I caught an airing of
Rebecca on TV the other afternoon. It's the first time I've watched the movie since reading its star Joan Fontaine's autobiography,
No Bed of Roses.
She describes how the big name British actors in the movie - Laurence Oliver, Judith Anderson, Gladys Cooper, George Sanders and Nigel Bruce - formed a clique that excluded her. When a surprise party was thrown for her 22nd birthday, the only Brit to attend (apart from Hitchcock himself) was Reginald Denny, who played estate manager Frank Crawley. Since he wasn't such a big name himself, presumably he too was excluded from the 'luvvy' club.
What a shame that these admirable actors were so petty.
Have you ever discovered something about an actor and then never felt the same again about watching their performances?
