Shadow of a Doubt : Hitchcock's favourite Hitchcock film

Alfred Hitchcock was born 112 years ago on August 13 in Leytonstone, London. His father would have him locked in the local jail for ten-minute stretches as punishment for minor misbehaviour. His mother would make him stand at the foot of her bed and recount his sins for hours. It's no wonder he became the master of the psychological thriller; what's incredible is how incredibly funny -- nervously, darkly funny, but still funny -- his films are, too.
On the occasion of his birthday, a simple recommendation: Watch “Shadow of a Doubt”. Not nearly as famous as some of Hitchcock's other films, it was nevertheless his personal favourite. The screenplay was co-written by Thornton Wilder; the great Joseph Cotton (“Citizen Kane”, “The Third Man”) plays the lead role of a serial killer (or is he?) Charlie Oakley. Overtones of seething misogyny, suburban satire and metastatic dread: it's Hitchcock at his creepy best, which is as good as cinema ever got.

Compiled by Correspondent