The Selznick picture '' Rebecca '' ( 1940 ) was Hitchcock 's first American film , set in a Hollywood version of England 's Cornwall and based on a novel by English novelist Daphne du Maurier . The film stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine . The story concerns a naïve ( and unnamed ) young woman who marries a widowed aristocrat . She goes to live in his huge English country house , and struggles with the lingering reputation of his elegant and worldly first wife Rebecca , who died under mysterious circumstances . The film won Best Picture at the 13th Academy Awards ; the statuette was given to Selznick , as the film 's producer . Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director , his first of five such nominations
13th Academy Awards
13th Academy Awards
Alfred Hitchcock