Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

When interviewed by admirer and famous acolyte Francois Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock referred to Shadow of a Doubt as his favorite film. Tellingly, it's also one of his least flashy works, a quiet character study set in the heart of suburbia. Although the heart of his suburbia is still rotten with murder and deceit. Hitchcock emphasizes traditional suspense beats over intricate set pieces, stocking the story with just as much uneasy humor as suspense.

Charlie (Teresa Wright) is elated when her uncle and namesake Charlie (played with smarmy perfection by Joseph Cotton) comes to visit her and her sick mother. She soon suspects her revered Uncle Charlie is actually a serial killer, "the Merry Widow Murderer," on the run form his latest killing. Once on to her suspicions, her Uncle Charlie doesn't seem interested in leaving behind any loose ends, but the younger Charlie doesn't know how to reconcile her affection for her uncle with her fear.

Hitchcock actually shot Shadow of a Doubt on location, in the small town of Santa Rosa, California, the better to tear apart the flimsy facade and expose the bland, safe suburbs for the hotbed of secrets it no doubt is. The script, written by Thornton Wilder with input from Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville, takes perverse glee in destroying preconceived notions of quiet, small town life. The film is also peppered with numerous references to twins and the duality of good and evil, paralleling the trustful and innocent Charlie with her dangerous and deceitful uncle.

Dmitri Tiomkin's score keeps the suspense ratcheted up, particularly his "Merry Widow" waltz - the signifier of Uncle Charlie's guilt and the haunting motif that represents the horrific inclinations he can barely disguise or suppress. A pair of nosey neighbors also offer a running commentary, discussing the various means and methods by which a murder might be committed and then covered up. That a real murderer lurks right next door provides dollops of ironic humor. The neighbors continue to ruminate on various homicidal scenarios as Charlie races to settle her conflicted feelings for her Uncle Charlie before he permanently does it for her.

Quote of the Day - Young Charlie - "Go ahead, I'm warning you. Go away or I'll kill you myself. See that's how I feel about you!"

Tomorrow: Notorious (1946)