Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tuesday Forgotten Film: THE BIRDS (1963) starring Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy


Not a film that is 'officially' forgotten, for sure, but what the heck. It's one of the more perfect Chilly October viewing pleasures and always worth talking about. In fact, I can envision a Halloween party with everyone dressed as one type of bird or another, all siting around eating wings (ha!) and watching the Hitchcock classic - although perhaps the liquor content should be kept to a minimum lest some birds get carried away with the film's theme of anarchy and destruction.

At any rate, THE BIRDS (1963) is directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from a screenplay by Evan Hunter based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier and starring Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette and Jessica Tandy. It is a film that these many years later, still retains the ability to shock and awe. The gifted Hitchcock, more a master of mystery, suspense and spy thrillers and not especially known for this sort of thing - special effects and 'end of the world' scenarios - still manages to adorn THE BIRDS with his own peculiar touches in between murderous avian attacks.

Haven't seen the film recently, but sometimes that's the best time to write about a movie -  I've been thinking about various scenes which have remained (despite old lady memory) in my mind. It's funny how that works, some movies you forget completely - or almost - others, like THE BIRDS, continue to live for one reason or another.

THE BIRDS: Sounds and sights I remember (off the top of my head).

Playful Hitchcock: The pet shop scene in the beginning with the two quiet little parakeets (or canaries) in a cage. So sweet. So non-threatening. Not happy to be caged, but surely...

The blond society deb, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), spontaneously deciding to follow hunky Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) - wouldn't you? And into the pet shop they go. She, assured of her icy allure, he instantly intrigued by it. In Hitchcock films, blonds get away with all sorts of forward behavior.

But what is is about sleepy Bodega Bay, California that attracts the sudden influx of avian life to its shores? Curiously, down near the water, a bunch of sea gulls seem to be holding a class reunion.

Speaking of classes, there's the scene of a bunch of screaming kids being sent home from school - chased by birds. Horrific. Children in a Hitchcock film are rarely safe.

Remember the jungle gym covered in birds perched and waiting?

Then there's the brunette (and therefore automatically sultry) Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleschette), small town Bodega Bay teacher who resents the influx of a sophisticated deb with eyes for the guy she's got a crush on. Poor Annie. Her gruesome death I've always seen as more a Hitchcockian comment on brunettes with romantic dreams than anything else. I mean, how dare she aspire to the hero when Tippi (with a decidedly elegant French chignon) is in town?

The vivid gas station explosion which, to my mind, suddenly catapults the film outward in a very vivid way makes for an unforgettable scene. Hitchcock knew that fireworks would be required at some point and this comes out of the blue.

Later, the barricading of the cozy, private house (Jessica Tandy lives there for goodness' sake!) against the assaulting forces of nature. The birds in the chimney. Beaks piercing through the wood door. Obviously more is at work here than just birds run amok. But what?

Yeah, pretty good stuff and I'm really happy that, far as I know, this is one film that hasn't had a modern day re-do.
(See Di's comment below for additional data on that score.)

Perfect Chilly October viewing.

To read more specifically about the film itself, I like this excellent post by iluvcinema 

Madame Alexander doll - source

Sometimes you just have to shake your head.

Since it's Tuesday, don't forget to check in later at Todd Mason's blog, Sweet Freedom, to see what other Forgotten and/or Overlooked Films, Television or other Audio/Visuals, other bloggers are talking about today.

19 comments:

  1. That doll is so weird but I have several friends who would love that! I'll get my titpick out of the way (well you did say you hadn't seen it for a while) as Hedren plays Melanie 'Daniels' - but this is a film with a dark, fascinating subtext in the tussle between Mitch, his mother and his old girlfriend (I'd have stuck with Pleshette myself) and all tjose great setpieces - great stuff Yvette, thanks chum.

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    1. You know it ain't easy being an old lady. I checked the name with imdb and still got it wrong. Ha. Thanks for catching it, Sergio.

      I think I'm going to be watching this for Halloween AND, of course, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN which is an annual event.

      Subtext? I don't need no subtext. Truth is, I'd forgotten. :)

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  2. Tippi Hedren never forgave Hitchcock for the serious physical abuse he put her through when making the film, all because she wouldn't sleep with him. There was a darker side to him than many people knew at the time.

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    1. Is this true? Well, if it is, I don't blame her for refusing. Ugh. Good for her. I'm thinking too of the physical abuse he put those birds through.

      I wonder if he expected 'tribute' from all his blondies....

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  3. "eating wings" - too funny!!

    And I love the doll . . .

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    1. Made me laugh when I was writing it, Debbie. :)

      That doll, that doll, yeah I kind of love it too. Ha.

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  4. Not only did Hitchcock want Tippi Hedren to sleep with him, when she refused he pretty well ended her career in Hollywood. Not a nice guy.

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    1. Jeez. I had heard rumors, but I'd hoped it wasn't true. She did make two movies for him.

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  5. This is one of the scariest movies for me. I never see a large group of birds without thinking of it. And I have heard that about AH and Tippi too.

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    1. It must be true if so many people have heard about it, I suppose. Ugly stuff.

      It is a very scary movie, for sure.

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  6. Yvette, a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from a screenplay by Evan Hunter, based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier, and starring Rod Taylor (whom I like) makes THE BIRDS a compelling movie to watch.

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    1. Absolutely, Prashant. It's one of my favorite Hitchcock films.

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  7. "I'm really happy that this is one film that hasn't had a modern day re-do."
    It inspired a horrendous film called "Birdemic" though- 2, in fact, "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" and "Birdemic 2: The Resurrection", by James Nguyen.

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    1. Yeah, but I'd never heard of these. Come to think of it, who has?
      Ha. Thanks for the update, Di. :)

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    2. Hahaha.
      Here are some clips:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrxZblVUkMU
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceaVvMoWMKs
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_tOVrF_ng
      Anyway, sorry for not introducing myself. My name's Di. I saw a link to this post of yours while reading Fred's blog.

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    3. Thanks, Di. I'll have to check those out. Nice to have you on board, Di. Welcome.

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  8. My comment got eaten! ...sigh... It was about the doll you show here and how it reminded me of some Halloween costumes I saw ages ago. One a woman dressed as Tippi Hedren with plastic birds stapled to her old vintage cardigan and another a guy in drag who really looked like her and had very lifelike seagulls attached to him by means of wire hangers. You had to keep you distance from him. Some of them were about six inches away from his body giving the impression they were really attacking him!

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    1. I'm always leery of adults in costumes to begin with. I mean, what's up with that? Trick or treating and walking down the street, that is. Don't mind them at a party or a masquerade ball. Do they still have those?

      But I must admit, those 'birds' costumes you describe sound very inventive. :)

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  9. With Hitchcock it is always hard to resist pointing out all the sections that are so memorable and there are lots and lots here! It is, thematically, a very dark movie and I do really like the tangled relationship between Taylor and the various women in his life (me, I'd have gone for Suzanne Pleshette!) Thanks Yvette - must watch this again soon.

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