Rebecca. 1940. USA. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. With Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson. 35mm. 130 min.
The new wife of a wealthy widower finds herself trapped in the shadow of her predecessor. Hitchcock declares, “Well, in preparatory stages of Rebecca, [producer David O.] Selznick insisted on testing every woman in town, known or unknown, for the lead in the picture. I think he really was trying to repeat the same publicity stunt he pulled in the search of Scarlett O’Hara. He talked all the big stars in town into doing tests for Rebecca. I found it a little embarrassing myself, testing women who I knew in advance were unsuitable for the part.”