Shadow of a Doubt
| Shadow of a Doubt | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Produced by | Jack H. Skirball |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Gordon McDonell |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
Dimitri Tiomkin (original) Franz Lehár |
| Cinematography | Joseph A. Valentine |
| Edited by | Milton Carruth |
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Production
company |
Skirball Productions
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.2 million (US rentals) |
Shadow of a Doubt is a 1943 American psychological thriller film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Written by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story for Gordon McDonell. In 1991, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Charlotte "Charlie" Newton is a bored teenager living in the idyllic town of Santa Rosa, California. She receives wonderful news: her mother's younger brother (her namesake), Charlie Oakley, is arriving for a visit. Two men appear, supposedly working on a national survey. One takes a photo of Uncle Charlie, who demands the roll of film because "no one takes my photograph." The younger surveyor, Jack Graham, asks young Charlie out, and she guesses that he is really a detective. He explains that her uncle is one of two suspects who may be the "Merry Widow Murderer". Charlie refuses to believe it at first, but then observes Uncle Charlie acting strangely. The initials engraved inside a ring he gave her match those of one of the murdered women, and during a family dinner he reveals his hatred of rich widows.
One night, when Charlie's father and his friend Herbie discuss how to commit the perfect murder, Uncle Charlie lets his guard down and describes elderly widows as "fat, wheezing animals"; he then says, "What happens to animals when they get too fat and too old?" Horrified, Charlie runs out. Uncle Charlie follows and takes her into a seedy bar. He admits he is one of the two suspects. He begs her for help; she reluctantly agrees not to say anything, as long as he leaves soon, to avoid a horrible confrontation that would destroy her mother, who idolizes her younger brother. Detective Saunders tells Charlie that the photo they took of Uncle Charlie was sent for identification by witnesses. News breaks that an alternative suspect was chased by police and killed by an airplane propeller; it is assumed that he was the murderer. Jack tells young Charlie that he loves her and would like to marry her, and leaves.
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