The Birds (film)

The Birds
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Screenplay byEvan Hunter
Based on"The Birds"
by Daphne du Maurier
Produced byAlfred Hitchcock
Starring
CinematographyRobert Burks
Edited byGeorge Tomasini
Production
company
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • March 28, 1963 (1963-03-28)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.3 million[1]
Box office$11.4 million[2]

The Birds is a 1963 American natural horror-thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, released by Universal Pictures and starring Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, and introducing Tippi Hedren in her film debut. Loosely based on the 1952 short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, it focuses on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California, over the course of a few days. The screenplay is by Evan Hunter, who was told by Hitchcock to develop new characters and a more elaborate plot while keeping du Maurier's title and concept of unexplained bird attacks.

While it initially received mixed reviews when originally released, its reputation improved over time and it has since been considered to be one of the greatest horror films of all time.[3][4][5][6] At the 36th Academy Awards, Ub Iwerks was nominated for Best Special Effects for his work on the film. The award, however, went to the only other nominee, Emil Kosa Jr., for Cleopatra. Hedren won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her role in the film.

In 2016, The Birds was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in its National Film Registry.[7][8]

  1. ^ Stafford, Jeff. "The Birds". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  2. ^ "Box Office Information for The Birds". The Numbers. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  3. ^ "100 Best Horror Movies of All-Time to Scare You Senseless".
  4. ^ Foreman, Alison (August 10, 2023). "The 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time".
  5. ^ "The 50 Best Classic Horror Films of All Time". Esquire. June 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Murray, Conor. "The Best Classic Horror Films Of All Time, Ranked By Critics". Forbes.
  7. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  8. ^ "With "20,000 Leagues", the National Film Registry Reaches 700". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 17, 2020.