Revealing mistake: The first morning the new Mrs De Winter is at Manderley, she goes to have breakfast, but when she attempts to pour milk into her coffee, there's no milk in the jug; she's just pretending to pour it.
Rebecca (1940)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Laurence Olivier, George Sanders, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson
Maxim is acquitted of murdering Rebecca when he, Colonel Julyan, Jack Favell and Frank Crawley track down the doctor Rebecca had secretly seen, in London, prior to her death. The doctor told them that Rebecca had terminal cancer that would have killed her in a few months, and she would have been on morphia not long after he'd seen her and given her the bad news. He remembered that when he told her she'd be dead in a few months, she said, "Oh, no, Doctor, not that long," so her death was assumed to be suicide. Mrs. Danvers, in a fit of despair, after Jack phoned her and gave her the bad news, sets fire to Manderlay. Mrs Danvers had said that Rebecca told her everything, but this cancer she kept to herself. Mrs de Winter says to Maxim, as they watch Manderlay fall to the fire, "Mrs Danvers, she's gone mad. She said she'd rather destroy Manderlay than see us happy here."
Celeste Harmer
More mistakes in Rebecca
Maxim de Winter: Please promise me never to wear black satin or pearls... or to be 36 years old.
Trivia: When George Sanders pokes his head in the car window where the girl is, alone, he says "Marriage with Maxim is not exactly a bed of roses." Joan Fontaine, who played the girl, called her autobiography "No Bed of Roses."
Question: While the De Winters are watching their honeymoon photos, the girl says "I suppose that's why you married me, because you knew I was dull and gauche and inexperienced, and there would never be any gossip about me." Maxim stops the film and, looking like death, says "Gossip! What do you mean?" She says "I don't know. Don't look at me like that. What's the matter? What have I said?" Maxim says "It wasn't a very attractive thing to say, was it?" She says "No. It was rude, hateful." Now, why did she say that? And why did Maxim say what he said? All she said was "There won't be any gossip about me." What's the problem with that?
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Chosen answer: Maxim was previously married (unhappily) to Rebecca, who died tragically and under rather mysterious (and suspicious) circumstances, sparking rumors. Maxim thinks his new wife is referring to that, but she knows nothing about it and was only making an innocent remark, unaware of the rumors. The "rude, hateful" part probably refers to the "dull and gauche and inexperienced" comment - she probably thinks that is what caused his reaction, rather than the "gossip" comment, given she doesn't know the rumors. She is very young and naive and feels inadequate as the wife of a wealthy man. Maxim is older, intimidating her somewhat, and she was confused by his angry outburst.
raywest ★