Cast List

Laurence Olivier - Maxim DeWinter
Joan Fontaine - Mrs. DeWinter
Judith Anderson - Mrs. Danvers
George Sanders - Jack Favell


Trivia


Director Alfred Hitchcock makes his trademark cameo walking past a phone booth where Favell is making a call at the end of the film.

It was the first Alfred Hitchcock film to be made in Hollywood.

Just as in the original novel, Mrs. de Winter has no first name.

It is the only Alfred Hitchcock film to ever receive the best picture Academy Award.

Hitchcock wanted to make the film years earlier but could not afford the rights.

Mrs Danvers is hardly ever seen walking; she seems to glide. Hitchcock wanted her to be seen solely from Joan Fontaine's character's anxious point of view, and this effect tied in with her fear about Mrs Danvers appearing anytime unexpectedly.

Vivien Leigh, Loretta Young and Anne Baxter read for the role of the new Mrs. DeWinter.

Because Laurance Olivier wanted Vivien Leigh for the part, whom he was romantically involved with, he treated Joan Fontaine horribly.

Hitchcock told Fontaine that besides Olivier, everyone on set disliked her which made her uneasy and shy around everyone, just what Hitchcock wanted for her performance.

Goofs

Crew or equipment visible: Camera dollying back from Mrs. de Winter sitting on a chair brushes some flowers on a table.

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When The Second Mrs. de Winter and Maxim marry, he gives her a large bunch of flowers. She repeats "Perfectly lovely", but the second time, her lips do not move.

Continuity: After the luncheon, de Winter and "I" are standing on the steps waving goodbye, Jasper the dog moves from one side of the steps to the other between shots.

Continuity: When the new Mrs. De Winter first enters the room to do her correspondence, there are three books on the table. An establishing shot shows that the book on the left is labeled "menus", and the one in the center is labeled "addresses". Mrs. de Winter picks up the one on the left, and it is now revealed in a close-up to read "addresses" on the cover.

Continuity: Frank's hand holding the letter jumps from in front of the filing cabinet to resting on top of it.

Continuity: During the dining scene after the second Mrs. de Winter knocks over the vase, the neckline of her blouse goes from untidy to perfectly neat between shots.

Revealing mistakes: Walking back from the beach, the background moves much more quickly than the characters.

Continuity: In the Monte-Carlo Hotel Lounge, the 'girl' and Mrs Van Hopper are having coffee. The 'girl's' coffee cup then a newspaper are in her right hand between shots without sufficient time or obvious motion to change them.

Continuity: When Jack Favell is at the castle and meets the new Mrs De Winters, the window is up to his hips. Then he jumps into the room, and when he jumps out again the window is just above his knees. The window became about 2 feet shorter.

Errors in geography: George is driving on the left-hand side of the road outside Monte Carlo.

Continuity: The second Mrs. De Winter follows Jasper to the cottage. When she sees Jasper, he is standing up, barking in front of the door. She approaches the door and the dog is now lying to one side.



(Courtesy of IMDB.Com)



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© 2008 Shannon Lewis