leeper@mtgzy.att.com (Mark R. Leeper) (05/03/91)
SHADOW OF A DOUBT
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1991 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: The Hallmark Hall of Fame again does a
very creditable remake of a classic story. This time they
have taken Hitchcock's suspense film SHADOW OF A DOUBT and
nearly everything works. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4).
When I was growing up, I was aware that there were a series of dramas
brought to television by the Hallmark Hall of Fame. It seemed that near
card-sending holidays Hallmark would do a television play, and some were
decent, but I would have preferred to go out to a movie any day. I think as
I got older Hallmark really did get better. I know my perspective changed,
but I genuinely feel that objectively they improved also. I first noticed
how good they had gotten in 1979 with the remake of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN
FRONT. I liked the film a lot and really wanted to see the original classic
film. Actually I was a bit disappointed by the original, which did not seem
to be so detailed a story or have so well-developed characters. But I told
myself it was not a fair comparison. The original was an early sound film
before a lot of techniques were developed. Besides, I'd seen the remake
first and it had formed my opinions on the story. I also preferred their
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to Cocteau's, but then I am not a big fan of Cocteau's
style.
I ran out of excuses with Michael Tuchner's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. I
had seen the three major film productions with Lon Chaney, Charles Laughton,
and Anthony Quinn in the title role. Anthony Hopkins was the best Quasimodo
and this production was the most detailed. I have also liked some of their
original productions, but have only recently started paying closer attention
to them. DECORATION DAY was among the best five films I saw last year. If
I was going to put made-for-television movies on my "Top Ten of the Year"
list, this would have made the list. Now Hallmark is back, remaking the
classic film. This may be their first real suspense film, but they are
starting with grand style.
Overall, the production values of SHADOW OF A DOUBT were very good.
They used the original script, which was co-authored by Thorton Wilder. The
murderous gigolo "Uncle Charley" was played by Mark Harmon, in the role that
Joseph Cotten originally filled. Now, Harmon is a lot better looking than
Cotten--almost pretty. Had someone with Harmon's looks played the role in
the Hitchcock, you have never have been able to put someone with Cotten's
looks in the remake. But putting someone better-looking in the role of the
charming and villainous lady-killer works just fine. Harmon is not a very
good actor and he does not project much emotion. In this role his synthetic
charm and the veiled emotion work in his favor. The remake on its own is a
pretty good suspense film.
The Hitchcock film was made in 1943 and, being made during the war, it
was intended to show the soldiers what they were fighting for. It was a
portrait of somebody's idea of an ideal American town: pearly-white, Anglo-
Saxon, Protestant. It was a town where just about everyone sees each other
in church. It was set in its present of 1943. The remake is a slight
update, being set in 1953, the year Fidel Castro was captured and
imprisoned--we hear about the event on the console radio. That really is
the film's one questionable note. In a town like Petaluma, California, I
doubt there were still many wind-up Victrolas in 1953. With that one minor
objection, this remake is done in fine style. I would give it a +2 on the
-4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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leeper@mtgzy.att.com