... the significance of the letters "B.M." in this scene from Shadow of a Doubt in which Joseph Cotten gives Teresa Wright a ring. The significance is NOT related to the plot of the movie...
(The same letters are tattooed on John Hodiak's chest in Lifeboat)(larger image here).
Alfred Hitchcock was said to be obsessed with bowels and bowel movements (B.M.). That's why these particular letters are inserted as a kind of an inner joke.
ReplyDeleteIf he engraved the ring with "T.S. from B.M." it sounds like he was having some problems in that area.
ReplyDeleteThe engraving read "TS from BM". After reading a newspaper article at the library, Charlie learns that the TS refers to Thelma Schenley and the BM refers to Thelma's husband Bruce Matthewson. Charlie also learns that Thelma Schenley Matthewson was the third victim of the Merry Widow Murderer
ReplyDeleteSecond anon, that is in fact the relevance to the plot of the movie, but my question asked about the significance NOT related to the plot.
ReplyDeleteThe first Anon is correct.
Teresa Wright is the correct spelling of the actress' name -- I know, because it was my maiden name.
ReplyDeleteFixed. Thank you, Teresa.
DeleteMy guess is that "T.S." is also a scatological joke. It was a common abbreviation for "total shit." My dad (b. 1934) recalls chuckling with his college classmates whenever the name "T.S. Eliot" was uttered.
ReplyDelete