Home video
- The Master’s gothic classic has an enigmatic and complicated home video history
- Various iterations are scattered across four decades of releases on every format
- In all, two separate versions have been issued – and in many different transfers
- Exactly which one is on each release is a mystery long unsolved – until now
- Bootlegs: hordes of pirates have sailed in to scupper Mrs. de Winter’s craft
- Shoddy discs and downloads are no way to enjoy the movie’s lush visuals
- Stick to the gorgeous official releases, many rich with fascinating extras
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Rebecca: Writing on a Classic; Collectors Guide, Part 2: Production, 3: Home video, 4: 1956 re-release and bootlegs, 5: Soundtrack and radio, 6: Remakes
French 1977 re-release poster by Boris Grinsson for Les Acasias. At the beginning of Dites-lui que je l’aime (Tell her I love her aka This Sweet Sickness), the stars are watching Rebecca in a cinema and as they exit, this poster is clearly visible above the entrance alongside one of Hitch.
Contents
1990 preservation
Rebecca is a tale whose protagonist is seen throughout but never named, whereas the shadowy titular character is constantly referred to by name but never seen. A clever irony. Similarly with the film itself, its many transfers and home video iterations are continually seen but never properly named and contextualised. Until now. Here, for the first time, is a complete rundown of every official home video release with the many faces of Rebecca finally revealed.
Note that the four Selznick-related films directed by Hitch – Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious and The Paradine Case – are often packaged together due to their current shared ownership and none are officially available on streaming anywhere. The only legit options are physical home video, and TV and cinema screenings.
Prior to 2008, a preserved print of the 1956 theatrical re-release, with redesigned and reworded credits, was the only version of Rebecca seen on TV and all home video formats – with the exception of Criterion’s US releases. The first quality transfer of the original 1940 version arrived via their 1990 triple-LaserDisc box set (LDDb) which, according to the liner notes, “was transferred from a 35mm fine grain master print. The sound was recorded from a 35mm optical negative soundtrack.” It features a huge selection of extras including 45 minutes of screen tests, with an audio commentary and sleeve essay by Leonard J. Leff, author of Hitchcock and Selznick: Their Rich and Strange Collaboration in Hollywood (1987/1999). It was reissued later that same year, with side four blank and dropping the extras disc, thus retaining only the commentary. As mentioned previously, even more contextual material was to be found on 1995’s innovative The Rebecca Project CD-Rom but all three releases were merely stepping stones…
1999 restoration
“Rebecca is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The picture was restored and preserved from the original 35mm nitrate camera negative, a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master, and a 35mm nitrate print. A newly printed 35mm fine-grain master was used for the digital film-to-tape transfer. Inherent film artefacts were corrected in video with MTI Digital Restoration System. The soundtrack 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.”
- Criterion 2-DVD (2001), also in 6-DVD Wrong Men and Notorious Women: Five H Thrillers 1935–1946
All four of the Hitch-Selznicks were restored in 1999 but the newly retooled Rebecca was only released in the States. Aside from the incorrectly windowboxed credits, it’s a huge leap over all previous releases. Criterion’s double DVD carries over all their LaserDisc extras and more, apart from Leff’s essay, but has a 24-page booklet with a new essay by critic Robin Wood who, despite penning the hugely influential Hitchcock’s Films/Revisited (1965/1989), was not the biggest fan of his British output – boo, hiss! The booklet also includes cinematographer George E. Turner’s essential article on all aspects of the production but, most significantly, composer Franz Waxman’s Oscar nominated score is now highlighted via an isolated music and effects track which has been included on all restored US releases since. It’s showcased in this clip with a cue entitled, appropriately enough, Rebecca’s Room.
2008 remaster
Rebecca took another step up with MGM’s remastered 2008 DVD sporting a superior digital clean-up of the 1999 restoration. By far and away the best release to this point, it features the cream of Criterion’s extras, including that all-important isolated score, along with a host of new ones. With the exception of some photo galleries, all the extras were carried over to MGM’s superlative BD which is region 0, unlike the region 1-locked DVD. Meanwhile, the two Brazilian DVD sets have 93 and 130 minutes of extras pertaining to Rebecca and their other films, and the Japanese discs are barebones.
- US: MGM DVD (2008), also in 3-DVD MGM 90th Anniversary and 8-DVD AH Premiere Collection/warning
- MGM BD (2012), also in 3-BD AH: The Classic Collection
- Brazil: Versátil 2-DVD/3-film Coleção AH/alt (2022), also in 3-DVD/6-film O Cinema de H/alt | info
- Japan: Media Disc BD and DVD (2014)
2017 restoration
“This new digital transfer was created in 16-bit 4k resolution on a Lasergraphics Director Film scanner at Motion Picture Imaging in Burbank, California, from the 35mm nitrate original camera negative. Digital restoration was undertaken by the Motion Picture Imaging Group. The soundtrack was remastered from the original soundtrack negative at Chace [video] by Deluxe in Burbank and restored by Disney Digital Studio Services. Additional restoration was performed by the Criterion Collection using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.” – restoration notes
Now Showing: worldwide screenings
- US: Criterion 2-BD and 2-DVD (2017)
- France: Carlotta Films BD and DVD (2018), also in 4-BD/1-DVD and 5-DVD AH: Les Années Selznick
- Czech Republic: Art4film. BD/alt–alt (2019)
- Brazil: Versátil BD/DVD (2021) info, featurette
Most recently, a new restoration was unveiled that looks and sounds absolutely magnificent, improving over the 2008 in all expected areas: detail, grain, contrast and overall audio fidelity. Additionally, it corrects the slight vertical stretching seen on all previous releases. However, for me it still doesn’t trump the 2008 remaster in every respect. The latest transfer is differently framed, gaining a sliver more information on the top and bottom but losing a substantial chunk from both sides. Additionally, I find it simply too dark in comparison; the 2008 is brighter overall, revealing a lot more shadow detail. Dimmer visuals certainly suit the gothic atmosphere but it’s also nice to be able to see exactly what’s going on without having to jack up the display’s brightness. I’m really nitpicking here though, as both look sumptuous and everyone will have their own preference.
Even among the restored transfer’s releases there are further differences, as Criterion have carried out their near-customary post-processing on the original files. Most notably, they’ve reduced the grain slightly, smoothing out the image a little but resulting in the minutest loss of detail when seen under the microscope. All other labels use the unaltered original. Ultimately, how wonderful it is that we get to choose between four (and a half!) quality transfers of one of the Master’s greatest films.
Among the available editions of this transfer, Criterion aces it with a stacked main disc, a whole second disc of extras and a 40-page booklet. Note that though Criterion’s latest discs have far more extras than their previous releases, they do drop a few from their first DVD but add a third essay by critic David Thomson. Among the many books he’s authored are Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick (1993), The Moment of Psycho: How Hitchcock Taught America to Love Murder (2009) and Great Stars: Ingrid Bergman (2009). The French BD, with optional French subtitles, also has a very generous selection with some exclusives. In the deluxe box set version, limited to 3,000 units of each format, there are the other three films, an extra DVD of supplements including several documentaries, and a beautiful 300-page hardback book.
One documentary, the French-made Daphne du Maurier: Sur les traces de Rebecca (In the Footsteps of Rebecca, 2017, 57min), is narrated accordingly in either French or English and available on all bar the Czech BD. It’s also occasionally screened on Arte with French or German audio and various subtitles. The lavish Brazilian dual format set has over four hours of previously released extras and looks to pretty much equal the Criterion. Lastly, the region 0 Czech disc keeps it comparatively simple with a trailer and gallery although initial copies added a thick illustrated booklet.
Many will already have one of the previous releases with more than enough extras for all but the most obsessive, or simply don’t desire them. If you’re just after the new transfer without ponying up for the expensive Criterion, or are region B-locked, the French single discs are the way to go: they regularly sell for as little as €4-5!
So there you have it: for each of the Selznick-Hitches there is a literal handful of restored BDs – at most – for each title. The market could certainly stand some more and they could almost all be improved upon. Firstly, and obviously I’m biased here, we could do with releases of all four titles in the great man’s home country. They would have to come from still-current licensees Fremantle to upgrade their earlier DVD box sets.
Screenshots
Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier; French Carlotta Blu-ray
There are many useful comparison shots available, courtesy of the invaluable Hitchcock Zone, Caps-a-holic, DVDClassik (BD set and DVD reviews) and those below.
US discs – DVDs: Anchor Bay, Criterion Collection, MGM | BDs: MGM, Criterion
- Olivier: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Car: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Note: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Trio: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Bedroom: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Duo: AB, CC, MGM | MGM, CC
- Olivier #2: | MGM, CC
- Carey: | MGM, CC
- Fontaine: | MGM, CC
- Fontaine #2: | MGM, CC
- Sanders: | MGM, CC
- Anderson: | MGM, CC
- Duo #2: | MGM, CC
- Duo #3: | MGM, CC
Rebecca: Writing on a Classic; Collectors Guide, Part 2: Production, 3: Home video, 4: 1956 re-release and bootlegs, 5: Soundtrack and radio, 6: Remakes
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This is part of a unique, in-depth series of 150-odd Hitchcock articles.
