Everyone in the Newton household in Santa Rosa is delighted that “Uncle Charlie” (Joseph Cotton), the younger brother of matriarch Emma Newton (Patricia Collinge), is coming over to stay a while. Especially Charlotte “Charlie” Newton (Teresa Wright), the oldest child in the family, who seems about to die of boredom in the small town. Uncle Charlie has apparently been living a well-traveled life, filled with experiences of all sorts, and can always be counted on to shower the family with presents.

But what they don’t know while we do (because we’ve seen the “prologue”), is that Uncle Charlie is some sort of ne’er-do-well. He’s living in a rooming house where he has wads of loose cash scattered about, and is dodging two men who have “staked out” the place. And he’s heading to Santa Rosa not because he wants to see his family, but because he needs to get out of town post-haste.

Will anyone in the household figure out what Uncle Charlie’s really been up to before it’s too late?

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, I’d have to call this one of his more middling works overall. Cotton and Wright are great actors for their roles, and the direction is top-notch (of course). But the story leaves a lot to be desired.

While the younger Charlie soon figures out that there’s something really suspect about her uncle, the rest of the family misses all the blatantly obvious signs. Uncle Charlie adamantly refuses to be photographed, he’s carrying a pile of cash that’s WAY too much money (a couple of $100,000 in 21^st century dollars) for anyone to be traveling with, and even his older sister has no clue what he does for a living. And those two men from the “government” that have picked the Newtons for a series of interviews and photographs for a “survey” on the life and thoughts of average Americans? COME ON! Especially after Uncle Charlie’s dinner “speech” on the “fat, wheezing animals” that are widows? If he showed any hint of charm or charisma that might explain why he’s accepted without question, one could understand the blindness. But all he seems to do is throw gifts at people, and money at local charities. That’s it.

And by the way, Santa Rosa as depicted is way too big and bustling to be the sort of small town where everyone knows – and automatically trusts – each other.

Whenever the two “Charlies” are in the scene interacting, it lives up to its reputation. But bring anyone else in, and you have to wonder if there’s anything in the water in Santa Rosa that’s lowering the intelligence of the residents. Almost every reviewer praises this as Hitchcock’s first masterpiece. Even he called it his best work. Sorry, but I don’t see it.