Shadow of a Doubt

Every family has an Uncle Charlie--perhaps not a sociopathic serial killer who preys on widows, but close. Mike and Dan talk about Joseph Cotten's terrific performance in Hitchcock's 1943 Shadow of a Doubt and how his performance--along with the overacting of the rest of the cast--raises the issue of the ways in which family life is one sustained performance. They discuss the charm of the film lying in its not being Hitchcock's best, regardless of his calling it his favorite--a Saturday Afternoon Hitchcock as opposed to a Friday Nighter. No Country for Old Men, Psycho, Fargo, Blue Velvet, and Hemingway's story "The Killers" all come up in conversation. So knock over that glass, cut up the newspaper and hum the Merry Widow Waltz as you give it a listen!   No widows were harmed during the making of this podcast.   Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Letterboxd. Please rate and review the show on Apple podcasts and contact us at [email protected]. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.