Which Alfred Hitchcock film did he consider his personal favorite?

Alfred Hitchcock considered Shadow of a Doubt his personal favorite film. The 1943 psychological thriller follows young Charlie Newton, played by Teresa Wright, whose excitement over her charming Uncle Charlie turns to suspicion when she begins to suspect he is a serial killer.

Hitchcock discussed the film’s special place in his work in interviews, including conversations with François Truffaut, Mike Douglas, and Dick Cavett. His daughter, Pat Hitchcock, also identified it as her father’s favorite. The director particularly valued its intimate setting, moral tension, and collaboration with writer Thornton Wilder.

The film is often confused with Hitchcock’s more internationally famous titles, such as Vertigo, Psycho, or Rear Window. Yet Shadow of a Doubt is distinctive because its threat enters an ordinary American family and small town rather than a glamorous or overtly exotic setting. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1991, recognized as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.