Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca
This article considers the lengthy process of casting the unnamed female protagonist in the first film version of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca in light of the more general adaptation strategies employed by the filmmakers, particularly the independent producer David O. Selznick who was renowned for hi...
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| Language: | English |
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Presses universitaires de Rennes
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Revue LISA |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/13470 |
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| author | Milan Hain |
| author_facet | Milan Hain |
| author_sort | Milan Hain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article considers the lengthy process of casting the unnamed female protagonist in the first film version of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca in light of the more general adaptation strategies employed by the filmmakers, particularly the independent producer David O. Selznick who was renowned for his film versions of literary classics. Drawing on archival documents from the Selznick Collection at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, and on the surviving screen tests of several candidates for the main role, the author compares Fontaine’s screen tests with those of her most immediate “rivals” – Vivien Leigh, Anne Baxter, Margaret Sullavan and Loretta Young – and relates them to the vibrant exchange of opinions between Selznick and director Alfred Hitchcock for whom the film marked his Hollywood debut. Furthermore, the text notes how the casting of Joan Fontaine affected the characterization of the second Mrs. de Winter, or “I”, as she is often referred to. By integrating adaptation studies with star and performance studies, the article’s aim is to bring more nuance into the ongoing discussion of this canonical film and its historical relevance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-943481c11ae942b5a58bc66f9a9d02a4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1762-6153 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Presses universitaires de Rennes |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue LISA |
| spelling | doaj-art-943481c11ae942b5a58bc66f9a9d02a42025-01-06T09:03:33ZengPresses universitaires de RennesRevue LISA1762-61532021-11-011910.4000/lisa.13470Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of RebeccaMilan HainThis article considers the lengthy process of casting the unnamed female protagonist in the first film version of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca in light of the more general adaptation strategies employed by the filmmakers, particularly the independent producer David O. Selznick who was renowned for his film versions of literary classics. Drawing on archival documents from the Selznick Collection at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, and on the surviving screen tests of several candidates for the main role, the author compares Fontaine’s screen tests with those of her most immediate “rivals” – Vivien Leigh, Anne Baxter, Margaret Sullavan and Loretta Young – and relates them to the vibrant exchange of opinions between Selznick and director Alfred Hitchcock for whom the film marked his Hollywood debut. Furthermore, the text notes how the casting of Joan Fontaine affected the characterization of the second Mrs. de Winter, or “I”, as she is often referred to. By integrating adaptation studies with star and performance studies, the article’s aim is to bring more nuance into the ongoing discussion of this canonical film and its historical relevance.https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/13470Hollywooddu Maurier DaphneHitchcock Alfredstar systemRebeccaDavid O. Selznick |
| spellingShingle | Milan Hain Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca Revue LISA Hollywood du Maurier Daphne Hitchcock Alfred star system Rebecca David O. Selznick |
| title | Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca |
| title_full | Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca |
| title_fullStr | Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca |
| title_full_unstemmed | Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca |
| title_short | Looking for “I”: Casting the Unnamed Heroine in Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick’s Adaptation of Rebecca |
| title_sort | looking for i casting the unnamed heroine in alfred hitchcock and david o selznick s adaptation of rebecca |
| topic | Hollywood du Maurier Daphne Hitchcock Alfred star system Rebecca David O. Selznick |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/13470 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT milanhain lookingforicastingtheunnamedheroineinalfredhitchcockanddavidoselznicksadaptationofrebecca |