1956 re-release and bootlegs
- The four Mrs. de Winters: two different versions of Rebecca are widely available
- Original 1940 version and altered 1956 US re-release are both in wide circulation
- Ubiquitous: re-release is still version most often sold and seen outside of America
- Avoid: many malevolent bootlegs cast a long shadow over quality official releases
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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
US 1956 re-release poster by Eric Rohman (orig, six sheet, window card, alt style)
Contents
1956 re-release version
↑ 1956 re-release trailer | titles
Beginning in 1946 (pressbook, inner), Rebecca has been perennially revived since its initial blockbuster run and the original 1940 version’s credits were altered for its 1956 US re-release; most notably, the title card was redone in a flowing, cursive font similar to the first Mrs. de Winter’s handwriting. Oddly, variations on the font are almost the default choice for home video sleeve designers, regardless of which version is actually contained within. That’s certainly the case with most of the restored releases to date, despite them all having the original, block lettered credits.
Only the re-release print was widely available for decades and featured on almost all TV broadcasts, VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc releases. Which is not such a bad thing as it’s in very good condition with only light speckling and other minor flaws. It first arrived on DVD in 1999 via Anchor Bay in the US and, with just one exception, then appeared on that format everywhere for the next nine years. That was the last time it was issued wholesale but it’s still the only release in the majority of countries, which have had no more recent editions. It only exists in standard definition and here are all official DVDs:
- US: Anchor Bay DVD (1999) – likely edited; see below
- UK: PT Video 4-DVD Hitchcock (2001)
- Prism Leisure DVD (2004), also in 4-DVD AH Box Set
- Fremantle DVD (2007), also in 4-DVD H Collection and newspaper giveaway
Note that the extras-free US DVD is strongly reputed to have several snippets of missing footage manifesting as awkward splices totalling around 45 seconds. If you have more details, please leave a comment.
Spanish DVD (rear)
- Italy: 01Distribution DVD (2005), also in AH Collection
- Germany: EuroVideo DVD (2002), also in 3-DVD, 3-DVD and 5-DVD H Collection
- France: Journaux.fr DVD/mag (2002, 2005)
- Aventi DVD (2005), also in 2-DVD w/The Paradine Case and 4-DVD AH Édition Collector
- Spain: Manga DVD (2003, reissued 2004, 2008), also in 6-DVD AH box
Apart from changes in label art, the exact same UK discs of all four Hitch/Selznicks have been issued by different iterations of the same company three times in three similar box sets. The first and third slipcased sets have them in individual cases, while the second has them all housed in a four-disc keep case. They were reissued a fourth and final time when given away by The Telegraph newspaper in 2009.
- Netherlands: Dutch FilmWorks DVD (2003), also in 4-DVD H Collection
- Dutch FilmWorks DVD (2007), also in 12-DVD Essential Cinema
- Sweden: Scanbox DVD (2002), also in 3-DVD AH Collection
- Australia: MRA DVD/alt (2003) review
- Japan: JVC DVD (2000, reissued 2002)
In 2005, The Times also gave them away but only the first three films, strangely omitting The Paradine Case, and stripped of all extras. The full disc is one of the best of the bunch for this version of Rebecca, with text screens on the cast and crew, a photo slideshow, and interviews with Hitch and critic Kim Newman (3 and 15 minutes). Note that apart from some film-specific text screens, the same extras are repeated on all four DVDs. Surprisingly, in these detailed analyses of a handful of Rebecca DVDs and BDs, the UK DVD comes out tops for audio!
Spanish 1969 re-release poster by Macario Gómez Quibus (alt)
The Italian DVD has similar but non-subtitled Italian-language extras, while the German has the trailer and some text screens. Available dubs are Italian (1941, alt), Spanish (1942) and, recorded for its much belated post-war releases, French (1947, alt) and German (1951, alt); all are optional on their respective discs. Apart from a few more text screens, most other DVDs are barebones. One exception is the Oz disc from MRA Entertainment with 25 minutes of screen tests for Mrs. de Winter, which also appear on several restored releases. MRA, who went bust in 2007, released licensed DVDS for the first three Hitch-Selznicks, despite having squatted out shoddy bootlegs of several of the director’s British films just a few years earlier. Much like Eureka then.
In 1995, this transfer was issued on a beautifully packaged, pan-European LaserDisc with a fairly modest selection of extras comprising lighting, make-up and screen tests; the 1941 Academy Awards clip and the re-release trailer. Physical goodies were a full-size repro poster, two publicity stills and a 12×12″ essay booklet by Leonard J. Leff. Incredibly, apart from the latest restored French discs, it’s still the most comprehensive non-US Rebecca release to date.
Spanish 1982 re-release poster by Macario “Mac” Gomez (orig)
Bootlegs
Common as muck and half as classy: this Spanish Resen BD-R, with French re-release poster artwork, may look the part but it’s a barebones bootleg all the way.
Though far fewer than the literally countless bootlegs of Hitch’s British films, there are still many rip-offs on all formats. Superficially professional looking DVDs and BD-Rs include those from:
- Argentina: Emerald
- Australia: Amsell Entertainment – sleeve pale photocopy of US MGM; NTSC region 0 disc art blurry, B&W photocopy of Oz MRA, thereby falsely claiming it to be PAL region 4
- Brazil: Classicline, Continental/box/box, New Line
- Chile: (Cinematekka BD-R/DVD/box/), M&M
- Korea: (Cine Korea, Cleo Entertainment)
- Germany: see below
- Italy: A&R Productions, Ermitage, KLF Movie, Quadrifoglio, Stormovie, Studio 4K BD-R
- Russia: Deval
- Spain: Creative/reissue, IDA Films BD-R/box, No Limits/Cinecom, Naimara, Resen/ltd ed BD-R, Suevia Crin Ediciones
- Taiwan (Bit Wel)
Perhaps worst of the lot, setting a very low bar are the KLF Movie and FNM DVDs with their unwatchable, sub-VHS quality transfers and respective, muffled Italian and German dubs only. In addition to that, as with the countless international boots of Hitch’s British films, Germany simply has too many on BD and DVD – dozens – to list here. The majority come from Great Movies and WME but those are just two names from the same prolific pirates who also go under many others. Like animals eating each others’ faeces, their single BD and DVD have also been repackaged as a Digibook and by “limited edition” scammers Inked Pictures. Also avoid the many pirated Amazon Prime uploads and countless home-made DVD-Rs falsely claiming Rebecca is in the public domain. As ever, if it isn’t listed here then don’t buy it.
This BD custom art by Tim Gengler aka Bunny Dojo is also unofficial but very nice nonetheless. eBay/alt
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.
