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Film Bulletin (01/Apr/1963) - The Birds

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"The Birds"

Business Rating: $ $ $ Plus

Heavy clever pre-sellinq campaign assures this Hitchcock chiller big grosses in all markets. In Technicolor.

Alfred Hitchcock's superbly-publicized and eagerly-awaited "The Birds" is here. Based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier and strikingly photographed in Technicolor against the picturesque backgrounds of Bodega Bay (on the northern coast of California), it possesses all of the famous Hitchcock ingredients — suspense, chills, shock, and humor. In essence, "The Birds" tells the frightening tale of a bird war against people. No explanation is given for this onslaught, nor does the basic plot always convince the viewer; it's simply an entertaining, seat-gripping journey into fear. One of the best pre-sold films of recent times, want-to-see is already running at a high pitch, and the popularity of suspense-master Hitchcock, coupled with Universal's outstanding promotion campaign, will definitely lift grosses into the top money category. The cast boasts no strong marquee names, but it is composed of competent and colorful players. Rod Taylor stars as a ladies man-attorney whose easy-going life becomes a nightmare with the arrival of the birds. Jessica Tandy portrays Taylor's extremely possessive mother; fast-rising Suzanne Pleshette is a school teacher with whom he was in love; and 12-year-old Veronica Cartwright appears as his little sister. Hitchcock also introduces former model 'Tippi' Hedren, who has much to learn about acting, but is beautiful to look at meanwhile. But the real stars of the film are the birds and the special effects personnel. Between chief bird trainer Ray Berwick and special effects expert Larry Hampton, sheer horror and fright are created before the viewer's eyes; and to a point where audiences will gasp out loud. Here are terrifying scenes in which gulls swoop down, strike people and fly away, ravens chase a group of screaming school children down the street, over 1000 finches fly down a chimney, through a fireplace, and into a living room to "attack," an attic full of crows and gulls fly sortie after sortie against the helpless Miss Hedren. Special mention also for the electronic bird sounds of Remi Gassman and Oskar Sala — they will continue ringing in audience's ears for days to come. In typical Hitchcockian fashion, the Evan Hunter screenplay begins on a light comedy level with rich, spoiled playgirl Miss Hedren meeting Taylor in a San Francisco pet shop. She follows him to his weekend home at Bodega Bay on the pretext that she is bringing a pair of lovebirds for Miss Cartwright, whom she has never met. This light-hearted pace suddenly gives way to the horror of the first bird hostilities and the final terror of the full scale bird war. Granted, the writing could have been more imaginative, but the average spectator will be too overwhelmed by the bird "bit" to dissect the plot's weaknesses. After Miss Hedren rents a room from Miss Pleshette, she is attacked by a seagull. Next day, at Miss Cartwright's birthday party, hundreds of screaming gulls attack the playing children. That night, finches swoop down Taylor's chimney and attack all present. The local sheriff's deputy takes the incident lightly. Next morning, Miss Tandy, visiting a farmer neighbor, finds him dead — obviously pecked to death by birds. Now the birds attack the entire town. A man in a car rams into a gas pump and a stream of gasoline catches fire. The firefighters are hampered by swooping birds. Miss Hedren, trapped inside a phone booth, is finally rescued by Taylor. After Miss Pleshette is killed saving Miss Cartwright from the birds, Taylor boards up the windows of his house. The birds, however, break through and almost peck Miss Hedren to death. Taylor, deciding they must flee to San Francisco, cautiously leads all of them into a car, then heads slowly down the road. The fadeout sees the now deserted house covered by thousands of birds.

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