The Birds (1963)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Daphne Du Maurier (story)
Evan Hunter (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 March 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Suspense and shock beyond anything you have seen or imagined!

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bird | Phone Booth | California | Children | Bird Attack

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Rod Taylor	...	Mitch Brenner
Jessica Tandy	...	Lydia Brenner
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Annie Hayworth
Tippi Hedren	...	Melanie Daniels (as 'Tippi' Hedren)
Veronica Cartwright	...	Cathy Brenner
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Bundy, elderly ornithologist
Charles McGraw	...	Sebastian Sholes, fisherman in diner
Ruth McDevitt	...	Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk
Lonny Chapman	...	Deke Carter, cook in diner
Joe Mantell	...	Traveling salesman at diner's bar
Doodles Weaver	...	Fisherman helping with rental boat
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Deputy Al Malone
John McGovern	...	Postal clerk
Karl Swenson	...	Doomsayer in diner
Richard Deacon	...	Mitch's city neighbor
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Helen Carter
Bill Quinn	...	Man in diner (as William Quinn)
Doreen Lang	...	Mother in diner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Morgan Brittany	...	Girl at birthday party (uncredited)
Darlene Conley	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man walking dogs out of pet shop (uncredited)
Mike Monteleone	...	Gas station attendant (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Daphne Du Maurier		(story)
Evan Hunter		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Production Design by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Makeup Department
Virginia Darcy	....	hair stylist
Howard Smit	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Norman Deming	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James H. Brown	....	assistant director

Art Department
Harold Michelson	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Remi Gassmann	....	electronic sound production and composition
Bernard Herrmann	....	sound consultant
William Russell	....	sound recordist
Oskar Sala	....	electronic sound production and composition
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound recordist
Bernard Herrmann	....	sound designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Larry Hampton	....	special effects (as Lawrence A. Hampton)
Dave Fleischer	....	special effects (uncredited)
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ub Iwerks	....	special photographic advisor
Albert Whitlock	....	pictorial designs
Bob Broughton	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Scott Dougherty	....	digital restoration producer: Cinesite (uncredited)
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	second unit matte photography (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (uncredited)
Tiffany Smith	....	digital restoration coordinator: Cinesite (uncredited)

Stunts
Leonard P. Geer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	costume designer: Miss Hedren
Rita Riggs	....	wardrobe supervisor

Other crew
Ray Berwick	....	bird trainer
James S. Pollak	....	titles
Peggy Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Hitchcock
Lois Thurman	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Väinän Filmi (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• DiscoVision (1979) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1986) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Carlotta Films (1999) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Film (1963) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

17110 Bodega Lane, Bodega, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Alfred Hitchcock kept a graph in his office, charting the rise and fall of the bird attacks in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After two birds break the glass on the phone booth, it appears that the glass isn't shattered when Melanie is grabbed out of it.

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?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Key to Reserva (2007)

Soundtrack:

Arabesque nr. 1

Haunting

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