Shadow of a Doubt * (1991, Mark Harmon, Diane Ladd, Shirley Knight, Tippi Hedren) Classic Movie Review 11,516

Nathalie Kay “Tippi” Hedren (born January 19, 1930).

The 1991 remake is just a shadow of Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943).

Director Karen Arthur’s 1991 thriller TV movie remake Shadow of a Doubt stars Mark Harmon, Margaret Welsh, Diane Ladd, Shirley Knight and Tippi Hedren.

Alfred Hitchcock’s favourite of his own films, the 1943 Shadow of a Doubt, is pointlessly and listlessly remade with a miscast and lost Mark Harmon in the lead, much too nice as the creepy favourite Uncle Charlie, while Margaret Welsh is not compelling enough as the young woman, also called Charlie. The mood, atmosphere and pace seem all wrong in John Gay’s script and Arthur’s handling.

It is great though to see Diane Ladd, Shirley Knight and especially Hitchcock’s protégée Tippi Hedren in the lineup.

Also in the cast are Norm Skaggs, Rick Lenz, William Lanteau, Sydney Walker, Bianca Rose, and Seth Smith.

The film was shot in the same town as the original, Santa Rosa, California.

John Gay adds a new opening scene where Uncle Charlie seduces and murders widow Teresa Mathewson (Tippi Hedren).

John Gay recalled: ‘When you look at the original film, 10 minutes into it there isn’t any doubt that Uncle Charlie is the killer. Since there isn’t any doubt to begin with, the drama is in the girl’s reaction and the family’s reaction to Uncle Charlie. So I thought it would be interesting to see him do this thing.’

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,516

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