Casting "My Cousin Rachel" (1952)

David O. Selznick made practically every decision for Jennifer Jones when it came to her film career. Having discovered Jones in 1941 -- she was still Phyllis Walker then, married to actor Robert Walker --  Selznick gave her a new name, a seven-year contract and then groomed her to stardom (and in 1949 he also married her). Selznick was responsible for getting Jones numerous parts, including her Oscar-winning role in Song of Bernadette (1943) as well as roles in his own productions such as Since You Went Away (1944) and Duel in the Sun (1946).

But as powerful as Selznick was, he didn't always get his way. In 1952, he wanted Jones to get the female lead in My Cousin Rachel, a film based upon the novel by Daphne du Maurier. However, 20th Century-Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck, who had purchased the rights to Du Maurier's novel, didn't consider Jones right for the role and director George Cukor and producer/screenwriter Nunnally Johnson agreed with him.

Jennifer Jones and David Selznick, who were married from 1949 until Selznick's death in 1965. 

In a letter to David Selznick dated 31 March 1952, Darryl Zanuck explains why Jones would be wrong for the part of Rachel, his main reason being that she was too young and not of British descent or foreign-born. Zanuck wanted to make sure that Selznick knew that the decision not to cast Jones was nothing personal and that it had nothing to do with Jones' acting abilities ("I am not going into a lot of nonsense about how much I admire and appreciate Jennifer's talent. It would be stupid of me to be unaware of it"). In the end, it was Olivia de Havilland who got the role of Rachel. She was three years older than Jones and of British descent. Other actresses considered for the role were Vivien Leigh and Greta Garbo. (Incidentally, I think De Havilland was perfectly cast, giving one of the best performances of her career.)

Olivia de Havilland in My Cousin Rachel with co-star Richard Burton as Philip Ashley in his American debut role. 

March 31, 1952

Mr. David O. Selznick

Selznick Releasing Organization

400 Madison Avenue

New York 17, New York

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

Dear David:

I feel compelled to write you about the role in My Cousin Rachel. George Cukor* and others have told me of their discussions with you, and our good friend Charles Kenneth Feldman** has been bombarding me daily with everything from bouquets to bombshells. Somehow he seems to feel that you hold him personally responsible for our failure to see "the light" in connection with the role of Rachel.

I am not going into a lot of nonsense about how much I admire and appreciate Jennifer's talent. It would be stupid of me to be unaware of it. I just want to tell you how we feel about the role of Rachel.

When I say we I mean Nunnally Johnson, George Cukor and me. From the very beginning when we purchased the story we thought of it in terms of an English actress or a foreign-born actress. We felt that this was absolutely essential. The perfect combination would be a woman who spoke with an English accent and was able at the same time to think "in Italian". Furthermore Rachel cannot be younger than forty years of age*** unless we destroy the whole premise of this odd love story. It is the love story of a twenty-five year old boy with a woman fifteen years older. It seems to us that if we eliminate this factor or compromise with it we will destroy the most unique premise in the book. This is exactly what makes it, we hope, "different". 

This was my thought when I purchased the book. Independently it was Nunnally Johnson's thought. And when George Cukor came on the assignment it was also his viewpoint. Now I grant you that we may all be entirely wrong. Time will tell. When I suggested Jeanne Crain to play the Negro girl in Pinky [Elia] Kazan thought I was nuts. When Kazan suggested Marlon Brando to play Zapata I thought he was nuts. It turned out in both cases we were both nuts in the right way.

The reason I wanted to write you directly is so that you would get the story straight and not feel for a moment that any other motives or considerations were involved.

Best always

s/Darryl

Source: Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck: The Golden Years At Twentieth Century-Fox (1993); selected and edited by Rudy Behlmer.

Darryl F. Zanuck in his office in the mid-1940s. (The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)

Notes
*  Unhappy with the script, George Cukor withdrew from the project and was replaced by Henry Koster. 
** Charles Feldman was a film producer and talent agent.
*** In Daphne du Maurier's novel Rachel is 35 years old and not 40, as Zanuck states, and Philip is 24 (at the start of the book), making the age difference between them 11 years. At the time Olivia de Havilland was 36 and Richard Burton 27.