The Birds 1963 – Alfred Hitchcock Movie History, Facts & Bootleg Comic

After the Comic: The Birds (1963)

Well, I thought meeting Alfred Hitchcock might lead to a quiet conversation about old movies. Instead, I somehow became an unpaid extra in The Birds. One minute Hitchcock is calmly giving directions, and the next I’m running for my life while every bird in Bodega Bay seems to have my name on a list.

Released in 1963, The Birds was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and based on Daphne du Maurier’s 1952 story. Hitchcock moved the setting from rural Cornwall, England, to Bodega Bay, California, and turned a simple bird attack story into one of the strangest and most memorable suspense films ever made.

A few things you may not know: the movie has no traditional musical score. Instead, Hitchcock used electronic bird sounds and effects supervised by Bernard Herrmann. The production also mixed real birds, mechanical birds, and complicated optical effects, and the final shot reportedly required 32 separate exposures to combine everything together.

And here’s another little piece of trivia: Tippi Hedren was primarily known as a model and commercial actress before Hitchcock cast her in the film, making The Birds her first major credited feature-film role.

Stay tuned — a shortened version of this great Alfred Hitchcock classic is coming up next on Bootleg Comic Theater. 

BOOTLEG COMIC THEATER / THE BIRDS

Press Play for the BJ introduction, followed by the movie.

Interesting Things About Alfred Hitchcock (Tap Pic Below)

BJ Hitchcock facts

Pull up a chair. BJ has a few stories.

Tap Play to hear BJ.

Read the interesting facts

• He began with silent-film title cards. Before directing, Hitchcock designed the written cards shown between silent-film scenes.
• Alma Reville was a creative partner. His wife worked in editing and writing and helped shape his films.
• Psycho used chocolate syrup for blood. The famous shower scene’s blood effect used syrup in the black-and-white film.
• The Birds changed neighborhoods. Hitchcock moved Daphne du Maurier’s story from Cornwall, England, to Bodega Bay, California.
• Five Best Director Oscar nominations. His film Rebecca won Best Picture.

Sources: Hitchcock’s official biography, BFI on Psycho, BFI on his film sets.