The novels of Daphne du Maurier have often been praised for their cinematic qualities - after all, one of the most celebrated directors of the 20th century, Alfred Hitchcock, thought that her stories had many thrilling elements, choosing to use several as the basis of many of his films. As a new adaptation of Rebecca starring Lily James arrives on Netflix, which of her other novels might lend themselves to the cinematic treatment once again?
Frenchman’s Creek
The perfect antidote to 2020, Frenchman’s Creek is a swashbuckling romance about an English aristocrat who falls in love with a French pirate. Not so fixated on historical accuracy, it’s a fun jaunt through the England of King Charles II, with its heroine Lady St Columb fleeing what she deems vulgar court life in London for the refuge of a Cornish country house. What she finds when she gets there though is a dashing pirate, whose manners are more charming than she first thought (naturally). It’s been adapted a few times - most notably in 1944 with Joan Fontaine as Lady St Columb - but it’s not had the big screen treatment for a while.
Don’t Look Now
Some of Du Maurier’s short stories have been the most successful and enduring filmic adaptations, in part due to their often haunting nature. Such is the case for the 1973 thriller Don’t Look Now, starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. Inspired by the story of the same name from her 1971 short story collection, Not After Midnight, and other stories, it follows a married couple who travel to Venice after the accidental death of their daughter. While there, they encounter two sisters, who convince them that their daughter is trying to speak to them from the other side. Much like Rebecca, it’s a psychological thriller, exploring how grief affects the psyche.
Jamaica Inn
One of Du Maurier’s most frequently adapted novels, with a recent BBC version starring Jessica Brown Findlay as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s original in 1939, Jamaica Inn thoroughly entrenches itself in the world of Cornish pirates (so much so, one of the most frequent complaints about the BBC version was that it was too dark and gloomy). It follows heroine Mary Yellan, who after becoming orphaned at age 23 goes to live with her aunt, whose husband is landlord of the eponymous pub. While there, she realises he is behind a smugglers ring devastating the coastline, but despite this, finds herself attracted to his younger brother, Jem.
My Cousin Rachel
Du Maurier’s second most popular novel (which some might argue is her true magnum opus, rather than Rebecca), My Cousin Rachel throbs with the venomous sexual power of its heroine. Written in the 1950s, when Du Maurier was arguably at her most successful, with several blockbuster film adaptations under her belt and multiple hit novels, it cleverly flips the gender imbalance on its head, with the young romantic hero going gooey-eyed over the cooler, altogether more collected, Rachel, a widow a decade older than him. But did she poison her husband? And has she poisoned him? Suspenseful and clever, it’s definitely worthy of yet another big screen re-telling.
The Birds
Many may not be aware that Alfred Hitchcock's seminal horror film, The Birds, was actually based on a 1952 short story by Du Maurier. It features in her collection The Apple Tree, and tells the story of a Cornish farming family who find themselves attacked by flocks of birds in the period after World War II. While Hitchcock transplanted the action to the US, the menacing threat remained, with the simple idea of being assaulted from the air by nature playing out in a particularly sinister way.
