Released – March, 1942 

Directed By - Michael Powell

Starring – Eric Portman (Lieutenant Hirth), Raymond Lovell (Lieutenant Kuhnecke), Niall MacGinnis (Vogel), Peter Moore (Kranz), Laurence Olivier (Johnny), Leslie Howard (Philip Armstrong Scott), Raymond Massey (Andy Brock).

Description – A World War II German U-boat has been damaged and stranded in Hudson Bay. Led by their fanatical commanding officer the survivors try to escape capture by crossing Canada with the hope of making it to the then neutral United States.

During the course of their trip they encounter a wide range of people, each of which have their own views of the war with most not too sympathic to the Nazi cause.

A very suspenseful drama with a satisfying final confrontation.

NOTABLE: This film won an Oscar for Best Writing Original Story, and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay. These awards are listed under the U.S. release title The Invaders.

Director Michael Powell used this film in an effort to “scare the pants off the Americans”, and bring them into the war.

The 49th Parallel runs along most of the United States and Canadian border.

This British production was the country’s top grossing film of the year.

Actors Olivier, Howard, and Massey worked for half their usual fee in order to help the war effort with this leading propaganda film.

49th Parallel – Criterion Collection

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Released – April, 1941 

Directed By - Alexander Korda

Starring – Vivien Leigh (Emma, Lady Hamilton), Laurence Olivier (Admiral Horatio Nelson), Alan Mowbray (Sir William Hamilton), Gladys Cooper (Lady Frances Nelson).

Description – A historical film drama that re-creates one of England’s great romantic scandals involving Admiral Horatio Nelson and the beautiful Lady Hamilton. Adding to the appeal of this romance is the casting of Hollywood’s legendary newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Olivier.

Emma, a former dance hall girl, marries Sir William Hamilton a widower who is much older than she. While not popular with upper-class London society, Emma does enjoy the status of being Lady Hamilton.

A chance meeting of Admiral Horatio Nelson leads to an affair. The older Sir William, while aware of the affair, decided to let his younger wife have her fling. However, the romance turns into much more than a brief fling. The resulting scandal rocked England.

NOTABLE: This film won the Oscar for Best Sound, Recording, and was nominated for three more; Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, and Best Effects, Special Effects.

This film was rumored to be Winston Churchill’s favorite and it is thought that he had viewed it over 80 times.

That Hamilton Woman- Criterion Collection

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Released – July, 1940 

Directed By - Robert Z. Leonard

Starring – Greer Garson (Elizabeth Bennet), Laurence Olivier (Fitzwilliam Darcy), Mary Boland (Mrs. Bennet), Edna May Oliver (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Maureen O’Sullivan (Jane Bennet).

Description – This classic Hollywood version of Jane Austen’s novel tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five unmarried daughters. 

Taking place in nineteenth-century England, this drama/comedy revolves around the efforts of Mrs. Bennet to find suitable husbands for her daughters.  However, pride, prejudice, and a great deal of misunderstandings make this both complicated and difficult.

NOTABLE: This picture won the Oscar for Best Art Direction, Black and White.

Comedic actor Phil Silvers screen-tested for a small role in this film without realizing it was just a practical joke by the films executives.

Clark Gable was the studio’s first choice to play the role of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Pride and Prejudice

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Released – April, 1940 

Directed By - Alfred Hitchcock

Starring – Laurence Olivier (Maxim de Winter), Joan Fontaine (The 2nd Mrs. de Winter), George Sanders (Jack Favell), Judith Anderson (Mrs. Danvers), Nigel Bruce (Major Giles Lacy).

Description – A psychological thriller directed by the master. A shy and naive young women (Joan Fontaine) meets and marries rich widower Maxim de Winter and moves into Manderlay his large country estate in Cornwall, England.

Once there she discovers that the lingering memories of her husbands first wife Rebecca, who was seemingly killed in a boating accident, seem to still have a hold of both her husband and his servants. It isn’t long before she begins to doubt her husbands account of what happened, and the continued ‘presence’ of Rebecca in the mansion begins to haunt her.

NOTABLE: This film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for another nine.  The two awards were for Best Picture, and Best Cinematography, Black and White; the other nominations were for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction, Black and White, Best Director, Best Effects, Special Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score, and Best Writing, Screenplay.

This was Director Alfred Hitchcock’s first American project.

Director Hitchcock loved to ‘walk through’ his pictures and can be seen walking past a phone booth used by George Sanders near the end of the film.

Just as in the original and popular Daphne du Maurier novel, The 2nd Mrs. dde Winter character had no first name.

Producer David O. Selznick, being unable to find what he considered the perfect location for the Manderlay estate, instead used a miniature model.

Personal Comment: This film is one of my favorite film noir movies, as well as one of my favorite Hitchcock films.

Enjoy Judith Anderson’s role as Mrs. Danvers; it is one of the most compelling in film history. In fact, the casting is this motion picture is flawless.

Rebecca

Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection (Lifeboat / Spellbound / Notorious / The Paradine Case / Sabotage / Young and Innocent / Rebecca / The Lodger)

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March, 1940 - In an effort to induce a genuine British atmosphere to his production of Rebecca, David O. Selznick hired Alfred Hitchcock to direct the film version of Daphne du Maurier's bestseller. This was Hitchcock's first Hollywood film, and it proved to be a winner. 

Laurence Olivier was cast as Maxim de Winter, the master of Manderley, and Joan Fontaine was chosen to play the new Mrs. de Winter. The selection of Fontaine was an interesting one. Although there was a list of better known actresses who had tested for the role, Hitchcock selected Fontaine based on her experiences living in the shadow of her older sister Olivia De Havilland.

Hitchcock believed the insecurities of that relationship would transfer beautifully into a role requiring a good deal of anxiety and self-doubt. He could not have been more correct, as Joan Fontaine would receive an Oscar nomination for her role.

The success of Rebecca proved to be the beginning of a remarkable directing career for Alfred Hitchcock.