“Suspicion” drives a wedge between Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine

Suspicion (1941) is an American mystery-suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. The supporting cast includes Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, and Leo G. Carroll. It is based on the novel Before the Fact (1934) by  Francis Iles.

The film follows Lina McLaidlaw (Fontaine), a reserved and romantically inexperienced woman who is captivated by the charming and reckless playboy Johnnie Aysgarth (Grant). Despite her family’s warnings about his reputation as a spendthrift and a scoundrel, Lina quickly falls in love and marries him.

After a lavish honeymoon, Lina’s initial bliss begins to fade as she discovers the truth about Johnnie’s financial situation—he’s penniless, dishonest, and a habitual gambler. As Johnnie’s schemes become more desperate and his lies grow more elaborate, Lina’s disillusionment deepens into a terrifying suspicion.

Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, and Nigel Bruce

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies, including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations for Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Joan Fontaine (1917 – 2013) was a British-American actress who starred in more than 45 films during Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” After secondary roles in Gunga Din (1939) and The Women (1939), her fortunes turned with her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca (1940). She was nominated for Best Actress for her role in that film, but lost to Ginger Rogers. The next year, she worked with Hitchcock again in Suspicion and this time won the Best Actress Oscar, beating out her older sister Olivia de Havilland. She received a third and final nomination for The Constant Nymph (1943). Other popular Fontaine films include This Above All (1942), From This Day Forward (1946), Ivy (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and Ivanhoe (1952). After the late 1950s, she appeared less in films and more on stage and television. Fontaine and her sister are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.

Suspicion trivia

• Joan Fontaine is the only performer to win an Oscar in an Alfred Hitchcock film.
• Fontaine read the novel the film was based on and sent Hitchcock a note offering to play the part for free, if necessary.
• This was the first film that Hitchcock produced as well as directed.
• Suspicion marked the first time Cary Grant worked with Hitchcock; he would go on to collaborate with the director on three more films, Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959).
• Grant was paid $112,500 and Fontaine earned $67,750.

Click HERE to watch to movie on the Internet Archive (this print is beautiful).

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Ambiguity and Perception: To what extent does director Alfred Hitchcock use cinematic techniques (such as lighting, camera angles, and dialogue) to keep the audience as unsure of Johnnie's true nature as Lina is? Do you believe the ambiguity benefits or harms the film's overall suspense?
2. The Character of Lina: Lina transforms from a reserved "spinster" to a woman consumed by fear. Is her growing suspicion primarily a reasonable response to Johnnie's actions, or is it a sign of psychological instability, perhaps driven by her initial insecurity and desperation to be loved?
3. Cary Grant's Casting: Cary Grant was one of Hollywood's most popular leading men at the time. How does Grant's established charming on-screen persona affect your perception of his character, Johnnie? Do you think the studio's desire to keep Grant a "hero" altered the film's thematic impact from the source novel, Before the Fact?
4. Love vs. Self-Preservation: Why does Lina remain with Johnnie even after repeatedly discovering his dishonesty, embezzlement, and the possibility that he intends to kill her? Does her decision reflect a desperate, all-consuming love, or does it say something about the limited options and societal roles for women in the period the film was made?