Rebecca

The only Hitchcock film to ever win Best Picture, 1940's Rebecca, based on Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel, stars Joan Fontaine as an ingénue who marries widower Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) after a whirlwind courtship, and finds herself overwhelmed not only by the responsibilities that accompany great wealth, but also by the menacing presence of Mrs. Danvers (played with sinister relish by Judith Anderson), chief housekeeper of the vast Manderley estate, who remains fanatically devoted to de Winter's late wife, the mysterious Rebecca. Suspenseful, romantic, luminous, Hitchcock's first Hollywood effort is presented here in a lavish double-disc set, with the first disc sporting a pristine new digital transfer of the film with an option to listen to Leonard J. Leff's somewhat drearily scholarly commentary, and the second loaded with extras, including: fascinating screen tests with Fontaine and other actresses who auditioned for the lead (Olivier's beau Vivien Leigh [definitely wrong for the part], Anne Baxter, Loretta Young and Margaret Sullivan); phones interviews with Fontaine and Anderson; hundreds of images--from behind-the-scenes photos to posters; deleted scenes (script-only); and three complete radio adaptations (1938, 1941 and 1950). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Feb. 14, 2012—MGM, 131 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1940's Rebecca sports a fine transfer and a DTS-HD mono soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by film critic Richard Schickel, a “making-of” featurette (28 min.), “The Gothic World of Daphne Du Maurier” on the author (19 min.), screen tests (9 min.), radio plays, Hitchcock audio interviews, an isolated music and effects track, and trailers. Bottom line: a beloved Hitchcock classic shines on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Sept. 5, 2017—Criterion, 2 discs, 130 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1940's Rebecca features a fine transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary by film scholar Leonard J. Leff, the 2016 French TV documentary “Daphne Du Maurier: In the Footsteps of Rebecca” (55 min.), a 1975 TV interview with director Alfred Hitchcock by Tom Snyder on NBC's Tomorrow (44 min.), screen tests (42 min.), a 2007 “making-of” featurette (28 min.), a conversation with author Molly Haskell and film scholar Patricia White (25 min.), a 1986 telephone interview with star Joan Fontaine (20 min.), a visual effects featurette (18 min.), a 1980 Tomorrow TV appearance by Fontaine (17 min.), a 1986 telephone interview with costar Judith Anderson (10 min.), lighting and makeup tests (4 min.), costume tests (3 min.), an optional isolated music and effects track, a casting gallery, three radio versions (from 1938, 1941, and 1950), and a booklet. Bottom line: an excellent edition of this Hitchcock classic.]