![]() ![]() ![]() If you’re a movie fan, classic or modern, you probably know the story: Uncle Charlie (Cotten) comes back to his old hometown of Santa Rosa to visit his sister and her family. Shadow of a Doubt is my favorite Hitchcock movie, mainly because of the strong performances by Joseph Cotten (who was my first, big classic movie star obsession) and Teresa Wright*. I woke up in time to record Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams and since Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943) immediately followed it, I figured I’d watch it. Even as movies hardened in the ’70s after the collapse of the Hays Code, Hitchcock gleefully followed suit, concluding his career with sordid, cynical takes on his formula in Frenzy and Family Plot.Last night (this morning?), I wound up falling asleep in front of the tv while Equus was showing on TCM–not because I was bored, but because I was just flat out tired. 1948’s Rope was his first color film, and what followed seemed an endless beloved parade of wrong men, guilty women, and nefarious murderous plots: Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, and on and on. ![]() When color became the movie standard, he ascended to the Master of Suspense mantle that will become his enduring legacy. And yet Hitch was only just getting started. He started in the 1920s during the silent era ( The Lodger), transitioned to sound when many of his peers and actors could not ( The 39 Steps), and came to America at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age (Best Picture-winning Rebecca). As director, Hitchcock withstood every significant upheaval of the industry and, in fact, seemed to flourish with each transition. Watching the movies Alfred Hitchcock made over his five-decade career is not only a thrilling way to spend your free time, but doubles as a legitimate lesson in the history and development of cinema. (Photo by Universal) Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked by Tomatometer ![]()
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