Wrong Men & Notorious Women: Five Hitchcock Thrillers 1935–1946
Starring Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Claude Rains, and Cary Grant, these five acclaimed films bridge Hitchcock’s early British masterworks to his triumphant American collaborations with producer David O. Selznick, and present the legendary director at his unparalleled best, creating films which are exemplars of suspense and cinematic virtuosity.
Details by Film
The Lady Vanishes
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The 39 Steps
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Rebecca
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Spellbound
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Notorious
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The 39 Steps
The best known of Hitchcock's British films, this civilized spy yarn follows the escapades of Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), who stumbles into a conspiracy that involves him in a hectic chase across the Scottish moors-a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued. Adapted from John Buchan's novel, this classic Hitchcock "wrong man" thriller encapsulates themes that anticipate the director's biggest American films (especially North by Northwest), and is a standout among his early works.
Rebecca
“Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” Rebecca’s haunting opening line conjures the entirety of Hitchcock’s romantic, suspenseful, elegant film. A young woman (Joan Fontaine) believes her every dream has come true when her whirlwind romance with the dashing Maxim de Winter culminates in marriage. But she soon realizes that Rebecca, the late first Mrs. de Winter, haunts both the temperamental, brooding Maxim and the de Winter mansion, Manderley. In order for Maxim and the new Mrs. de Winter to have a future, Rebecca’s spell must be broken and the mystery of her violent death unraveled. The first collaboration between producer David O. Selznick and Hitchcock, Rebecca was adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s popular novel and won the 1940 Academy Award™ for Best Picture and Cinematography (Black and White).
Spellbound
Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a psychiatrist with a firm understanding of human nature—or so she thinks. When the mysterious Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck) becomes the new chief of staff at her institution, the bookish and detached Constance plummets into a whirlwind of tangled identities and feverish psychoanalysis, where the greatest risk is to fall in love. A transcendent love story replete with taut excitement and startling imagery, Spellbound is classic Hitchcock, featuring stunning performances, an Academy Award®-winning score by Miklos Rozsa, and a captivating dream sequence by Surrealist icon Salvador Dalí.
Notorious
In Notorious, a brilliant allegory of love and betrayal, Hitchcock fuses two of his favorite elements: suspense and romance. A beautiful woman with a tainted past (Ingrid Bergman) is enlisted by American agent Devlin (Cary Grant) to spy on a ring of Nazis in post-war Rio. Her espionage work becomes life-threatening after she marries the most debonair of the Nazi ring, Alex (Claude Rains). Only Devlin can rescue her, but to do so he must face his role in her desperate situation and acknowledge that he’s loved her all along. Stunning performances, Ben Hecht’s excellent script, and Hitchcock’s direction at its best make Notorious a perfect film.
The Lady Vanishes
In this best-loved of Hitchcock's British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.
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Supplements
- Audio commentary featuring film historian Bruce Eder
- Audio commentary by Alfred Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane
- Commentary by film scholar Leonard Leff, author of Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood
- Commentary by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane
- Audio commentary by film scholar Marian Keane
- Restoration demonstration
- Complete broadcast of the 1937 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, starring Ida Lupino and Robert Montgomery
- Isolated music and effects track
- "A Nightmare Ordered by Telephone," an in-depth, illustrated essay on the Salvador Dali-designed dream sequence by James Bigwood
- Audio commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer
- Insert featuring essay by Michael Wilmington
- The Art of Film: Vintage Hitchcock, a Janus Films documentary detailing the director's British period
- Rare screen, hair, makeup and costume tests including Vivien Leigh, Anne Baxter, Loretta Young, Margaret Sullavan, and Joan Fontaine
- Excerpts from a 1973 audio interview with composer Miklos Rozsa
- Complete broadcast of the 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, starring Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten
- Excerpts from the original 1935 press book
- Alfred Hitchcock on Rebecca, excerpts from his conversations with François Truffaut
- Complete 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation starring Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli
- Rare production, publicity, and rear projection photos, as well as promotional posters and lobby cards
- Original production design drawings
- Phone interviews with stars Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson from 1986
- The Fishko Files: a WNYC/New York Public Radio piece on the theremin
- Production correspondence
- Insert featuring an essay by Marian Keane
- Hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos chronicling the film
- Hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos and documents chronicling the film's production, from set photos to ads, posters, and publicity material
- Collection of trailers and teasers
- Production correspondence and casting notes
- Theatrical trailer
- Script excerpts of deleted scenes and alternate endings
- Deleted scene script excerpts
- Booklet featuring essays by noted Hitchcock scholars Lesley Brill (The Hitchcock Romance) and Leonard Leff (Hitchcock and Selznick)
- Excerpts from the short story
- 1939 test screening questionnaire
- Rare newsreel footage of Ingrid Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock
- Essay on Rebecca author Daphne du Maurier
- Insert featuring an essay by William Rothman
- Footage from the 1940 13th Annual Academy Awards
- Re-issue trailer
- 1938 Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre broadcast, including an interview with Daphne du Maurier
- 1941 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast starring Ronald Colman and Ida Lupino, including an interview with David O. Selznick
- 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh
- A 22-page booklet, including liner notes by Robin Wood, author of Hitchcock's Films and Hitchcock's Films Revisited, and George Turner's essay "Du Maurier + Selznick + Hitchcock = Rebecca"
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Release Notes on Restoration
The soundtrack for Rebecca was restored and preserved from the original 35mm nitrate optical soundtrack negative, a 35mm acetate dupe negative, and a 35mm magnetic music and effects master. New 35mm magnetic analog masters and DA-88 digital masters were created utilizing Sonic Solutions noise reduction software.
The soundtrack for Spellbound was restored and preserved from an original 35mm nitrate print in the collection of the Academy Film Archive, and David O. Selznick's 35mm acetate print. 35mm acetate track positives of the "Overture" and "Exit" music were preserved by The Museum of Modern Art. New 35mm magnetic analog masters and DA-88 digital masters were created utilizing Sonic Solutions noise reduction software.
The soundtrack for Notorious was restored and preserved from a 1954 35mm acetate release print, a 35mm fine-grain master, and a 35mm nitrate optical music & effects track positive. New 35mm magnetic analog masters and DA-88 digital masters were created utilizing Sonic Solutions noise reduction software.