There are two men looking for Uncle Charlie as announced by the landlord of the building where Charles Oakley temporarily resides at the onset of the story.

If you prefer not to have the ending to Shadow of a Doubt spoiled you have two options – stop reading now or stop reading…NOW.

Wallace Ford as Detective Fred Saunders.

Macdonald Carey as Detective Jack Graham.

Joseph Cotten as Charles “Uncle Charlie” Oakley.

Teresa Wright as “Young Charlie” Newton.

It is young Charlie, who has enjoyed a special bond with her uncle all of her life, who comes to recognize his crimes and becomes a hero in the process in a story told with dark humor, gorgeous imagery and singular precision by Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Unfortunately, what Uncle Charlie brings is murder and darkness to the otherwise idyllic small town. Uncle Charlie, as his favorite niece and namesake, Charlie calls him, is a charming man who promises to break the monotony of life in Santa Rosa as young woman sees it. Here’s a brief Shadow of a Doubt refresher:Ĭharles Oakley loses the two men that are following him and suddenly decides to visit his sister Emma and her family in Santa Rosa, CA. What he meant was the actual presence of the number two or a noticeable mention of two or illustration of two throughout Shadow of a Doubt. Naturally that piqued my curiosity so I took another look at the movie, doing a double-take at every mention or illustration of two. The “twos” my friend referred to weren’t part of the duality theme, however. There are many examples of Hitchcock dualities. Then there’s the in-your-face duality prevalent in Vertigo (1958) and Shadow of a Doubt’s own Uncle Charlie playing good guy while in actuality he’s a murdering scoundrel…and so forth.

Also, the numerous spies that play a part in many Hitchcock stories are – by definition – employing at least two sides of their personalities. For instance, “the wrong man” theme that permeates many of his films suggests – at the very least – that most people have at their core the possibility of a dark side in addition to the good.

I didn’t think much of the number two when mentioned because anyone who enjoys Hitchcock movies knows – or has noticed – the importance of two (or duality) as a theme element. The number two came up in regards to the director’s Shadow of a Doubt, his personal favorite and one of mine as well.

I was having a conversation with another classic movie fan who has a particular admiration for Alfred Hitchcock.

Shadow of a doubt meaning movie