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Universal Pictures
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What horror did her secret life hold… that made her dread this man of her dreams?
In sleepy Santa Rosa, restless young Charlie’s world brightens when her sophisticated Uncle Charlie arrives for a long visit. But as his behavior grows increasingly strange, she begins to suspect that her beloved uncle may be hiding a terrible secret—and that danger has quietly entered her home.
John Chard
Aug 6, 2019 · via TMDB
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
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Teresa Wright
Charlie Newton
Joseph Cotten
Charlie Oakley
Macdonald Carey
Jack Graham
Henry Travers
Joseph Newton
Patricia Collinge
Emma Newton
Hume Cronyn
Herbie Hawkins
Wallace Ford
Fred Saunders
Edna May Wonacott
Ann Newton
Charles Bates
Roger Newton
Irving Bacon
Station Master
Clarence Muse
Pullman Porter
Janet Shaw
Louise Finch
Virginia Brissac
Mrs. Phillips (uncredited)
Frances Carson
Mrs. Potter (uncredited)
Earle S. Dewey
Mr. Norton (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards
Doctor's Wife on Train (uncredited)
Edward Fielding
Doctor on Train (uncredited)
Vaughan Glaser
Dr. Phillips (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock
Man on Train Playing Cards (uncredited)
Shep Houghton
Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
Ruth Lee
Mrs. MacCurdy (uncredited)
Eily Malyon
Mrs. Cochran (uncredited)
John McGuire
Detective (uncredited)
Shirley Mills
Shirley (uncredited)
Constance Purdy
Mrs. Martin (uncredited)
Robert Quarry
Santa Rosa Teenager (uncredited)
Isabel Randolph
Margaret Green (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley
Mr. Green (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal
Mrs. Henderson (uncredited)
Adrian
Costume Design
Franz Lehár
Additional Music
Thornton Wilder
Thanks
Alfred Hitchcock
Director
Dimitri Tiomkin
Music
Dimitri Tiomkin
Original Music Composer
Franz Lehár
Original Music Composer
Alma Reville
Screenplay
Sally Benson
Screenplay
Thornton Wilder
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1981 · 11 wins
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