30 Years of Brilliance: 1930-1959
Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine
Rebecca is a psychological thriller made in 1940 by Alfred Hitchcock, and stars Laurence Olivier as the wealthy Maxim de Winter, Joan Fontaine as the second Mrs de Winter, and Judith Anderson as the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. The film received a total of 11 Academy Award nominations including Olivier, Fontaine and Anderson for their respective roles and won two - Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
It is somewhat surprising that despite his long, fruitful career, and despite several subsequent nominations, only 'Rebecca', his first American film, earned Alfred Hitchcock an Academy Award for Best Picture. Then again, that may say more about the persuasive power of producer David O. Selznick. Hot from the success of the 1939 film 'Gone with the Wind', Selznick seized the opportunity to work with Hitchcock, pairing the director with Daphne Du Maurier's wonderful 1938 gothic ghost story of the same name.
Working with a big budget, Hitchcock transformed the Manderley mansion into a character unto itself-later the inspiration for the imposing Xanadu in 'Citizen Kane'. The palatial sesaide estate is the atmospheric setting for the strained romance between Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier. He's a wealthy widower wooing the innocent Fontaine, and she never questions her good fortune in finding such a loving man. they marry after a whirlwind romance, but as their relationship deepens, Fontaine is haunted more and more by the spirit of his dead wife - Rebecca. Is the haunting merely a figment of her imagination, or the fruits of paranoia, or is a more nefarious fore at work? And what, if anything, does the suspicious servant Mrs Danvers (Judith Anderson) who always seems to be hovering near the nerve-racked Fontaine, have to do with the strange goings-on?
'Rebecca' marked Hitchcock's auspicious arrival in America. In fact, at the Oscars the film ironically beat out Hitchcock's final British picture, 'Foreign Correspondent'. All his artistic traits were used to full effect: there's the murky, mysterious earlier history, the barely contained suspicions, the fairy-tale romance doomed by the encroaching past, and, of course, the looming spectre of foul play.
'Rebecca' does lack some of Hitchcock's trademark playfulness, although he makes his customary cameo appearance near the end when he is seen outside a phone box. The general absence of humor is due in no small part to the unremittingly gloomy, gothic nature of Du Maurier's melodramatic novel. Innocent Fontaine is nearly driven to madness by the lingering secrets of Manderley, but Hitchcock is more than happy to let the tension build and build toward the haunting conclusion.
'Rebecca' has a wonderful storyline with a very surprising ending, and it is magnificently played by a wonderfully talented cast. It is not the most famous of Hitchcock's films, but it is his first masterpiece.
Contact Us
For comments, suggestions, or
link exchanges please email:
enquiries@hollywoodsgoldenage.com
