Main Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Squire, George Dolenz
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton star in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel. In a reversal of Jane Eyre, it is the hero who arrives at the home of a mysterious woman. Rachel (de Havilland) is the widow of a Cornish man of property (John Sutton), who died in suspicious circumstances. Philip Ashley Burton is the dead man's cousin, who in probing his relative's demise immediately suspects Rachel -- and goes on suspecting her even after he falls in love with her. Going against the inheritance laws of the era, Burton turns over his cousin's estate to Rachel, but she refuses his entreaties of marriage. He soon falls ill, and it is whispered that Rachel has poisoned him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton are the dramatic mainstays of this classic 1950s drama, based on a popular novel by Daphne du Maurier. Set in Victorian England, it centers on a mysterious woman whose British husband has died after marrying her in Italy. She returns to England, and her relationship with the man's foster son involves conflicting emotions of attraction, repulsion, and suspicion. Cinematographer Joseph La Shelle and Burton were nominated for Oscars. Screenwriter Nunnally Johnson and director Henry Koster cooked up a potboiler that, unfortunately, was not resolved to the satisfaction of many critics. Stellar acting and production values nonetheless carried the film. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
John Sutton - Ambrose Ashley; Tudor Owen - Seecombe; Margaret Brewster - Mrs. Pascoe; Alma Lawton - Mary Pascoe; Ola Lorraine - Pascoe Daughter; Kathleen Mason - Pascoe Daughter; Argentina Brunetti - Signora; Mario Siletti - Caretaker; Lumsden Hare - Tamblyn; Trevor Ward - Lewin; Nicholas Koster - Philip, age 10; Robin Camp - Philip, age 15; Victor Wood - Foreman; J.M. Kerrigan - Rev. Pascoe; Earl Robie - Philip at Age 5; James Fairfax - Servant; George Plues - Coachman; Bruce Payne - Groom
When Philip Ashley's (Burton) much-loved (and rich) cousin Ambrose (Sutton) dies, he is convinced that Ambrose was murdered by his new wife Rachel (de Havilland) to inherit his wealth. But when he meets Rachel and falls in love with her, he knows that his suspicions must have been unfounded. But were they, or is it Rachel just trying to use Philip to get at the estate Ambrose left to him instead of her? And will she murder him next?
As of August 2008, the film has yet to be officially released to any home video format. It shows up on television networks such as AMC, Cinemax, and Fox Movie Channel on occasion, and many bootleg videos and DVDs have been taken from these broadcasts.
