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The Birds
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The Birds (1963) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 52 | slideshow) Videos (see all 7)
The Birds (1963) -- A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness
The Birds (1963) -- The birds amass on the monkey bars behind Melanie.
The Birds (1963) -- A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness
The Birds (1963) -- Melanie gets trapped and attacked in a phone booth.
The Birds (1963) -- A playgirl follows a bachelor to Bodega Bay, where, for no apparent reason, birds kill.

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   45,964 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
Daphne Du Maurier (story)
Evan Hunter (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Birds on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 March 1963 (USA) more
Tagline:
Suspense and shock beyond anything you have seen or imagined! more
Plot:
A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Haunting more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (UK) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
119 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:M (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1963) | UK:15 (1987) | UK:X (1963) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Spain:T | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2002) (DVD) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 (1976) | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #20385) (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (new rating) (1984) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Cameo: [Alfred Hitchcock]at the start of the film walking two dogs past the pet shop (the dogs were actually his own). more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Melanie returns to Annie's house from dinner she's offered a brandy. Annie pours her a glass. They show her corking the bottle with the second glass in front of the bottle still empty. But as she sits on the couch she has a full glass also. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Melanie Daniels: Hello there, Mrs. MacGruder.
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Oh, hello, Miss Daniels.
Melanie Daniels: Have you ever seen so many gulls? What do you suppose it is?
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Well, there must be a storm at sea, that can drive them inland, you know. I was hoping you'd be a little late because he hadn't arrived yet.
Melanie Daniels: Oh, but you'd said three o'clock...
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Oh I know, I know. I've been calling all morning. Oh, Miss Daniels you have no idea. They are so difficult to get, really they are. We have to get them from India, when they're just baby chicks, and then we have...
Melanie Daniels: But this one won't be a chick, will he?
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Certainly not. Oh no, certainly not. This will be a full grown mynah bird, full grown.
Melanie Daniels: And he'll talk?
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "The Simpsons: A Streetcar Named Marge (#4.2)" (1992) more
Soundtrack:
Arabesque nr. 1 more

FAQ

What kind of car was Melanie driving?
How could a bird attack be fatal to a human being?
Why did Lydia hate Annie, Melanie, and any of Mitch's girlfriends?
more
16 out of 24 people found the following comment useful:-
Haunting, 19 December 2002
8/10
Author: Theo Robertson from Isle Of Bute , Scotland

What I love about this film is that it`s so understated . There is absolutely no attempt whatsoever to explain why the birds are turning against humanity , indeed there`s a scene in the cafe where a character points out that bird species joining together to wage war against the human race would be impossible , and the concept is totally ridiculous but Hitchcock and screenwriter Evan Hunter ( Using the basic premise of Du Maurier`s short story - the screenplay is almost totally original ) manage to leave the unsettling thought that this might just happen one day.

The film is slightly dated in some ways , most notably the FX which are sometimes obvious back projection , but this was made in 1963 don`t forget . And THE BIRDS does contain some classic scenes like the discussions in the diner , the downbeat ending and the bit where the woman walks into the farmhouse and finds .... no I won`t spoil it for you . I rate this as Hitchcock`s best film .

If you want to get your own back then make sure you stuff a turkey this Christmas

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why the birds attacked - the definitive answer exeverything
Another interpretation michalis612
Things 'The Birds' characters would never say Scifiboy666
REMAKE?? optimusisprime
Scenes That Creeped You Out doliff
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