Alfred Hitchcock's first American film is the classic story of a young woman who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. Working from a novel by Daphne du Maurier, Hitchcock tells the story of " X " (Joan Fontaine), the young wife who is never named, who must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter (Laurence Olivier). She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house. Hitchcock gets the best performance of her career from Fontaine, who plays the wife with a poignancy and vulnerability she never equaled. Laurence Olivier is perfect as the brooding, romantic hero and Judith Anderson is memorable as Mrs. Danvers, a role that she would never surpass. This film, a classic in every sense of the word, is an exciting suspense film and a beautiful, romantic love story.