Mrs. Danvers is a character in the Hitchcock film, Rebecca.A shy but attractive young lady (Joan Fontaine) meets the urbane and handsome Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) while both are vacationing on the French Riviera. Following their quick marriage, the couple returns to Manderley, Winter's vast estate in England. There, the young wife is introduced to the estate's army of servants who immediately, though subtly, display hostility towards her as they all adored Rebecca, Maxim's first wife, whose death is shrouded in secrecy. As the servants become more hostile, the young spouse grows more fearful, until she finally learns the truth about what happened to Rebecca.
Especially cold toward Maxim's second wife is the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), who lurks about in long, dark hallways. At every turn she suddenly appears before a considerably frightened young Mrs. de Winter from dark rooms and shadowy archways, always correcting the new mistress of the manor in her failing ways and reminding her of what a splendid woman her predecessor had been.
In time, the young wife becomes so vexed by the pervasive image of the dead Mrs. de Winter that she begins to believe she is being haunted by the woman and is losing her sanity. Aided by the psychological proddings of Mrs. Danvers, she comes very close to committing suicide. But drastic revelations come about when Rebecca's boat is disgorged by the ocean after a storm and her body discovered.