Contractual Obligation Project: Co-producer and star Charles Laughton pursued Alfred Hitchcock to direct. Facing an uncertain future, Hitchcock accepted the offer. Then, before filming, Hitchcock signed a contract with David O. Selznick and made plans to move to Hollywood. He stayed in England to finish the film largely because of his friendship with Laughton.
Creator Backlash: His future prospects assured after signing his Hollywood contract, Hitchcock had little interest in the film other than finishing it, and once it became clear that Laughton and co-producer Erich Pommer were going to dominate production, basically gave up caring at all, instead becoming excited about another Daphne du Maurier work he discovered while reviewing the Jamaica Inn novel: Rebecca. He had very little good to say about Jamaica Inn in later years.
Disowned Adaptation: Daphne du Maurier hated the film and was initially reluctant to let Hitchcock adapt Rebecca because of it.
Playing Against Type: Even though he was younger and more handsome than in his Long John Silver days, Robert Newton still tended to play villains or supporting roles, making his turn here as the hero and romantic lead a rarity for him.
Wag the Director: Though Charles Laughton was co-producing the film, he still undermined Alfred Hitchcock far more than Hitchcock had anticipated, ignoring Hitchcock's direction and essentially taking control of the film, to the extent of dictating how Hitchcock should frame him in shots. Hitchcock later said his job on the film was more like "referee" than "director".
What Could Have Been: Laughton originally was going to play Joss, but suddenly changed his mind in pre-production and decided he wanted to play Sir Humphrey instead.
The 1983 TV series:
Dawson Casting: Arguably the case with Jane Seymour (Actress) as Mary Yellan, as she was 32 at the time although she could easily pass for younger; Mary was said to be in her early twenties in the novel.
