Rebecca (1962)

A demure young girl (Joan Hackett) working as a paid companion is swept off her feet by an older aristocrat (James Mason). They marry quickly and he takes her to the family estate called Manderley. She finds herself intimidated by both the place and the head of the household, Mrs. Danvers (Nina Foch) but most importantly, by the unspoken presence of Rebecca, the deceased first wife who died tragically. In the 1950s and early 60s, it was common for anthology series to often have hour long versions of well known films. This version was performed live and the sense of immediacy that live television gives is in its favor. On the downside, by cramming a 2 hour film into a one hour time slot requires that a lot be left out so it seems more like highlights from REBECCA than a fully played out version. It affects the actors too as the dialogue seems rushed as if the actors realized they had to get the whole thing done in an hour. It's a pity it wasn't given a full 2 hours because the three leads are perfectly cast. The 1940 film formed the basis of the teleplay so the actual circumstances of Rebecca's death aren't taken from the Daphne Du Maurier novel. Directed by Boris Sagal. With Lloyd Bochner and Murray Matheson.