Small towns are usually perceived as being quiet, serene and safe. To some people, they may be viewed as too conventional or dull. But what most people don’t think of when they think of small towns is danger, violence or evil. Perhaps this is why, in both literature and movies, writers and filmmakers know they can shake us up by juxtaposing nightmarish, murderous scenarios against such a quiet, serene backdrop. Stephen King has proven this over and over again. After all, Castle Rock and Derry, Maine are not thriving metropolises. Ray Bradbury brought unrest and murder to his charming Green, Illinois.
“Shadow of a Doubt” is a film that illustrates the greatest attributes of small town America. There are Norman Rockwell style families and neighbors looking out for one another in the picturesque town of Santa Rosa, California. It seems the larger, threatening outside world wouldn’t penetrate the perfect world of Santa Rosa, but it does. This is, after all, an Alfred Hitchcock film. Menace must be had. So how does the menace come to Santa Rosa? Does it come from alien invasion like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” or from vampires like in “Salem’s Lot”? No. It comes in the form of a much-loved and trusted relative.
Uncle Charlie, (played by Joseph Cotton) is a charming “man of the world” who holds a dark secret. He is idolized by his name-sake niece Charlie, a bright but frustrated and bored young woman who sees her small town and her immediate family as dull until she gets word that her sophisticated uncle is coming to town for a visit. Charlie is played by Teresa Wright, a great actress who often convincingly played roles much younger than her actual age. In “Shadow of a Doubt”, she is transformed from a naïve uncle-worshiping young girl to a cynical young woman who not only learns a horrible secret, but must protect herself and her family from the consequences of that knowledge.
It is easy to see why young Charlie would defend her family. They are, after all, not just her family; they are an iconic, loving American family. Henry Travers, a fine character actor known primarily for his role as the angel Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life”, plays the loving, humble father who works in a bank and shares a fondness for murder mysteries with a nerdy friend played by Hume Cronyn. This is a nice ironic touch in a film where no one would believe someone in Santa Rosa could be a real killer. Patricia Collinge is cast as the endearing wife and mother who is too fond of her charismatic brother for her own good.
“Shadow of a Doubt” was Hitchcock’s favorite film and one of the first to capture his long love affair with American culture. The film showcases two classic Hitchcock elements. First, it includes a painstaking detail for an authentic American look and language, thanks to contributing writer Thornton Wilder who penned “Our Town”. Second, it is a suspense tale rather than a mystery. Hitchcock seamlessly and masterfully builds empathy with the characters and we are constantly on edge as we await their fate.
“Shadow of a Doubt” is a not as well known as “Rear Window” or “Psycho”, but it should be on your list of must see classics not just for the brilliant direction by the master of suspense, great performances, particularly by Cotton and Wright, but also for the very unnerving reminder that evil can indeed lurk in quaint small towns.
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TAGS
Hitchcock, classic, small town |
