"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."Last night it was treat-time on television with a biopic of Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca. As a teenager, I loved Rebecca; it was one of my favourite books - although my enthusiasm was possibly helped by the televised series, with Jeremy Brett as the is-he-really-horrid? Max de Winter.
I read others by du Maurier but none came close to the haunting of Rebecca.
Daphne du Maurier lived in Cornwall so there were frequent shots of wonderful crashing waves and deserted beaches, but quite apart from that the film was shot in the style of, I suppose, the fifties. With recreated Pathe news reports and wonderful American society parties with the ladies in fabulous gowns, drinking martini and chatting with Noel Coward, it was all quite delightful, dahling.
I didn't know that Daphne was bisexual ( that was the way it was described in the Radio Times); she herself said that she had the heart of a boy. Her first and truest love was for Ellen Doubleday, the wife of her American publisher. Ellen told her sadly that she couldn't love her 'like that'. Trying to get over Ellen's rebuff, Daphne embarked on a passionate affair with the actress, Gertrude Lawrence, who'd also had an affair with Daphne's father.
I don't know whether it was her struggle to repress her sexuality or the lack of a mother's love in her childhood, but she wasn't a jolly character. I think she only smiled twice during the film and certainly didn't laugh. I can't really relate to people who lack humour so the film didn't endear her to me.
But the film itself, oh yes. Just the way to spend a lovely Saturday evening. Sensual, beautiful, intelligent, informative - du Maurier had to go to America to defend herself against a charge of plagiarism - evocative, stylish: can you tell I enjoyed it?
5 comments:
I love that book. You're right, none of the others envoke quite the same reactions do they? What annoyed me about my copy of it was the introducury essay - very interesting and very informed, but I wish it had warned me at the beginning that it gave away the plot line!!
Interesting information on Du Maurier that I never knew about her. I always loved Rebecca too. I read it when I was in my gothic period...like the Brontes (Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre)...they all kind of fit together.
Yep, loved Rebecca. I just tore through it. The documentary sounds intriguing, though I think I did know she was bi.
Ah - I watched the wonderful black and white Olivier film version of Rebecca at the weekend.
Rainy afternoon telly doesn't get any better than that!
Yes, it's a great film and you've written a great description of it. I don't know that a modern woman could put up with the pompous Maxim de Winter, though!
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