Thrilling Movies

I love movies that are suspenseful and scary but not those that have only blood and gore. I can handle Michael, Jason and Freddy but not for all time. I need nail biting terror that slowly builds. This is the same when it comes to reading novels which are a bit more psychological than actually frightening. For this reason I came across an article that tells about some of the great women authors who have written suspenseful novels and some of them have even been made into movies .

Daphne du Maurier was a wonderful suspense novelist who had three of her books made into movies and directed by the master of horror Alfred Hitchcock. One of them is "Jamaica Inn" in 1939 and it really is worth taking a look at. The novel is about pirates, the desolate Cornish coast in England, a dark, dangerous inn and a young woman who gets swept up into it all. The book differs a bit from the movie but nevertheless no matter if you read the book first or see the movie you will have a nail biting time of it.

It all begins when a young woman named Mary portrayed by Maureen O’Hara loses her mother and travels to the Cornish coast to live with her Aunt Patience (Marie Ney). Mary gets stranded on an isolated road and is saved by a man named Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton). He escorts her to Jamaica Inn only to discover that her Aunt Patience is married to a bullying and dangerous man named Merlyn Joss (Leslie Banks). Soon her life becomes a nightmare since her uncle is the leader of a band of pirates that wreck ships and pilfer the goods. Before you know it you are enthralled by all the happenings in the movie and just like Mary you’ll be unsure of who to trust.

Then there is my top favorite "Rebecca" in 1940. This mystery thriller starred one of the greatest actors of that time Laurence Olivier. I read the book first and was haunted by it and then I saw the movie and the moment I first heard the words, “I dreamt I went to Manderley...” I got the shivers knowing I was going to be enthralled by the movie completely.

A young woman portrayed by Joan Fontaine falls for a handsome widower named Max De Winter (Laurence Olivier). He is much older than she is and makes her feel safe and happy when she is alone with him. She marries him only to discover that there is a dark secret in his life. Once the couple arrive at the large estate Manderely she finds out that the housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) is obsessed with the first Mrs. De Winter, Rebecca. She keeps Rebecca’s room untouched since her tragic death. Soon you’re walking along the hallways of Manderley and always with a feeling that Mrs. Danvers is keeping her eyes on you.

The next one I think most of you will recognize but you might not have known it was first a novel by Daphne du Maurier. It is 'The Birds" from 1963. Now the book of course cannot do justice to those threatening birds but Hitchcock took care of the problem in the movie. To this day I have seen it several times and I always have to cover my ears once I hear those birds screech.

The people living in Bodega Bay, California enjoy a quiet and happy life until the day when sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks turn things completely around. Suddenly people are scared of the birds and the attacks grow more violent and people are dying. The excellent cast includes Tippi Hendren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, and Jessica Tandy. Watch the movie and beware of the birds.

The film “My Cousin Rachel” was based on Du Maurier’s novel written in 1951. This one was directed by Roger Mitchell who also did the screenplay with the author. Philip Ashley (Richard Burton) suddenly loses his wealthy cousin Ambrose (John Sutton). His thoughts turn to Ambrose’s wife, Rachel (Olivia de Havilland) and wonders if she had something to do with his death because she stands to benefit greatly. When he meets Rachel at the funeral he is captivated by the lovely young woman and realizes that she could not possibly have murdered his cousin. However, things take a different turn when Philip Ashley inherits Ambrose’s estate and now he has to fear for his life.

She had one of her short stories “Don’t Look Now” was adapted into a creepy movie starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie in 1973. A couple John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura Baxter (Julie Christie) go to Venice, Italy where John has been commissioned to restore a church. They are still grieving over the accidental death of their daughter Christine (Sharon Williams). In Venice Laura encounters two sisters who claim to be in touch with her daughter’s spirit. Her husband does not believe this to be possible and then thinks he sees Christine on the street. Soon you won’t know what to believe.

Altogether Daphne du Maurier’s writings have been used for movies 12 times and also for TV.