The Night of Hitch

Hitchcock’s first American production was a film adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel of the same title. Producer David O. Selznick ensured that the Master of Suspense kept strictly to Du Maurier’s storyline. Nevertheless, Rebecca turned out to be a typically tense Hitchcock production.

Mrs. De Winter – no first name is given – is the second wife of Maxim de Winter, a handsome aristocrat with extensive property, including the beautiful mansion Manderley. To her dismay, Mrs. de Winter finds that Manderley is haunted – is it the spirit of Rebecca, Maxim’s deceased, enchanting, first wife?

Rebecca was embraced by American audiences on release as a stylish romantic thriller. The British cast and mysterious absence of the title character give this novel adaptation just that little something extra that qualifies it as ‘typically Hitchcock’.

Preceded by scenes from other Hitchcock films such as Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window and Notorious.