who wrote the book shadow of a doubt alfred hitchcock

In a climactic scene in which she confronts his true identity, he forces her into a seamy bar.

His niece gradually deduces that he is the Merry Widow Killer. Uncle Charlie-taking a break from his murdering spree, for now- is a menacing presence, hunted by federal agents.

In Hitchcock’s world, boredom is often a precursor to chaos, and so it happens in Shadow. We’re in a rut.” Her solution is to invite Uncle Charlie to town. Uncle Charlie’s niece, Young Charlie (Teresa Wright), lays on her bed, bored and daydreaming. Yet, something inside that insular world is stirring. until Uncle Charlie hustles his niece into its seedier parts to articulate his less idealistic view of the world. Like Candide’s castle in Westphalia, nothing ever seems to go wrong in this “typical small American town.” All of the inhabitants continue on their merry course, oblivious to the danger that surrounds them. In Shadow of a Doubt, evil (in the form of the dashing Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie) visits the small town of Santa Rosa, California. But it’s the shared themes that keep me pondering the connection the two works. Soon enough, however, this idyllic existence abruptly ends, which is followed by his disillusionment as he sees how the world really works in all its hardships and suffering.Ĭertain plot elements are echoed in Shadow of a Doubt. The novella begins with a young man, Candide, who is sheltered in “the finest, most agreeable castle possible.” Among pristine, Edenic gardens, he is indoctrinated with an overly optimistic world view by his tutor, Pangloss. I think the book informed his work, especially with regard to both Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and The Trouble with Harry (1955)-two of the director’s favorite and personal films.

Voltaire’s “Candide” was probably required reading. Though he never attended college, Alfred Hitchcock received a very good Jesuit education.

Who wrote the book shadow of a doubt alfred hitchcock