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The Birds Overview:

The Birds (1963) was a Horror - Thriller/Suspense Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Alfred Hitchcock.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Daphne du Maurier published in 1952.

SYNOPSIS

Hitchcock, the master of suspense, ventures into the realm of horror with the depiction of a world in which nature can go suddenly, terrifyingly mad. When Hedren appears in the idyllic coastal village of Bodega Bay with two lovebirds in tow, the local birds inexplicably begin to wage an all-out war on humans. Hitchcock's follow-up to Psycho tops even that landmark for shock value. Loosely based on a Daphne du Maurier short story.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Birds BlogHub Articles:

The Birds - 60th Anniversary in Theaters Tonight!

By The Metzinger Sisters on Oct 23, 2023 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film Lovers

Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classic The Birds is back in theaters for one day (this evening, October 23rd) to honor its 60th anniversary. Check out Fanthom event's website to see if it is showing in a theater near you.... Read full article

4K UHD Blu-ray Review: The Birds

By Devon Powell on Jun 6, 2021 From Hitchcock Master

Distributor: Universal Pictures Release Date: May 25, 2021 Region — 4K UHD: Region Free Blu-ray: Region A Length: 01:59:31 Video— 4K UHD: 2160P (HEVC, H.265) Blu-ray: 1080P (MPEG-4, AVC) Main Audio — 4K UHD: 2.0 Mono English DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray: 2.0 Mono English DTS-HD Master Audio ... Read full article

The Birds (1963)

By Beatrice on Nov 21, 2017 From Flickers in Time

The Birds Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Written by Evan Hunter from the story by Daphne de Maurier 1963/USA Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions Repeat viewing/Netflix rental One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Not my favorite Hitchcock but undeniably made by a master. Melanie Daniels (Tippi... Read full article

The Birds (1963)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 1, 2017 From 4 Star Films

The Birds is about all sort of birds. The ones we are acquainted with initially are actually a pair of humans. Lovebirds you might call them. Except they don’t know it quite yet, but the moment Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) and Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) meet in a pet shop, the sparks are al... Read full article

The Birds (1963)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 1, 2017 From 4 Star Films

The Birds is about all sort of birds. The ones we are acquainted with initially are actually a pair of humans. Lovebirds you might call them. Except they don’t know it quite yet, but the moment Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) and Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) meet in a pet shop, the sparks are al... Read full article

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The Birds Quotes:

Melanie Daniels: Get Cathy and Lydia out of here!
Melanie Daniels: On Mondays and Wednesdays I work for the Travelers Aid at the airport.
Mitch Brenner: Helping travelers?
Melanie Daniels: No, misdirecting them.
Cathy Brenner: Mitch, can I bring the lovebirds in here?
Lydia Brenner: No!
Cathy Brenner: But Mom, they're in a cage.
Lydia Brenner: They're birds, aren't they?
[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?
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Well yes, of course he'll... well no, you'll have to teach him to talk. My. I guess maybe I'd better phone, they'd said three o'clock. Maybe it's the traffic. I'll call. Would you mind waiting?
Melanie Daniels: Well, maybe you'd better deliver him. Let - let me give you my address.
Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk: Oh, well, alright, but I'm sure they're on the way... Would you mind if I called?
Melanie Daniels: No, alright, but...
Melanie Daniels: [worriedly, as she sees a man from the restaurant window lighting his cigar as gasoline is leaking around him] Look at the gas, that man's lighting a cigar!
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The Birds Facts
The use of standard blue screen techniques for doing matte shots of the birds proved to be unacceptable. The rapid movement of the birds, especially their wings, caused excessive blue fringing in the shots. It was determined that the sodium vapor process could be used to do the composites. The only studio in America that was equipped for this process was the Walt Disney studio. Ub Iwerks, who had become the world's leading expert on the sodium vapor process, was assigned to this production.
In the end, when Melanie is carried outside, Mitch opens a door. There was no door used in filming, and it was all done with light effects to make it look as if Mitch opened the front door.
Although it was never shot, another ending was scripted by Evan Hunter and sketched by Harold Michelson. The script and sketches appear as a bonus feature on the DVD version.
A scene in the film shows a service station where a bird knocks over an attendant filling a car with gas. The gas flows across the street where a man lights his cigarette igniting the gas. The fire follows the gas stream to the pump and explodes. The service station was located across from "The Tides" restaurant and pier. In reality this service station did not exist at the time of the filming. However, several years later a service station was built and is still located at the spot shown in the film.
Near the end of the film, when Mitch carries Melanie down the stairs, it is actually Tippi Hedren's stand-in being carried by Rod Taylor. Hedren was in the hospital recovering from exhaustion after a week of shooting the scene where Melanie is trapped in the upstairs room with the birds.
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