Rebecca (1940)

When a naive young woman marries a rich widower and settles in his gigantic mansion, she finds the memory of the first wife maintaining a grip on her husband and the servants.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Daphne Du Maurier (celebrated novel), Robert E. Sherwood (screen play),

Stars:

Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders

Top 250 #125 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Olivier	...	'Maxim' de Winter
Joan Fontaine	...	Mrs. de Winter
George Sanders	...	Jack Favell
Judith Anderson	...	Mrs. Danvers
Nigel Bruce	...	Major Giles Lacy
Reginald Denny	...	Frank Crawley
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Colonel Julyan
Gladys Cooper	...	Beatrice Lacy
Florence Bates	...	Mrs. Van Hopper
Melville Cooper	...	Coroner
Leo G. Carroll	...	Dr. Baker
Leonard Carey	...	Ben
Lumsden Hare	...	Tabbs
Edward Fielding	...	Frith
Philip Winter	...	Robert

Storyline

A shy ladies' companion, staying in Monte Carlo with her stuffy employer, meets the wealthy Maxim de Winter. She and Max fall in love, marry and return to Manderley, his large country estate in Cornwall. Max is still troubled by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. The second Mrs. de Winter clashes with the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and discovers that Rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at Manderley.

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Plot Keywords:

housekeeper | love | death | widower | cornwall | 

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Taglines:

The shadow of a remembered woman came between their lips... but these two had the courage to hope... and to live their love!

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

12 April 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rebeca

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,288,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Selznick International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original script named the heroine "Daphne" after the writer Daphne Du Maurier. David O. Selznick objected and the name was not used.

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Goofs

The word pamplemousse (French for grapefruit) is incorrectly spelled as 'pamplemouse' in the Princesse Hotel Monte Carlo menu toward the beginning of the film.

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Quotes

Mrs. Danvers: She knew everyone that mattered. Everyone loved her.

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Crazy Credits

The original 1940 credits read "Selznick International presents its picturization of Daphne Du Maurier's 'Rebecca'". The credits on the re-issue version read "The Selznick Studio presents its production of Daphne Du Maurier's 'Rebecca'".

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Connections

Referenced in Latidos de pánico (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Love's Old Sweet Song (Just a Song at Twilight)"
(1884) (uncredited)
Music by J.L. Molloy
Hummed by Joan Fontaine

User Reviews

My brief review of the film

A stylishly directed and photographed film that examines a number of themes, such a deception, death and depression, and explores well the emotions of its characters. It is rare to find a film like this, as it tackles various genres, ranging from being a romance to a mystery to a drama to even a comedy at times, and all without seeming pretentious. The cast is truly magnificent. Judith Anderson is a stunner is a quiet but sinister role, and George Sanders is even more impressive in lively but also sinister performance. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine are perfect for their roles too. The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Cinematography quite deservingly – this is one of the best films Hollywood has ever produced.