Rebecca (1940)

Florence Bates: Mrs. Van Hopper

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : She's spoiled, Mr. de Winter. That's her trouble. Most girls would give their eyes for the chance to see Monte!

  Maxim de Winter : Wouldn't that rather defeat the purpose?

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : [after hearing about Rebecca's engagement with Maxim]  So this is what's been happening during my illness. Tennis lessons, my foot.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I suppose I have to hand it to you for a fast worker. How did you manage it? Still waters certainly run deep. Tell me, have you been doing anything you shouldn't?

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : Are you playing the tables much here at Monte?

  Maxim de Winter : No, I'm afraid that sort of thing ceased to amuse me years ago.

  Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I can well understand that. As for me, if I had a home like Manderley, I should certainly never come to Monte. I hear it's one of the biggest places in that part of the country and you just can't beat it for beauty.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I remember when I was younger there was a well-known writer who used to dart down the back way whenever he saw me coming. I suppose he was in love with me and wasn't quite sure of himself. Well, c'est la vie.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : It's so nice to run into you here, just when I was beginning to despair of finding any old friends here in Monte. But do sit down and have some coffee.

  [to her traveling companion, the future Mrs. de Winter] 

  Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : Mr. de Winter is having some coffee with me. Ask that stupid waiter for another cup.

  Maxim de Winter : I'm afraid I must contradict you. You shall both have coffee with me.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I'll never come to Monte Carlo out of season again. Not a single well-known personality in the hotel.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : [to her companion returning from a planned tennis lesson]  You got on rather well with him, didn't you? That pro must have been teaching you other things than tennis.

• The Second Mrs. de Winter : [before her marriage to Mr. de Winter]  I thought I'd take a tennis lesson.

  Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I see. I suppose you've had a look at the pro, and he's desperately handsome and you've conceived a schoolgirl crush on him. All right, go ahead. Make the most of it.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : By the way, my dear, don't think that I mean to be unkind, but you were just a teeny, weeny bit forward with Mr. de Winter. Your effort to enter the conversation quite embarrassed me and I'm sure it did him. Men loathe that sort of thing. Oh, come. Don't sulk. After all, I am responsible for your behavior here. Perhaps he didn't notice it.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : I always did say that Englishmen have strange tastes.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : You certainly have your work cut out as mistress of Manderley. To be perfectly frank with you, my dear, I can't see you doing it. You haven't the experience. You haven't the faintest idea what it means to be a great lady. Of course, you know why he's marrying you, don't you? You haven't flattered yourself that he's in love with you. The fact is, that empty house got on his nerves to such an extent he nearly went off his head. He just couldn't go on living alone.

• Mrs. Edythe Van Hopper : [to Joan Fontaine's character]  For the number of lessons you've had, you ought to be ready for Wimbledon. But this will be your last, so make the most of it. The trouble is, with me laid up like this, you haven't had enough to do. But I'm getting rid of that nurse today, and from now on you'll stick to your job.