an excellent job, while their performances are enhanced by some excellent camera work, with close shots adding intensity to the movie. The direction is exceptional, as you’re constantly intrigued by everything that’s going on in and around the major scenes. Suspense is high, but it’s not the most tingling of Hitchcock thrillers.


David Mamet accorded with Hitchcock when he called this his best movie and it ranks at #172 on IMDB. Personally I really enjoyed the movie, but didn’t find it to be his most exciting. I could tell you what dumbed down my rating a little but I don’t want to kill you with spoilers. It’s still definitely one to watch, as another fine example of Hitchcock’s work. Add it to your Hitchcock collection, or catch it on TCM.

This review is part of CaptainD's 2008 Good Movie Write Off.