What he meant was the actual presence of the number two or a noticeable mention of two or illustration of two throughout Shadow of a Doubt. Naturally that piqued my curiosity so I took another look at the movie, doing a double-take at every mention or illustration of two.

The “twos” my friend referred to weren’t part of the duality theme, however. There are many examples of Hitchcock dualities. Then there’s the in-your-face duality prevalent in Vertigo (1958) and Shadow of a Doubt’s own Uncle Charlie playing good guy while in actuality he’s a murdering scoundrel…and so forth. Also, the numerous spies that play a part in many Hitchcock stories are – by definition – employing at least two sides of their personalities. For instance, “the wrong man” theme that permeates many of his films suggests – at the very least – that most people have at their core the possibility of a dark side in addition to the good. I didn’t think much of the number two when mentioned because anyone who enjoys Hitchcock movies knows – or has noticed – the importance of two (or duality) as a theme element. The number two came up in regards to the director’s Shadow of a Doubt, his personal favorite and one of mine as well. I was having a conversation with another classic movie fan who has a particular admiration for Alfred Hitchcock.

Shadow of a doubt (1943