It is hitchcock s first american film, released in 1940, as he was brought from britain by producer david selznick a few years earlier to direct the piece here. Johnny jones is an action reporter on a new york newspaper. Alfred joseph hitchcock was born in leytonstone, essex, england. The house across the bay 3140 archie mayo joan bennett, george raft, lloyd nolan, gladys george. Adapted from the bestselling novel rebecca by daphne dumaurier. A life in darkness and light 2003 by patrick mcgilligan. By 1939 hitchcock was a filmmaker of international importance, and film producer david o. Gary cooper rejected the starring role although he regretted later and is hired a secondclass actor, joel mccrea, of whom hitch says to be pretty soft. Directed by alfred hitchcock, it was his first american project, and his first film produced under contract with david o. This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total. Imposter and personal history is a 1940 american spy thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock. Foreign correspondent, american spy film, released in 1940, that was a classic thriller directed by alfred hitchcock, his second hollywood production. His direction is filled with intriguing shots in shadows and faces lit in dim light just so beautifully. A string of successful films followed, including rebecca 1940, foreign correspondent 1940, suspicion 1941, shadow of a doubt 1943, and notorious 1946.
An analysis of alfred hitchcock s thriller, rebecca. Hitchcock s first american film and his only best picture winner, rebecca is a masterpiece of haunting atmosphere, gothic thrills, and gripping suspense. The following resources provide further information. Alfred hitchcock list of movies and tv shows tv guide. This is, essentially, hitchcock s first true masterpiece. Selznick and alfred hitchcock s drama rebecca at radio city music hall in new york.
Jasper the dog moves from one side of the steps to the other between shots. Rebecca is a 1940 american psychological thrillermeestery film. Romance becomes psychodrama in the elegantly crafted rebecca, alfred hitchcock s first foray into hollywood filmmaking. Everyone who loves film knows the opening words of rebecca, that astonishing mixture of emotional hothouse and freezer that was hitchcock s first american film. The essentials collection including rear window, vertigo, north by northwest, psycho and the birds. You have to remember that this movie was made in 1940. An analysis of alfred hitchcocks thriller, rebecca huffpost. Five of the most iconic films from the master of suspense are available together in alfred hitchcock. Rebecca is a 1940 american romantic psychological thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock. It was hitchcocks first american project, and his first film under contract with producer david o. The legendary alfred hitchcock is recognized for directing some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking films of all time. She and maxim fall in love, get married and return to manderley, his large country estate in cornwall. It tells the story of an american reporter who tries to expose enemy spies in britain who are involved in a fictional continentwide conspiracy in the prelude to world war ii.
Rebecca is a 1940 film directed by alfred hitchcock. Alfred hitchcock rebecca 1940 film rebecca is a 1940 american romantic psychological thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock. American reporter johnny jones played by joel mccrea is assigned to be his newspapers foreign correspondent just prior to the start of world war ii. Maxim is still troubled by the death of his wife, rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. Alfred hitchcock s first hollywood film and the only hitchcock feature to win the academy award for best picture, rebecca is one of those films that holds up wonderfully across repeat viewings. Since criterion has recently released rebecca on bluray, in a stunning new transfer, we decided to delve into this haunting film which proved so pivotal in hitchcock s career. Foreign correspondent film foreign correspondent a. It was hitchcock s first american project, and his first film under contract with producer david o. Jones first assignment is to get the inside story on a secret treaty agreed between two european countries by the famous diplomat, mr. I still have a lot of hitchcock films to catch up with, but so far i havent seen one i disliked. Alfred hitchcock directed rebecca 1940 with an eye for gorgeous shots down long hallways in that manderly mansion. Hitchcock movies and series in english, german, french. Classic alfred hitchcock film starring laurence olivier and joan fontaine where a selfconscious bride is tormented by the memory of her husbands dead first. As tells hitchcock in the famous dialog with francois truffaut, this is a b film though in big budget, a thriller plenty of adventures and action.
Selznick and alfred hitchcock had a tumultuous, yet respectful relationship which produced classic films like spellbound 1945 and rebecca 1940. Rebecca 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Filmography of alfred hitchcock includes topgrossing films like rebecca, vertigo, psycho, notorious 1946 and the birds 1963. Danvers and discovers that rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at manderley. A selfconscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrats wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wifes spectral presence. The film was adapted by hume cronyn with a screenplay by arthur laurents. The british film industrys loss was hollywoods gain, as rebecca 1940 made abundantly clear. Without ever being physically present or having a line in the film, rebeccas strange influence over everyone dominates the film in a way only hitchcock could have pulled off. Alfred hitchcock found contentment in sv by marion dale pokriots scotts valley historical society alfred hitchcock. He received his first nomination for the academy award for best director, and the film won best picture. Director archie mayo and photographer merritt gerstad do an excellent job the three prison meeting scenes are marvelously staged with help from assistant directors charles kerr and alfred hitchcock. Foreign correspondent film by hitchcock 1940 britannica. In 1940, alfred hitchcock made his first film in hollywood under the watchful eye of behemoth producer david o. Boasting a superb cast the thenunproven joan fontaine was the big gamble, but her performance now outshines laurence oliviers.
Rope is a 1948 american psychological crime thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock, based on the 1929 play of the same name by patrick hamilton. Du mauriers novel rebecca was a property selznick had acquired at great cost to follow his production of gone with the wind 1939, and the read more. Directit bi alfred hitchcock, it wis his first american project, an his first film produced unner contract wi david o. Only one of alfred hitchcock s films won the academy award for best picture. With a wonderful storyline, and a very surprising ending, rebecca well deserves the title as the only of hitchcock s films to win the oscar for best picture. The story, in itself, is a mysterious narrative taken from the successful fictional. In 1940, the hitchcock family moved to hollywood, where the producer david o. I love the few close up shots hitchcock used for emphasis and emotion. Sherwood and joan harrison, and adaptation by philip macdonald and michael hogan, were based on the 1938 novel of. In 1940 hitchcock transitioned to hollywood productions, the first of which was the psychological thriller rebecca starring laurence olivier and joan fontaine. The film was produced by hitchcock and sidney bernstein as the first of their transatlantic pictures productions. With laurence olivier, joan fontaine, george sanders, judith anderson. Rebecca is a 1940 american psychological thrillermystery film. Trailer from the movie rebecca 1940 the life of laura ingalls wilder tribute little house on the prairie tv show theme song duration.
The film won the academy award for best picture of 1940 and it is the only film directed by hitchcock to win that prestigious accolade. The film is a hitchcockian fairy tale combined with gothic romance. After a brief lull of commercial success in the late 1940s, hitchcock returned to form with strangers on a train 1951 and dial m for murder 1954. Rebecca film from wikimedia commons, the free media repository. His parents were both of half english and half irish ancestry. Alfred hitchcock 18991980 was an english director and filmmaker. However some of his films like the paradine case 1947 and under capricorn 1949 failed to make an impact at boxoffice. The editor appoints him european correspondent because he is fed up with the dry, reports he currently gets. Selznick had hired him to direct an adaptation of daphne du mauriers rebecca 1940. On march 28, 1940, united artists unveiled david o. Sherwood and joan harrison, and adaptation by philip macdonald and michael hogan. Alfred hitchcock full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. A hitchcock film is an organism, with the whole implied in every detail and every detail related to the whole.
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