Rebecca (1940)

A self-conscious bride is tormented by the memory of her husband's dead first wife.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

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

Stars:

Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders

Top Rated Movies #173 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 10 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 lady's 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:

widower | starts with narration | voice over narration | character's point of view | castle | 

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Taglines:

A lonely man, a lovely girl... struggling against the secret of Manderley

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

12 April 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rebecca

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,288,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,360,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,592,465

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

Although Sir Laurence Olivier was unsuccessful in his attempts to persuade Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Producer David O. Selznick to cast Vivien Leigh as Mrs. De Winter, she played the part in an American radio adaptation of the story in 1950, with Olivier repeating his role as Maxim.

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Goofs

When Mr. and Mrs. de Winter first arrive at Manderley, it begins to rain -- but the sun remains shining whilst it's raining.

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Quotes

Jack Favell: I say, marriage with Max is not exactly a bed of roses, is it?

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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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Alternate Versions

The opening credits were re-done (with different font) for the 1950's re-release of the movie. It is these credits that have turned up on all telecasts of the film (even as recently as 2013) and all previous video releases. The Criterion release (which is now only available through outlet stores) restores all of the credits to their original form.

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Connections

Referenced in The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse: Rebecca (1948)

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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

All around, an excellent production.

his movie is a 10 from the very beginning. The casting is brilliant, the story is hauntingly beautiful, the performances are the best of what Hollywood once was, and the sets are of quality design and architecture. The direction is awesome, but it's Hitchcock, and I expect nothing less from his productions.

Rebecca is a glamorous, beautiful socialite who has won the hearts of all who knew her. Well, almost all. But a year after her untimely death, her grieving husband near his wit's end, has grown seemingly suicidal and aloof.

He engages his grief while on a trip to Monte Carlo, and meets the beautiful personal secretary and maid of a long-time friend, Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper. She is young, naive, and completely unprepared for the life which is awaiting her; all qualities which George Fortescu Maximillian 'Maxim' de Winter finds endearing.

I won't detail the events in this movie, as the story itself is quite haunting, with surprises around every turn.

This is a definite "must have" in any suspense / horror / Hitchcock / classics movie collection, and a mandatory must see for all fans of all movies.

It rates a 10/10 for its absolute perfection, from...

the Fiend :.