All in all the film, Arthur's film is not better than the original but presents interesting new angles to the original. When Uncle Charlie icily declares his hatred of rich widows during the meal, describing them as 'horrible, faded, fat, greedy women,' it kicks off a bizarre dinner conversation. Though I liked Joseph Cotton in Hitchcock's film, I thought Mark Harmon's performance was not to be dismissed. Shadow of a Doubt, 1943 What is served during this film noirs finely wrought dinner scene is far less important than what is revealed. ![]() Hitchcock downplayed this element and concentrated on the lead character-and hence the shot of the widow on the train was brief. ![]() I thought Ms Arthur did well in developing the vulnerability of wealthy widows to beguiling male charms. The fourth bit are the actions of the widow in the train towards the end of the film. Arthur seems to have followed the Hitchcock tradition in this casting. There is a scene in Hitchcock’s Suspicion (1941) where Johnnie (Cary Grant), a notorious charmer but also, it transpires, a compulsive gambler, takes a glass of milk at bedtime to his recently married wife Lina (Joan Fontaine). Hitchcock himself loved to refer to actors in previous films in later screenplays (Hitchcock's "Rope" includes a flippant remark about Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in "Notorious"). Now Tippi Hedren had acted in Hithcock's "The Birds" and Hitch was known to have had a crush on Ms Hedren, according to historians. The third bit is Arthur's decision to cast Tippi Hedren in the film. Hitchcock even seemed to suggest a good child following a bicycle accident could develop into a devil with a distaste for wealthy widows. The second bit that is a startling difference between the two films is the insinuation of Arthur/Gay that Charles is not the real Charles but a masquerader while Hitchcock never seemed to dispute that it was the real Charles. That makes Shadow of a Doubt essentially a combination of a youthful coming-of-age film and a film noir. In fact, the opening sequence of Arthur's version is the strongest element of the TV film. Alfred Hitchcock especially liked Shadow of a Doubt (1943), he once said, 'because it was one of those rare occasions where you could combine character with suspense. But Karen Arthur needs to be complimented on choosing a fascinating alternative. In Hitchcock's version the dance is shown fleetingly (twice), but the emphasis is on the lead character Charles avoiding the cops in a small hotel. The first attempt at improvement that TV director Karen Arthur and teleplay writer John Gay introduced as a magical addition was the masked ballroom dance that opens the TV film with its handsome lead player Mark Harmon enchanting the elderly widow. As the movie came out during WWII, it seems to have a direct parallel to the evil leaders loose in the world, particularly in the film's final scene.While I will be the first to accept that this remake does not have the craftsmanship of the earlier Hitchcock version, there are a few salient facets of the film that Hitchcock might consider to be an improvement over his version. The second half, including the increasing revelation of Uncle Charlie's dark views of humanity and the lengths to which he will go to protect himself, is what make the film so sinister. ![]() On the other hand, there is a real small town feeling to this setting, helped in no doubt by Thornton Wilder being one of the screenwriters, and the characters of Charlie's father (Henry Travers) and his friend (Hume Cronyn) passing the time by talking about the perfect murder are absolutely priceless. Some of the tension is also missing because we're pretty darn sure Uncle Charlie is guilty. I considered a slightly higher rating, but thought the pace in the first half of the movie was a little slow. Trouble is just behind him though, and it gets worse when his niece (also 'Charlie', named after him, and played by Teresa Wright) begins to suspect him of being the "Merry Widow Murderer". Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is on the run from the law on the East Coast, and he settles in with his sister and her family in Santa Rosa. Hitchcock said this was his favorite film, and there is a quiet evil about it that makes it truly horrifying.
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