Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Joseph Cotten: Charlie Oakley

Photos 

1 more photos

Quotes 

• Uncle Charlie : The cities are full of women, middle-aged widows, husbands dead, husbands who've spent their lives making fortunes, working and working. And then they die and leave their money to their wives, their silly wives. And what do the wives do, these useless women? You see them in the hotels, the best hotels, every day by the thousands, drinking their money, eating their money, losing the money at bridge, playing all day and all night, smelling of money, proud of their jewelry but of nothing else, horrible, faded, fat, greedy women.

  Young Charlie : But they're alive. They're human beings.

  Uncle Charlie : Are they? Are they, Charlie? Are they human or are they fat, wheezing animals, hmm? And what happens to animals when they get too fat and too old?

• Uncle Charlie : You think you know something, don't you? You think you're the clever little girl who knows something. There's so much you don't know, so much. What do you know, really? You're just an ordinary little girl, living in an ordinary little town. You wake up every morning of your life and you know perfectly well that there's nothing in the world to trouble you. You go through your ordinary little day, and at night you sleep your untroubled ordinary little sleep, filled with peaceful stupid dreams. And I brought you nightmares. Or did I? Or was it a silly, inexpert little lie? You live in a dream. You're a sleepwalker, blind. How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know, if you rip off the fronts of houses, you'd find swine? The world's a hell. What does it matter what happens in it? Wake up, Charlie. Use your wits. Learn something.

• Joseph Newton : Don't put the hat on the bed.

  Uncle Charlie : Superstitious, Joe?

  Joseph Newton : No, but I don't believe in inviting trouble.

• Uncle Charlie : How was church, Charlie? Did you count the house? Turn anybody away?

  Young Charlie : No. Room enough for everyone.

  Uncle Charlie : Well, I'm glad to hear that. The show's been running such a long time, I thought maybe attendance might be falling off.

• Uncle Charlie : What's the use of looking backward? What's the use of looking ahead? Today's the thing - that's my philosophy. Today.

• [Uncle Charlie visits the bank] 

  Uncle Charlie : Hello, Joe. Can you stop embezzling a minute and give me your attention?

  Joseph Newton : Oh, uh, Charles, we don't joke about such things here.

  Uncle Charlie : Aw, what's a little shortage in the books at the end of the month? Any good bank clerk can cover up a little shortage. Isn't that right, Charlie?

  Young Charlie : Uncle Charlie, you're awful. Everyone can hear you.

  Uncle Charlie : Good thing they can. We all know what banks are. Look all right to an outsider, but no one knows what goes on when the doors are locked. Can't fool me, though.

• Uncle Charlie : Forty thousand dollars is no joke, not to him, I bet. It's a joke to me. The whole world's a joke to me.

• Uncle Charlie : I can't face the world in the morning. I must have coffee before I can speak.

• Young Charlie : We're not just an uncle and a niece. It's something else. I know you. I know you don't tell people a lot of things. I don't either. I have a feeling that inside you there's something nobody knows about.

  Uncle Charlie : Something - nobody knows?

  Young Charlie : Something secret and wonderful. I'll find it out.

  Uncle Charlie : It's not good to find out too much, Charlie.

• Uncle Charlie : I got in the habit of carrying a lot of cash with me when I was traveling.

  Mr. Green : Dangerous habit, Mr. Oakley.

  Uncle Charlie : Never lost a penny in my life, Mr. Green. I guess heaven takes care of fools and scoundrels.

• Uncle Charlie : Women are fools! They'd fall for anything. Why do you let two strangers come into your house and turn this place upside down. Why expose the family to a couple of snoopers?

• Uncle Charlie : Your mother's been telling me about the Newtons being picked for all-American suckers.

• Uncle Charlie : Uncle Charlie, I know a secret about you, you don't think I know.

• Uncle Charlie : Everybody was sweet and pretty then, Charlie. The whole world. A wonderful world. Not like the world today. Not like the world now. It was great to be young then.

• Uncle Charlie : Remember the time they had the champagne when the oldest Jones girl got married?

  Uncle Charlie : This is sparkling burgundy.

  Emma Newton : Well, one sip and I'll be calling it "sparkling burgledy." Maybe I'd better not take anything.

• Young Charlie : You shouldn't tease Papa like that.

  Uncle Charlie : I wasn't teasing him. I just hate this stuffy atmosphere.