Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Thornton Wilder (screenplay) &
Sally Benson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 August 1943 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A Blast of DRAMATIC Dynamite exploded right before your eyes!

Plot:

A young woman discovers her visiting "Uncle Charlie" may not be the man he seems to be.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Suspect | Murderer | Detective | California

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Dec. 31

11:30 AM

TCM

Cast

Teresa Wright	...	Charlotte 'Charlie' Newton
Joseph Cotten	...	Uncle 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	...	Waitress Louise Finch
Estelle Jewell	...	Catherine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Bates	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Phillips (uncredited)
Frances Carson	...	Mrs. Potter (uncredited)
Earle S. Dewey	...	Mr. Norton - Traffic Cop (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)
Ruth Lee	...	Mrs. MacCurdy (uncredited)
Eily Malyon	...	Librarian (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Detective (uncredited)
Charles Metten	...	Teen at crosswalk (uncredited)
Shirley Mills	...	Shirley (uncredited)
Constance Purdy	...	Mrs. Martin - Landlady (uncredited)
Robert Quarry	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Isabel Randolph	...	Mrs. Margaret Green (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Rev. MacCurdy (uncredited)
Byron Shores	...	Detective (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Mr. Green - Bank President (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Mrs. Henderson - Clerk at Telegraph Office (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Thornton Wilder		(screenplay) &
Sally Benson		(screenplay) &
Alma Reville		(screenplay)
Gordon McDonell		(story)

Produced by
Jack H. Skirball	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth

Art Direction by
John B. Goodman

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Tummel	....	assistant director
Ralph Slosser	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert F. Boyle	....	associate art director (as Robert Boyle)
Edward R. Robinson	....	associate set decorator (as E.R. Robinson)
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Robert Pritchard	....	technician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adrian	....	gowns: Teresa Wright
Vera West	....	costumes

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Other crew
Adele Cannon	....	set continuity

Thanks
Thornton Wilder	....	acknowledgment: for his contribution to the preparation of this production (as Mr. Thornton Wilder)

Production Companies

• Skirball Productions (for)
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Alcântara (1945) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• MCA Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• David O. Selznick Productions Inc.  Alfred Hitchcock through the courtesy of

Also Known As:

Shadow of Doubt (USA) (poster title)
Uncle Charlie (USA) (working title)
L'ombre d'un doute (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Im Schatten des Zweifels (Austria) (Germany) [de]
La sombra de una duda (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Îndoiala (Romania) [ro]
A Sombra de uma Dúvida (Brazil) [pt]
Ani stín podezrení? (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
De schaduw van een twijfel (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Epäilyksen varjo (Finland) [fi]
I tvivlens skygge (Denmark) [da]
L'ombra del dubbio (Italy) [it]
Mentira (Portugal) [pt]
Skuggan av ett tvivel (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Spain:13 | South Korea:15 (2004) | Brazil:14 | USA:PG (re-rating) (1984) | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:PG | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #9011) (original rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

904 McDonald Avenue, Santa Rosa, California, USA

Company:

Skirball Productions

Trivia:

In 1959 interview, Teresa Wright said that this was her favorite film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: While Charlie watches the cab take her family to Uncle Charlie's speech, the shadows of crew members are visible against the bushes in the background.

Quotes:

Emma Newton: What does he do? Oh, he's just in business, you know, the way men are.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 'Torn Curtain' Rising (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Merry Widow Waltz

Among the greatest Hitchock classics of the 40's

The ultimate master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock directed his fascinating masterpiece "Shadow of a doubt" at the age of 44 and it was a terrific improvement after the classic "Saboteur" which was definitely a great Hitch movie too, don't get me wrong here. Could it be more simple: this one just had a perfect story that really touched the audience and the whole wicked idea of finding out you have a killer uncle is most exciting when you think of it. It could happen to anybody, I'm sure. No wonder this was one of Hitchcock's own personal favorites. "Shadow of a doubt" may not be the finest Hitchcock-movie of the 40's, though. I admit I haven't seen all of them but I think "Rope" was ever better and "Spellbound" at least just as marvelous but it's safe to say this is one of the most stylish Hitchcock-movies of the decade. What a shame Joseph Cotten never became a bigger star because his powerful performance was one of the most memorable elements of the film.