Her description of the personal circumstances in Hitchcock’s life during this WWII year provides valuable background that heightens our sense of the “psychological realism of Shadow” (19). She then moves from “Hitchcock in America: Shadow of a Doubt’s Family Values” (18–23) to “A Note on Authorship” (24–25). To remind both cinema scholars and film enthusiasts of the specifics of the story, Negra begins with a detailed, nine-page synopsis (8–16) that proves most helpful, informing her subsequent, rich evaluation. Negra thus initiates a solid introductory justification for the extensive inquiry that follows.

Though Shadow became Hitchcock’s sixth American production, in his DVD extra “Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock’s Favorite Film,” Peter Bogdanovich contends that this is “really the first American Hitchcock,” as it was his first film “made and set in America” (19). As she points out early on, this is the film that, at various times, Hitchcock “identified as his favorite and his best,” adding that “Paradoxically scholarly analysis of the film has been scant” (18). 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.In her book devoted entirely to director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1943 film Shadow of a Doubt, Diane Negra makes a compelling case for her expansive, comprehensive scrutiny. 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.

Shadow of a doubt, two