Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock

A woman notices Maxim de Winter about to jump from a cliff and urges him not to. She is a paid companion for Edythe Van Hopper, who is obnoxious and extremely wealthy. In a hotel in Monte Carlo, Maxim de Winter meets the heroine and they fall in love. They get married after a short period of time and Edythe Van Hopper snobbishly informs her that she will never be a good wife. Maxim de Winter owns Manderley, an enormous mansion in England, and takes his newly wed wife there. She meets the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, who was a friend of Rebecca, Maxim’s past dead wife. Mrs. Danvers is shown to be obsessed with Rebecca, having preserved her old bedroom in the West Wing and is still convinced that Maxim is still in love with Rebecca. Everyone in Manderley forces the new Mrs. de Winter into the old habits of Rebecca and she copies Rebecca, deciding to host a costume ball. Mrs. Danvers manipulates Mrs. de Winter into wearing a beautiful dress from one of the family portraits in the hall. However, Rebecca wore that same dress at her last ball leaving Maxim upset. When Mrs. de Winter confronts her, Mrs. Danvers tells her that she will never be able to take Rebecca’s place and tries to convince her to kill herself. Suddenly, a boat is found with Rebecca’s body because of a shipwreck close by. Maxim reveals that his marriage to Rebecca was fake and that she pretended to be a good wife, fooling around with other men on the side. Rebecca told Maxim that she was pregnant with someone else’s baby and during their argument, she slipped and died. In fear that no one would believe him, Maxim hid the body in a boat and filled it with water to make it sink. He identified a different body as Rebecca’s. A new court case is started with the discovery of Rebecca’s body. Rebecca’s ex-lover, Jack threatens to blackmail Maxim with a note from Rebecca on the day she died. The police believe it was suicide and Mrs. de Winter tries to clear Maxim’s name. They investigate a doctor that Rebecca went to on her death day and the police prove that she was dying of cancer. Maxim is no longer a suspect and drives home. One he returns to Manderley, the estate is consumed with a fire set by Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers is killed by her own fire and Manderley is burned. Mrs. de Winter and Maxim are happily together while the ghost of Rebecca is engulfed in flames.

Laurence Oliver as Maxim de Winter

Maxim de Winter is a wealthy son living in the biggest estate in England. Her married Rebecca for social reasons, she was liked by all and everyone thought she was the perfect wife. He never loved her but loves the new Mrs. de Winter a lot. He is first seen in the movie about to jump off a cliff because of the guilt of not reporting Rebecca’s accidental death. However, Maxim has a quick temper, once at the court official and most times at Mrs. de Winter.

Joan Fontaine as Mrs. de Winter

Mrs. de Winter is extremely shy and plain. Almost the complete opposite of the social and stunning Rebecca de Winter. She tries not to upset Maxim multiple times and thinks of others before herself. Once a paid companion, she does not stand up for herself. She became a paid companion because her father died recently and her mother years before. The new Mrs. de Winter likes to sketch and is very modest about her drawings.

Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers

Mrs. Danvers is mysterious, sinister, and quiet. She is the head housekeeper in Manderley, and she has worked there since Maxim was a little boy. Mrs. Danvers, like most others, adored Rebecca de Winter. Therefore, when Maxim gets married to the new Mrs. de Winter, she dislikes her because she believes that she could never replace Rebecca.