Rebecca (1940) | |
| Director(s) | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Producer(s) | David O. Selznick |
| Top Genres | Drama, Film Adaptation, Film Noir, Mystery, Romance, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, England, Husband Wife, Psychological Thrillers, Romance (Drama) |
Featured Cast:
Rebecca Overview:
Rebecca (1940) was a Drama - Mystery Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick.
The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Daphne du Maurier published in 1938.
SYNOPSIS
Hitchcock's American debut was a smashing success, and an intriguing change of pace after his British murder mysteries. Here, Hitchcock takes a subtler, psychologically-based approach to the 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier, more akin to William Wyler's brooding Wuthering Heights (1939) than to the crime genre. Olivier meet shy, retiring Fontaine on vacation and soon marries her. When they settle at Olivier's estate, Fontaine discovers that Olivier's deceased first wife still rules the household through the servants (particularly a creepy housekeeper played by Anderson) and a looming portrait. Though Fontaine hears nothing but adulation for the dead woman, her true character is revealed when the remains of her boat wash to shore, making clear that the craft was intentionally sunk. Olivier then tells Fontaine of the torment his first wife made on his life, setting free his conscience as the housekeeper consumes his first wife's memory in the flames of the burning estate. The laserdisc edition include screen tests by Vivien Leigh, Anne Baxter, Loretta Young, and Fontaine for the lead; coverage of the 1940 Oscar ceremonies; trailers, radio broadcasts, production stills, and a second audio track that contains comment derived from interviews with Hitchcock.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
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Academy Awards 1940 --- Ceremony Number 13 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actor | Laurence Olivier | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Joan Fontaine | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Judith Anderson | Nominated |
| Best Art Direction | Lyle Wheeler | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | George Barnes | Won |
| Best Director | Alfred Hitchcock | Nominated |
| Best Film Editing | Hal C. Kern | Nominated |
| Best Music - Scoring | Franz Waxman | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Selznick International Pictures | Won |
| Best Writing | Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine live in the shadow of “Rebecca”
By Stephen Reginald on Oct 16, 2023 From Classic Movie ManLaurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine live in the shadow of “Rebecca” Rebecca (1940) is an American romantic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock—in his American directorial debut—and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. The screenplay was written by Robert E. She... Read full article
“Rebecca” casts a long shadow over Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine
By Stephen Reginald on Feb 25, 2021 From Classic Movie Man“Rebecca” casts a long shadow over Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine Rebecca (1940) is an American romantic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock—in his American directorial debut—and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. The screenplay was written by Robert E. ... Read full article
Classic Conversations: Two Award-Winning Costume Designers Re-Imagine ‘Rebecca’ and ‘West Side Story’
By Danny Miller on Nov 14, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub BlogAs classic movie lovers, we can be a very sensitive group when it comes to messing with our favorites. Even movies that seem to get a new version for each successive generation get severely criticized by those of us who are devotees of the originals. While Lady Gaga received a lot of acclaim... Read full article
book: Ghostwalk (2007) by Rebecca Stott
By John Grant on Aug 7, 2019 From NoirishA modern-day mystery rooted in the history of science — specifically in Isaac Newton’s Cambridge career, with the emphasis on his alchemical researches? Oh, yes. As you can imagine, this book had sold itself to me before I was halfway through the blurb’s first paragraph. And I wasn... Read full article
Rebecca Got a Bad Rep
By Judy on Jun 29, 2019 From Cary Grant Won't Eat You**Spoilers abound** Of all the femme fatales on film and in print, Rebecca may top them all. The woman isn?t even alive at the start of the book or the Hitchcock film that resulted from it, yet the narrator of the story is so haunted by her husband?s previous wife (and Du Maurier is so skilled at fr... Read full article
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Quotes from
Jack Favell: You know, old boy, I have a strong feeling... that before the day is out, somebody's going to make use of that... rather expressive, though somewhat old-fashioned term ''foul play.''
Mrs. Danvers: Go ahead. Jump. He never loved you, so why go on living? Jump and it will all be over...
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Facts about
Robert Donat was one of Alfred Hitchcock's choices for the character Maxim de Winter.
David O. Selznick wanted Olivia de Havilland to play the female lead, but was faced with insurmountable problems: she was already committed to Samuel Goldwyn for Raffles, Warner Bros. was being uncooperative about lending her out, and she was reluctant to accept the part because her sister, Joan Fontaine, was also under consideration for the part and her agent, Leland Hayward, was promoting his wife, Margaret Sullavan, for the role. Selznick also considered Loretta Young, Vivien Leigh, Anita Louise and Anne Baxter for the role, but felt that Young and Leigh were the wrong "type." He finally settled on Fontaine, but his staff disagreed with his decision because she was not yet an established star.
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