Cinema Club

SHADOW OF A DOUBT

Director	Alfred Hitchcock
Year	1943
Starring	Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers
Run Time	118min
Age Policy	18 and up; Children 6 and up will be allowed only with a parent guardian. No children under the age of 6 will be allowed.
More Info	IMDb

Every month at Cinema Club we watch a different classic film and discuss it with a guest expert. It's sort of an ongoing class in the study and enjoyment of film.

At times Hitchcock referred to SHADOW OF A DOUBT as his favorite of his own films. If you only know the Hitchcock of PSYCHO, THE BIRDS, REAR WINDOW, etc. you may be surprised by the lightness of touch Hitch displays in SHADOW OF A DOUBT. It's the story of a girl's fascination with her sainted Uncle Charlie, and the gradual realization that he may not be what he appears when he pays the family a visit.

The All-American small-town setting is well sketched (credit that expert on small town America, screenwriter Thornton Wilder) and the performances by leads Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright are transcendent. The two are able to convey an almost telepathic understanding of one another, and the conflict of the film plays itself out in their eyes, in tiny turns of phrase, and in gesture. Hitchcock and his cast pull off some of the most refined work ever done in any film here, and it all adds up to one of the most satisfying movies of Hollywood's golden era.

We will be joined by author and Texas film professor Dr. Thomas Schatz to provide background and insight into one of Hollywood's brightest hours. (Lars)