Suspicion (1941)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (screenplay) &
Joan Harrison (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 November 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Love in his Heart . . . Tragedy in his Mind ! The stars of "Penny Serenade" and "Rebecca" in this most thrilling mystery . . .

Plot:

A shy young English woman marries a charming gentleman, then begins to suspect him of trying to kill her.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Murderer | Poison | Money | Honeymoon

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Johnnie
Joan Fontaine	...	Lina
Cedric Hardwicke	...	General McLaidlaw (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Nigel Bruce	...	Beaky
Dame May Whitty	...	Mrs. McLaidlaw
Isabel Jeans	...	Mrs. Newsham
Heather Angel	...	Ethel - Maid
Auriol Lee	...	Isobel Sedbusk
Reginald Sheffield	...	Reggie Wetherby
Leo G. Carroll	...	Captain Melbeck
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Billy Bevan	...	Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Faith Brook	...	Alice Barham (uncredited)
Leonard Carey	...	Burton, McLaidlaws' Butler (uncredited)
Clyde Cook	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Alec Craig	...	Hogarth Club Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Carol Curtis-Brown	...	Jessie Barham (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Benson (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Mr. Bailey (uncredited)
Edward Fielding	...	Antique Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Gavin Gordon	...	Dr. Bertram Sedbusk (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Inspector Hodgson (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man mailing letter (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Mrs. Wetherby (uncredited)
Kenneth Hunter	...	Sir Gerald (uncredited)
Doris Lloyd	...	Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Aubrey Mather	...	Executor of Gen. Laidlaw's will (uncredited)
Nondas Metcalf	...	Phyllis Swinghurst (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Postmistress (uncredited)
Clara Reid	...	Mrs. Craddock (uncredited)
Maureen Roden-Ryan	...	Maid (Winnie) (uncredited)
Violet Shelton	...	Mrs. Barham (uncredited)
Pax Walker	...	Maid (Phoebe) (uncredited)
Ben Webster	...	William Howe - Registrar (uncredited)
Elsie Weller	...	Miss Wetherby (uncredited)
Constance Worth	...	Mrs. Fitzpatrick (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Samson Raphaelson		(screenplay) &
Joan Harrison		(screenplay) &
Alma Reville		(screenplay)
Anthony Berkeley		(novel "Before the Fact") (as Francis Iles)

Produced by
Harry E. Edington	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dewey Starkey	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director

Sound Department
John E. Tribby	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Radio Filmes (1941) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• VidAmerica (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• David O. Selznick Productions Inc.  services of Miss Fontaine and Mr. Hitchcock secured through the courtesy of

Also Known As:

Before the Fact (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Spain:13 | UK:U (tv rating) | Brazil:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Approved (certificate #7113)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

This movie marked Alfred Hitchcock's first film as a producer as well as director.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lina looks at Isobel's book while Johnnie is on the telephone, there is a large tear in the book jacket above Isobel's photo. In the next scene, when Lina takes the book on her visit to Isobel, the book jacket is undamaged.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Johnnie Aysgarth: Oh, I beg your pardon. Was that your leg? I had no idea we were going into a tunnel. I thought the compartment was empty.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Topaz': An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Voices of Spring

Suspicious Minds

This is a Hitchcock thriller from 1941, early in his American period, and earned its star, Joan Fontaine, an Academy Award for Best Actress. She's excellent in the leading role, though her performance isn't quite so fine-tuned as the one she gave in the previous year's Rebecca, which this one in many ways resembles. As her gregarious and engaging gambler of a husband, Cary Grant overwhelms her in the acting and charisma departments. This is more or less Fontaine's movie, but Grant steals it with his charm.

The story is is old one about a woman who marries a mysterious and handsome gentleman who's up to his ears in dark secrets. There's not much more to it than that, aside from the little issue of whether or not he's going to murder her for her money. When a close friend of the husband dies under mysterious circumstances, the wife's suspicions begin to literally enshroud her, enveloping her in a haze of nervous expression. Hubby's strange behavior and dark glances don't help matters.

Adapted by Anthony Berkeley and Samson Raphaelson from a novel by Francis Iles, the movie suggests rural England better than most American films; and the supporting cast, which includes Dame May Witty, Cedric Hardwicke, Leo G. Carroll and especially Nigel Bruce, are all fine. Bruce plays Grant's old school twit of a friend, and the scenes of the three of them,--Grant, Fontaine and Bruce--have a rare intimacy, as we really believe that these characters care for one another. The movie's ending was controversial at the time, for a number of reasons. It works well enough for me, but then again Hitchcock generally does.