This evening I watched "Rebecca" for, oh, probably the 37th time. It's still and always a matchless blend of art and hokum. Much as I love it, though, I can't avoid the giggles every time Joan Fontaine (do doubt bowing to the director's will) collapses into one of those achingly long doubletakes, underscored by symphonic schmaltz straight out of -- omigod, I finally got it! -- "Bride of Frankenstein." Yes, it turns out that both scores were composed by Franz Waxman, and I'm astonished that it took me so long to catch on. And now I'm going to stay up all night wondering what parallels Waxman saw in the two stories...
