Hitchcock gives a distinctive screen credit to famous playwright Thornton Wilder, who wrote the screenplay for the director's first truly great American movie. Shadow of a Doubt mixes evil into the stew of small-town Americana so comfortably that we fail to completely realize how threatening a presence it is until it is almost too late. Was Hitchcock just what Wilder's sentimental heart needed to make this project click; or was Wilder just who Hitchcock needed to cloak his menace with wholesomeness? In some crazy way this combination of great artists produced a classic thriller. No other Hitchcock film depicts ,so effortlessly, family relationships as part of a community. Joseph Cotten's evil heart seems right at home in this idyllic little town, which eagerly embraces him after he arrives. Only when he reveals something of his dark nature to his smart niece does she begin to realize the danger he poses to her family and her way of life. The brilliant writing and performances on display add up to a chilling entertainment and hint at the even greater movies to come years later in Hitchcock's remarkable career.
Review of Shadow of a Doubt
