| Repository | Special Collections Archives (GB 0029) |
| Ref No | EUL MS 462/1/8 |
| Date | 1942-1948 |
| Level | File |
| Extent | 1 folder |
| Title | Papers relating to the MacDonald vs du Maurier court case concerning an alleged infringement of copyrights |
| Description | Comprising papers relating to the lawsuit and plagiarism charges brought by the MacDonald family against Daphne du Maurier, her American publisher, Doubleday, and the Selznick organisation, who produced the 1940 film 'Rebecca'. The MacDonald family claimed that there were parallels between 'Rebecca' and Edwina Lewin MacDonald's short story 'I Planned to Murder My Husband' (1924) and novel 'Blind Windows' (1927). The papers in this file include detailed typescript notes with manuscript annotations entitled 'Notes for reference in answering questions forwarded from the American Court', which were presumably used by Daphne du Maurier to prepare for her interrogation in court; a copy letter from Stern & Reubens in New York to Graham, Couch & Co. in Cornwall advising on Daphne du Maurier's testimony and interrogation; and a typescript letter to Daphne du Maurier from Nelson Doubleday, her American publisher with whom she stayed with during the trial.
The plagiarism suit against Daphne du Maurier was filed on 15 September 1941, a summary judgement took place on 03 September 1946, and the complaint was dismissed on 14 January 1948. |
| Language | English |
| Format | Typescript |
| Access Status | Open |
| Copyright | Usual EUL restrictions apply. |
| Related Material | EUL MS 144/1/1/4 Pencil manuscript notebook, 'The Rebecca Notebook' is stamped as being presented in court as an exhibit during the trial. |
| Access Conditions | Usual EUL conditions apply. |
| Creator_Name | Maurier, Daphne du (1907-1989); author |