MovieChat Forums > Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Discussion > Herbert, Hume Cronyn's character...

Herbert, Hume Cronyn's character...

posted 15 years ago by tbs1982
7 replies | jump to latest

It seems to me he was the smokescreen of the movie.

During the whole film, he seems like he knows more than he lets on, even though he lets on quite a bit. It seemed to be given away when he was "just in the neighborhood" when Charlie was locked up in the garage.

But in the end, he had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome. So one has to question if Hitchcock did this deliberately to give his character ambiguity or if it was just a mistake on his part? On the other hand, he could have just been a goofy character and I read far much into him than what was intended.

If he did know what was going on through the whole him, bit of a mistake on his part to not do something about it. I also thought Uncle Charlie was on to him during the toasting scene after everybody returns from Uncle Charlie's speech.

What does everybody else think?

Smokescreen, ambiguity, mistake or just a goofy characterization?

[–] nasloranger 15 years ago

Smokescreen, ambiguity, mistake or just a goofy characterization?

all of the above - but mostly just goofy, i think!

sorry if this is a cop out answer, but like i said in another thread the movie was just this side of "too weird" for me...

you're never lost if you don't care where you're going!

[–] liambrennan-1 15 years ago

I found this interesting too, though the entire time I was sure that Herb was going to be the one to unravel the mystery and expose it to everyone after the speech, though no one would want to hear him rant again. The conversation about the soda in the coffee was hilarious however, I loved how those two played it. Ultimately, perhaps Hitch wanted to infuse some humor into a such a dark story and created the Herb character - a man obsessed with detective stories and murder, one who believes himself to be such an expert at it all yet one that can't see it when it's placed right under his nose - perhaps he's not such an expert after all because he's too busy thinking about the possibilities?

[–] Noir-It-All 14 years ago

I think it is "a man obsessed with detective stories and murder, one who believes himself to be such an expert at it all yet one that can't see it when it's placed right under his nose". Except for Charlie, I think these people were incredibly naive.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

Definite ambiguity. Beneath the nose of a strangler two seemingly 'normal' men love no more than to imagine ways in which to commit the perfect murder of the other! It's hilarious and macabre.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cold_sky 10 years ago

The split second I saw the books he was holding (Crime, Murder Mysteries, etc.) when you first see him, I figured it was Hitchcock rubbing the obvious—but what might've not been so obvious in the old days?—that Herbert was going to solve the crime.

So if it was a smokescreen, it worked 100% with me. In the end, his little discussions were really funny, if too brief.

[–] Noir-It-All 8 years ago

I think his relationship with Herb is one more reason Dad is detached from Charlie (and his constantly talking wife.) This may be why Uncle Charlie is so important to her.