Suspicion (1941)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, Nigel Bruce, Cedric Hardwicke, May Whitty, Heather Angel, Isabel Jeans, Auriol Lee, Leo G. Carroll.

Well-mounted psychological suspenser of Fontaine marrying an irresponsible charmer (Grant)—much to the disapproval of her wealthy father (Hardwicke)—and growing to suspect that her husband is trying to kill her. Story adapted from a Francis Iles novel (“Before the Fact”), with the original ending intact in the initial screenplay, but it was subsequently changed to appease the studio; some good suspense and character work (especially from Bruce, whose comfortable onscreen persona was perfectly suited for the affable dodderer he essays), a few excellent uses of light and shadow, but the conclusion is a let-down. Grant is miscast (he’s creditable as a deceitful cad, but not so much as a wife murderer), while Fontaine scored an Academy Award, the only time an actor ever won one in a Hitchcock picture. Hitch’s first producing credit for a film he also directed.

79/100