Shadow Of A Doubt

Synopsis: Charlotte 'Charlie' Newton is bored with her quiet life at home with her parents and her younger sister. She wishes something exciting would happen and knows exactly what they need: a visit from her sophisticated and much traveled uncle Charlie Oakley, her mother's younger brother. Imagine her delight when, out of the blue, they receive a telegram from uncle Charlie announcing that he is coming to visit them for awhile. Charlie Oakley creates quite a stir and charms the ladies club as well as the bank president where his brother-in-law works. Young Charlie begins to notice some odd behavior on his part, such as cutting out a story in the local paper about a man who marries and then murders rich widows. When two strangers appear asking questions about him, she begins to imagine the worst about her dearly beloved uncle Charlie.
Genre: Thriller
Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Universal Pictures
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.9
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
PG
Year:
1943
108 min
2,246 Views


## [Waltz]

[Children Chattering]

- [Knocking On Door]

- Come in.

Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer,

I hate to bother you...

but I thought

you'd like to know

there were two men here.

Two men askin' for you.

Ayoung man

and a kind of older man.

They was sorry

you wasn't in.

I said you wasn't.

Did they say they'd be back?

They didn't say exactly,

but I think they will.

Just now, when I had to go

down to the store, I seen them

standing there at the corner.

Maybe I shoulda let

them in, only you said

not to disturb you...

Yes?

And I'm sure

they'll be back.

You look kinda tired to me,

and that's a fact.

You got a headache

or somethin'?

I think maybe

you need a real rest.

That's what I think.

Why, Mr. Spencer.

You oughtn't to leave all that

money lying around like that.

Oh, it makes me nervous

to see money lying around.

Everybody in the world

ain't honest, you know.

Though I must say

I haven't had

much trouble that way.

Those friends of yours

told me not to mention

they'd called.

Wanted to surprise you.

But I thought you'd like

to know somehow.

Yes, yes. Of course.

If they come back,

you may show them in.

Yes.

You know, Mrs. Martin,

it's very funny.

They aren't exactly

friends of mine.

They've never seen me.

That's odd, isn't it?

'Tis odd,

like you say.

And now that I'm here,

I'll have to meet them.

I may even go out

and meet them.

And then again,

I may not. Not yet.

You go ahead with your nap.

I'll pull down the blind.

[Door Closes]

[Glass Crashing]

[Spencer] What do you know?

You're bluffing.

You've nothing on me.

[Pedestrians Chattering]

[Coin Drops, Bell Dings]

Hello, Postal Union?

I want to send a telegram...

to Mrs. Joseph Newton

in Santa Rosa, California.

Here's the message.

Ready?

Lonesome for you all.

Stop.

Am coming out to stay

with you awhile. Stop.

Will arrive Thursday

and try and stop me.

Will wire exact time later.

Love to you all...

and a kiss for little Charlie

from her Uncle Charlie.

That's right.

That's the signature.

"Uncle Charlie."

That's right. Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa, California.

[Officer Blows Whistle]

[Bus Bell Ringing]

[Phone Ringing]

[Ringing Continues]

[Woman] Ann!

Ann, answer the telephone.

[Ringing Continues]

Newton's residence.

Ann Newton speaking.

Oh, hello, Mrs. Henderson.

This is Ann.

Mother isn't home yet.

A telegram? Well...

I don't see a pencil, so maybe

she better call you back.

I'm trying to keep my mind

free of things

that don't matter...

because I have so much

to keep on my mind.

Innumerable things.

I'll have her call back.

Thank you for calling.

Good-bye.

[Door Opening, Closing]

Hello, Ann.

Where's your mother?

She's out.

Out?

Mrs. Henderson just called

from the Postal Union Office.

She says we have a telegram.

I would have taken it down,

only I couldn't find a pencil.

I looked.

Telegram, eh?

I knew there'd be trouble

if your Aunt Sarah got

her driver's license.

Whereabouts was

the accident?

I didn't take notes.

Oh. Then how about a kiss?

Isn't that the funniest thing?

Here I am,

practically a child...

and I wouldn't read

the things you read.

Mm-hmm. Well, I guess

they'd give you bad dreams.

Bad dreams?

You don't understand, Papa.

Mystery stories have done...

Where's Roger?

Out. The average mind...

Where's Charlie?

Out. No, I mean she's upstairs

in her room thinking.

Well, don't read too much.

You'll ruin your eyes.

And leave my book alone.

What's that you're reading?

Ivanhoe.

Hmm? Oh.

[Soft Knocking]

Who is it?

It's me.

What's the matter?

Don't you feel well?

No. I'm perfectly well.

I've just been thinking

for hours, and I've come

to the conclusion I give up.

I simply give up.

What are you going

to give up?

Have you ever stopped to think

that a family should be the most

wonderful thing in the world?

And that this family's

just gone to pieces?

We have?

Of course we have.

We just sort of go along

and nothing happens.

We're in a terrible rut.

It's been on my mind for months.

What's going to be our future?

Oh, come now, Charlie.

Things aren't

as bad as that.

The bank gave me a raise

last January.

Money.

How can you talk about money

when I'm talking about souls?

We eat and sleep

and that's about all.

We don't even have

any real conversations.

Wejust talk.

And work.

Yes. Poor Mother.

She works like a dog.

Just like a dog.

Where is she?

She's out. When she comes back,

it'll be the same thing.

Dinner, then dishes, then bed.

I don't see how she stands it.

You know, she's really

a wonderful woman.

I mean, she's not just a mother.

And I think we ought

to do something for her.

Don't you think we should?

Yeah. What were you thinking

of doing for her?

Oh, nothing, I suppose.

I guess we'll just have to wait

for a miracle or something.

Oh, now, Charlie,

you're right.

Absolutely right.

- I'll figure out some way...

- Oh, I don't believe

in good intentions anymore.

All I'm waiting for now

is a miracle.

Oh, Charlie.

Those back stairs

are steep.

What's the matter, Charlie?

What's the matter, Joe?

Well, it seems that, uh...

Oh, I've become

a nagging old maid.

And you went downtown

in that awful old hat

you promised you'd throw away.

[Ann] Mama.

Darling, what does it matter

what hat I put on?

Mama.

Mother, I don't see why

you let that child yell at you.

If she...

I'm going

downstairs anyway.

Joe, what were you

both talking about

when I came in?

Something about a miracle.

[Joe]

Oh, it's nothing. Charlie's

a bit under the weather.

[Woman]

Oh. Well, she'll be all right.

Well, come on, dear.

Let's go downstairs.

No use standing here.

I'm going to get myself

a bottle of beer.

Mother, I'm going downtown

and send a telegram.

Why, darling,

who do you know

to send a telegram to?

I know a wonderful person

who'll come and shake us up.

Just the one to save us.

What do you mean,

"save us"?

All this time, there's been

one right person to save us.

- Mother, what's

Uncle Charlie's address?

- Uncle Charlie?

- Now, you're not going to ask

him for money, are you?

- Of course not.

That wouldn't help us.

What's his address?

The last address I had...

Do you know

how many steps

I had to take...

to get from here

to the drugstore

and back?

No. If you've forgotten,

I'm not going to tell you.

I remember. Philadelphia.

You can't ask a busy man to come

all this way for nothing.

He'll come for me.

I'm named after him.

Besides, we're

the only relatives

he has in the world.

[Boy] If you come all the way

up Fourth Street, it's 802.

Mama, guess what?

I have no time for guessing.

What's that thing in your hair?

Well, I'll tell you anyway,

even though I think it's nicer

when people guess.

Mrs. Henderson said to call her

at the telegraph office because

she says we have a telegram.

Ann, I don't think

you ought to put things

behind your ears.

Something might get

into your ear.

Emmy, Ann

says we have a telegram.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

Thornton Wilder

Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes—for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and for the plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth — and a U.S. National Book Award for the novel The Eighth Day. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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