Only Alfred Hitchcock's film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. This gothic romance has a most eerie love triangle, between the new bride, Joan Fontaine, her husband Laurence Olivier and the first Mrs. De Winter. Fontaine was the part over Anne Baxter, and did a superb job as the timid, insecure girl who married Maxim while competing for his affection and the memory of his dead wife. Olivier is impressive in his role as the cold but romantic husband, Australian actress Judith Anderson gives a great performance as the inimitable Mrs. Danvers while she tries to drive Fontaine to suicide.
Best Actor went to James Stewart who played opposite Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. Jimmy's was up against Laurence Olivier (Rebecca), Charlie Chaplin for The Great Dictator, Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath) and Raymond Massey as Abe Lincoln.
The race for Best Actress was a free-for-all among Bette Davis (The Letter) Joan Fontain (Rebecca) Martha Scott (Our Town) Katharine Hepburn for The Philadelphia Story, with Ginger Rogers picking up the Oscar for her performance in Kitty Foyle.
Rogers gave life to the rather tepid tale of Kitty, a poor Irish working girl who suffered numerous romantic trails and tribulations.
1941 How Green Was My Valley
Set in a Welsh village, it tells a wonderful tale of a poor mining family. Their lives unfold with great joy and sorrow, life and death.
A carefully crafted script with not a hint of sentimentally despite the haunting Welsh Choir in the soundtrack. A brilliant cast headed by Walter Pidgeon as the sincere minister, Roddy McDowell as the youngest child, and Maureen O'Hara as his lovely sister destined not to find love
Honored with seven Oscars including Best Supporting actor Donald Crisp (who you may remember from all the Lassie movies). Wonderfully photographed under the subtle direction of John Ford. This film still stands as one of the finest films made during the war era.
Best Actor that year went to Gary Cooper for Sergeant York, which he played with consummate skill charm and good nature to perfection.
Joan Fontain was named Best Actress for her portrayal of a rather peculiar, ripe-for love spinster, who, after a most unusual courtship, married and continued to love a strange man, Gary Grant.
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