9. Rebecca
Despite Alfred Hitchcocks terrific career, only one of his films has ever won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Ironically, it feels the least Hitchcocky film for the master of suspense and that includes his comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith. But, thats because Rebecca is the results of the two big heavyweights in the movie industry clashing. This was Hitchcocks first American film and his first film with David O. Selznick. Hitchcock was one of the first widely known auteurs in the Western world while Selznick looked at himself to be the filmmaker. The results are a good film but one short of a masterpiece. Rebecca has all the makings of a classic. It features a moody, gothic atmosphere with the charisma of Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier to lead the helm. It even has references to lesbian behavior that was subtle enough to get by the censors. I think thats why this film is such a disappointment. It has all the hallmarks and themes from the original material to make a true Hitchockian classic. Scenes such as the interaction between Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson are some of the best back and forth conflicts on film. But, that is the most disappointing part of the film. All the signs were pointing towards an early Hitchcock classic like Notorious or The 39 Steps but parts were so muddled and overlong that it felt imbalance with the moments of brilliance and moments of boredom.