![]() This leads to my personal favorite scene, with Cotten pleading to keep his horrible secret because, after all, how can she not? They’re not just family, they’re “practically the same person”-she’s even named after him, and for some reason up until now she’s nursed a lifelong affection for him that, while I’m a little unclear on the gist of it myself, suggests a lot about the film’s ideas concerning the supposed pureness and sincerity of Americana. It’s fun to watch him play around with largely unfamiliar dynamics like family.īrattle Theater critic Bridget Reed points out that any number of similar suspense thrillers might have paired up a leading lady with a love interest killer, but while “the scorned lover can always walk away, Charlie is bound by blood” to her uncle no matter what. It never occurred to me before, but there really aren’t very many charming communities full of everyday people in Hitchcock’s other movies, as most of his acclaimed pictures are populated by urbane cynics. I do wonder if the movie would have been more engaging with a little actual mystery, but this approach is in keeping with Hitchcock’s oft-cited “Bomb Theory,” which suggests that the way to really get to an audience is to confirm that something terrible is about to happen but then to string the happening out as long as you can. That just leaves poor Teresa to take care of business on her own, which is a great vibe, like if Nancy Drew caught the Zodiac Killer. Not that he has to try very hard to hide it, since most of the people in this town are such naifs that if he confessed the whole thing in one go they’d probably throw him a parade out of confusion or something. ![]() But no, actually the movie makes it clear almost immediately that he’s guilty. You might guess from the title that the tension of “Shadow of a Doubt” lies in whether or not Uncle Charlie really did it. UMBC says “Shadow” is based on the story of Earle Nelson, a real-life circa 1920s serial killer nicknamed “The Gorilla Man.” Not sure why Hitch didn’t go in for that title, it’s box office gold if ever I heard it.īTW, Wright is playing a high school-age girl but was herself 28 years old, and this a year after she played Lou Gehrig’s wife in “Pride of the Yankees.” But it was the ‘40s so I guess we should be grateful that they weren’t already casting her as a spinster or just shooting her like a lame horse or whatever they did with starlets past the age of 27 in those days. I know they say you’re presumed innocent in this country but I’ve seen hyenas with less obvious predatory agendas. Her uncle is played by Joseph Cotten, so I’m already set to convict dude looks like he straight up forgot how to not murder someone. Here, Teresa Wright plays an every-girl teenager who begins to suspect that her beloved uncle may in fact be a fugitive serial killer. Well, I guess it was more idyllic back then-according to the census, the city only had 15,000 people in it in 1940. The quiet little hideaway in question being.Santa Rosa? If you asked Alfred Hitchcock what his own favorite film he made was, he wouldn’t have said “Psycho” or “Vertigo” or other critically acclaimed pieces that end in “oh” noises.Īccording to his daughter, he’d have said 1943’s “Shadow of a Doubt,” owing in large part to the macabre amusement he found in transposing the hovering specter of a serial killer over the idyllic setting of a smalltown. However, if you haven't seen a movie in a very long time and are re-discovering it then exceptions may be made.Įvery day in October for 30 days, I'm watching a different scary movie, this year exploring the theme of horror stories set in small towns. Keeping this sub's special character means sharing the experience of seeing a movie the first time.Only post movies that you have seen for the FIRST time. Check if your movie has already been posted before submitting.Ħ.Check if your movie has already been posted before submitting. You can make your title whatever you want, as long as it contains a) the name of the movie you watched b) the year it was released.ĥ.Put your movie name and year in the title. Tag your posts as "SPOILER" if your movie contains a "surprise ending," plot twist, etc.Ĥ.Movies from 2010, to be clear, are allowed, however, but anything from 2011, 2012, etc. Only post movies that came out 10 or more years ago. ![]() Racism, sexism, inciting violence, personal attacks, hate speech, etc.Remember that the whole point of the sub is to have a conversation, so don't forget to reply to the commenters! Rules IWAOM is a place to talk about old movies you watched for the first time as if they just came out.
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