The Birds (Universal Pictures) (1963)

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S “THE BIRDS” COLOR by Technicolor From the story by DAPHNE DU MAURIER Starring ROD TAYLOR JESSICA TANDY SUZANNE PLESHETTE And Introducing ‘TIPP? HEDREN Screenplay by EVAN HUNTER Directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK A Universal Release the story (Positively Not for Publication) Melanie Daniels (‘TIPPI’ HEDREN), a wealthy playgirl, encounters Mitch Brenner (ROD TAYLOR), a young lawyer, in a San Francisco pet shop. Mitch irritates but interests Melanie, enough to make her find out who he is and where he lives. On an impulse, she orders a pair of lovebirds and takes them to his apartment, intending to leave them at his door. When a neighbor tells her Mitch has gone to his mother’s home in Bodega Bay, she puts the caged birds in her sports car and heads up the coast. At Bodega Bay she gets some sketchy information about the Brenner family from Annie Hayworth (SUZANNE PLESHETTE), a school teacher who betrays a personal interest in Mitch, and from a store-keeper who points out the Brenner home in a remote spot on the other side of the bay. She decides to go by motorboat because she envisions herself sneaking up to the house, leaving the lovebirds, and getting away unseen, She has a sneaking hope, though, that Mitch Brenner will see her as she flees. He does. Racing around the bay in his car, he arrives at the dock just in time to meet her boat as it comes in. Melanie is nearing the dock, secretly pleased to see him standing there, when suddenly, a seagull swoops down at her, gashes her forehead, and flies away. No one is able to explain the gull attack, but no one thinks much about it, since the gash on Melanie’s head is not serious. Mitch invites Melanie to the Brenner home for dinner, and Mrs. Brenner (JESSICA TANDY) is obviously distressed by the invitation. To explain her visit to Bodega Bay, Melanie lamely pretends that she has come to see Annie Hayworth, the only person in town whose name she knows. She rents a room with Annie. She also learns from Annie that Mitch’s family consists only of his mother and _ sister Cathy (VERONICA CARTWRIGHT). At dinner with the Brenners OTHE BIRDS” (LH) “The Birds are waiting .. . INO ve waitoutside the house!” Jessica Tandy mirrors the stunning terror which spreads as residents of a small community face “The Birds.””. Rod Taylor stars with Miss Tandy in new Hitchcock thriller. (Still No. 6590-30) Hitchcock Urges ‘See ‘The B ® d. £ EF e e | Ged irds From Beginning! (Advance) In the carefully-chosen words of Alfred Hitchcock, ‘No one can see ‘The Birds’ until it’s over.” This is Hitchcock’s way of saying that when his latest thriller, “The Birds,” a Universal release in Technicolor, Soe sae a eet Theatre, patrons must see it from the start. For the convenience of the moviegoer, starting times of all performances will be advertised in advance. The Master of Suspense has a reason for the policy of discouraging his fans from seeing ‘The Birds” after it has begun to unfold its thrill-laden story. As with all Hitchcock suspense tales, this one is cunningly calculated to build toward a terrifying climax. In order fully ‘to enjoy being scared,” the Master opines, one must see it from the start. “The Birds” stars Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette and Jessica Tandy, and introduces a fascinating new leading lady, ‘Tippi’ Hedren, in an Evan Hunter screenplay based on a Daphne du Maurier story. Described by the director himself as ‘‘most difficult” film he has ever made, it also promises to be the most astonishing of all Hitchcock suspense movies, as it reveals mass attacks by birds on the people of a small California community. Mitch Brenner.......ROD TAYLOR Mrs. Brenner.....JESSICA TANDY Annie Hayworth SUZANNE PLESHETTE Cathy Brenner VERONICA CARTWRIGHT Mrs. Bundy...... ETHEL GRIFFIES Sebastian Sholes CHARLES McGRAW Mrs. MacGruder RUTH McDEVITT Traveling Salesman JOE MANTELL Deputy Al Malone MALCOLM ATTERBURY Drunk= es KARL SWENSON Helen Carter ELIZABETH WILSON Deke Carter... LONNY CHAPMAN Fisherman #1 DOODLES WEAVER Postal Clerk... JOHN McGOVERN Man in Elevator RICHARD DEACON and introducing Melanie Daniels “TIPPl’ HEDREN Directed by Alfred Hitchcock: from the story by Daphne du Maurier: Screenplay by Evan Hunter; Director of Photography, Robert Burks, A.S.C.: Production Designed by Robert Boyle; Assistant Director, James H. Brown: Miss Hedren’s Costumes Designed by Edith Head; Edited by George Tomasini; Production Manager, Norman Deming; Special Photographic Advisor, Ub Iwarks; Pictorial Designs, Albert Whitlock; Special Effects, Lawrence A. Hampton: Electronic Sound Production and Composition by Remi Gassmann and Oskar Sala; Sound Recording, Waldon O. Watson and William Russell; Sound Consultant, Bernard Herrmann; Make-up, Howard Smit; Hair Stylist, Virginia Darcy; Assistant te Mr. [itchcock, Peggy Robertson: Set Decoration, George Milo; Script Supervisor, Lois Thurman; Wardrobe Supervisor, Rita Riggs; Trainer of the Birds. Ray Berwick; Titles by James S. Pol lak. that evening, the subject of birds comes up again. The Brenner chickens are acting peculiarly, refusing to eat. In conversation late that night with Annie, Melanie iearns for certain that there has been, in the past, a romantic involvement between Mitch and the pretty young school teacher, an involvement which Mitch’s mother was instrumental in ending. It is evident, however, that Annie still loves Mitch. While the two girls are talking, Mitch calls and invites Melanie to his sister’s birthday party the next day. Annie, too, will be there. After some hesitation, Melanie agrees. Shortly after she hangs up, there is a loud thump at Annie’s front door. When they open it they find a dead seagull which has apparently flown into the door at full speed. Next day, at Cathy’s party, gulls swoop down toward the Brenner lawn, this time attacking the children. Cathy, who has taken an immediate liking to Melanie, invites her to stay the night, and though Mrs. Brenner shows no enthusiasm for the prospect, Melanie decides to stay. About this time, hundreds of finches come swooping down the chimney and fly all through the house, attacking Melanie and the Brenners. Finally, the birds are driven out, and Mitch summons the local sheriff’s deputy to describe the incident. The following morning Mrs. Brenner goes to visit a farmer nearby whose chickens are also reported to be acting strangely. Entering his house, she finds him dead, obviously pecked to death by hundreds of birds. When Mrs. Brenner returns home, shattered by what she has seen, Melanie comforts her while Mitch and the deputy sheriff go to investigate the farmer’s death. In this moment of stress a spark of sympathy and understanding passes between Mrs. Brenner and Melanie, Realizing now the seriousness of the bird attacks, Melanie drives to the school to get Cathy. While waiting outside, she sees an alarming assembly of crows in the school yard. Knowing that if the birds attack, they can break the school windows and get at the children, she hurries inside to warn Annie, who is teaching the class. The two women lead the children quietly outside but before they have gone very far down the road, the birds are after them. Dozens of people are pecked and gashed by birds. A stream of gasoline catches fire and the town’s business section is threatened. Melanie is trapped in a phone booth, but Mitch arrives in time to save her. When momentary peace returns, Mitch and Melanie go to Annie’s house to find Cathy. The child is safe inside, but not Annie. She lies dead at the foot of the porch steps, having sacrificed herself to save Cathy. Mitch, Melanie and Cathy return to the Brenner home and begin boarding up the windows. It is not long in coming. This time the enraged birds dive suicidally against the house, tear at the shingles, gnaw at the doors in their determination to get at the people inside. Melanie, hearing a sound upstairs, decides to investigate. She soon finds herself in a room full of birds which have made an opening in the ceiling. Hard as she fights, she is on the verge of losing her battle with them when Mitch rescues her. After this the house can no longer be considered safe. Mitch decides that they must flee. But how, and where? Perhaps the car, but between house and garage the birds wait in ominous array. In the frightening silence Mitch unlatches the front door. Thousands of bird eyes watch as the door slowly begins to open. What will happen next? (The conclusion is intentionally omitted from this synopsis. ) Page 3 (Stills combined are Nos. 6590-45 and 6590-46) Hitchcock's ‘The Birds” ls A Stunning New Kind Of Suspense (Review) Alfred Hitchcock understated it when he said of his latest thriller, “The Birds,” Universal release that opened yesterday a Mo 2 | Ee ga lanka se T i CN terrifying film I’ve ever made.” It is. Opening day audiences, even those who expect shock and excitement from a Hitchcok work, were stunned by never before seen passages showing tens of thousands of birds in massed attacks on people. “The Birds” is revolutionary in techniques. There is no musical score as such. Introduced for the first time is a new electronic sound effects system, invented and composed by Remi Gassman and Oskar Sala of Berlin to produce both ‘musical’ and shock effects. There are no Hollywood “props” used in the close-up attacks of birds on people. The birds were actually trained for their parts! Hitchcock and his technicians devised a special way to make real birds ‘‘dive bomb” in masses. How this was done is not revealed. Paradoxically the film is more mystery than horror. One exits asking “How?” and “Why”. Hitchcock outdoes Hitchcock in his greatest mystery of all! Starring Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette, and introducing ‘Tippi’ Hedren, the new Hitchcock production also develops a stronger and more emotional personal story than any of his previous films. This aspect of the screenplay, written by Evan Hunter and based on a Daphne du Maurier story, makes the audience impact of the unprecedented bird violence all the greater. In typical Hitchcock counterpoint, the Technicolor film starts THE BIRDS" (2-8) The maddened bird is one of the ravens, crows, sea gulls and Theatre, ‘It could be the most in a high comedy mood with a romantic encounter between Taylor and Miss Hedren in San Francisco. The story moves to a peaceful California seaside community, where the principals become involved in a mounting atmosphere of terror resulting from the unexplained bird assaults. To relate much more of the story would be to violate the edict by the Master of Suspense himself, that audiences must see “The Birds” from the beginning. Principals and supporting cast perform skillfully and engagingly under the skillful guidance of director Hitchcock. These include Taylor, as an eminently eligible San Francisco bachelor-lawyer; Miss Tandy, as his mother, who blocks any entangling alliances for her son; Miss Pleshette, as his former girlfriend; Veronica Cartwright, as his young sister; Ethel Griffies, as a _ bird-lover; and Charles McGraw, as a sea captain. The most surprising casting is of the newcomer, ‘Tippi’ Hedren as a wealthy playgirl who becomes principal victim of the birds, but who loses her complacency in the process. It is a fascinating first performance and is certain to establish Miss Hedren as a star. Other major credits go to Robert Burks for his color photography, George Tomasini for editing and Robert Boyle for production design. finches seen in astonishing photography that makes the camera one of the stars in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” In this shot a school boy registers the realistic terror that marks the new Hitch cock film. (Still No. 6590-69)