7. Uncle Charlie's Death Scene In Shadow Of A Doubt
Hitchcock made Shadow Of A Doubt in 1943; the film follows the interactions between a young girl (Charlie) living in Santa Rosa, California, and her Uncle Charlie who has come to visit. Uncle Charlie is the suspected 'Merry Widow Murderer' - his niece refuses to believe it, until his strange behaviour and various clues prompt her to accept that her uncle is actually a cold-blooded killer. In typical murder mystery style, Hitchcock brings all his evidence to the table at the end of the film when young Charlie says she will kill her uncle if he tries to stay in the town - she knows all his secrets and will out him to the police. The film comes to a dramatic climax in a scene where Charlie and Uncle Charlie are on a train, and he tries to kill her (for the third time in the film). A struggle ensues; Charlie breaks free of her uncle's grip, and he falls off of the train. It is unclear as to whether young Charlie pushes him or not, and has been a source of discussion amongst film critics; but there's no doubt that audiences hold their breath during the struggle, and cheer when Uncle Charlie falls out of the train door and in front of another train incoming from the other direction. It might not be typically scary in terms of 'Boo!' but the scene certainly makes an impact on spectators.