The more I think about it, Shadow of a Doubt may be my favorite Hitchcock film. Not only is it flawlessly directed by Mr. Hitchcock, but I think it is also one of his best written films. So many great scenes and characters from the awkward, crime novel enthusiast Herb to the precocious bookworm Anne–it’s really enjoyable to watch. AND Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie...just awesome. So equally charming and creepy.
I forgot to add this as one of my favorites, but I’ll just say now that it is. I don’t know why, but I do tend to forgot about how much I love this when thinking of Hitchcock. Maybe it’s because Vertigo, Notorious, Rear Window, or North by Northwest come to mind faster due to their stature (and bigger stars). But Shadow of a Doubt deserves just as much love too. I’ve got to remember that.
The reason I’ve got Shadow of a Doubt on my mind is because I recently re-watched The Third Man and remembered how much I love Joseph Cotten. He's damn cool and underrated. A terrific actor. Speaking of The Third Man though, I hadn’t seen it in many years, but boy is it worth seeing again. I won’t divulge into its merits (I’m sure you are all well aware of them), but I’ll just say that it gets better with subsequent viewings. I found it to be especially great having read some novels by the wonderful Graham Greene. There are many parallels between this and some of his other works, in particular The Quiet American. Both share similar moral dilemmas and concern a writer/journalist getting caught up in some dirty business. Anyway, I love Graham Greene and this movie. The last shot is one of the best in film history.
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