My Cousin Rachel

Review by Pamela Zoslov

“Alive with all the impassioned suspense, dramatic fervor and excitement of the best seller by Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel comes to the screen with the only star in the world who could play it, Olivia de Havilland!” So intones the trailer for the 1952 movie, also starring Richard Burton in his Hollywood debut. “Was she woman or witch? Madonna or murderess?”

Though that movie received some good reviews and an Oscar nomination for Burton, du Maurier was unhappy with the adaptation of her 1951 novel. She particularly disliked de Havilland's looks and hairstyle, which she thought resembled the dowdy Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson. Du Maurier might have found the darkly pretty Rachel Weisz, who plays Rachel in Roger Michell's new film adaptation, closer to the mark. (By the way, did you know Olivia de Havilland is still alive, and 100 years old?)