Plot: What’s it about?
In a small town, the Newtons live a normal life and seem content, but that all changes when Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) comes for a visit. He brings a sense of excitement and such to the household, especially to young Charlie (Teresa Wright), who is named after her uncle. As he gets to know everyone a little better, Charlie gives his relatives generous presents and ends up on their good sides for sure. He also makes a large deposit in the local bank, which seems unusual, but overlooked due to his contracting work. He seems like a nice fellow indeed, but in truth, Uncle Charlie is a killer on the run and sooner or later, his true self is bound to surface. The police have him under watch for the murders of some rich widows, but also have another suspect under watch, so they don’t want to make a move right away. When the detectives start to snoop around the house, Uncle Charlie starts to unravel, but tries to keep it all sewn inside. How long can he remain above suspicion?
I am very pleased to have Shadow of a Doubt on our beloved format, but I wish Universal would given it the treatment it deserved. This is considered by many to be one of the true masterpieces of Hitchcock’s work, but this disc presents the film with lackluster video and audio elements. I can understand how some lesser releases end up with poor treatments, but this is a classic and as such, I feel it should be treated as one. But the video is good most of the time, so I suppose this is as good as it gets as far as available releases. But this film is fantastic and one of Hitchcock’s best efforts, as well as his personal favorite from his own work. I love how the suspense is reversed somewhat here, as we know who the killer is and as such, that means the tension must come from other means. But Hitchcock proves why he is called the master of suspense, bringing a perfect atmosphere to the film and delivering on all counts. If you’re a fan of film in the least then this is a movie you simply cannot miss, especially if you love Hitchcock and suspense flicks on the whole.
Alfred Hitchcock chose this film as his personal favorite from his pool of work, which is not a hard decision to understand. This might not be his most famous or successful effort, but it is a very good example of his work and I can see why he would select it for his choice. In this one, Hitchcock uses a different approach to suspense, as the killer is known from the start. As such, a new tactic is needed to keep the tension up and of course, Hitchcock comes through in fine form and loads up on the suspense here. I consider this to be one of his finest movies and as such, I can see just why he would make it known as his favorite. Other Hitchcock films include The Wrong Man, To Catch A Thief, Strangers On A Train, Lifeboat, and Juno & The Paycock. The cast here includes Teresa Wright (The Rainmaker, Somewhere In Time), Hume Cronyn (Brewster’s Millions, The Parallax View), Henry Travers (High Sierra, It’s A Wonderful Life), Macdonald Carey (Streets of Laredo, Dream Girl), and Joseph Cotten (The Third Man, Citizen Kane).
Video: How does it look?
Shadow of a Doubt is presented in a full frame transfer, which how the film was intended to be shown. I like this presentation, but I am let down with the print condition at times. You can see frequent white pops, debris, and scratches, which can be distracting. I think a studio with the resources like Universal could afford to put some further effort into this one. The contrast looks smooth though, which no loss of detail and well balanced black levels also. A couple spots also show jumps and tears, which I wouldn’t expect from a major studio release like this. I do think this marks an improvement over previous editions, but it seems as though some restoration work still needs to be done.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono track has some problems, but doesn’t end up in too bad of shape overall. I heard more than a little hiss and harshness here, which is a real let down. But those flaws are always present and when they’re absent, this track can be a good one. This is still a pretty flat effort though, even by mono standards and I think some work is needed in the end. I wanted this to be a good audio presentation, but I am disappointed here, to be honest. This disc also houses a Spanish mono option, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a selection of production drawings, as well as a gallery of production photos and promotional materials. You can also browse the usual production notes, talent files, and theatrical trailer, but the best is yet to come here. The main focus is Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock’s Favorite Film, which runs just over half an hour and contains a wealth of interviews. The subjects covered include the look of the film, why Hitchcock was so taken with it, the actual production, as well as many other topics, all interesting to listen to.
