Vintage 1960s Halloween Film: The Birds

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Tippi Hedren

Cast and Hitchcock; note how elegantly Tippi's coat complements her hair color!

Flocking up before the attack on the schoolkids

We all know the story of The Birds: our feathered friends go mad and attack us. This 1963 film was based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier, directed by Hitchcock, and stars Tippi Hedren (former model and mother of Melanie Griffith), Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and (child actress) Veronica Cartwright. Today, the special effects may look more campy than creepy, but even now we must admit this movie has style. Leading lady Hedren is the picture of cool blonde beauty as she lands her man, then attempts to fight off her winged enemies. The scenes of her battling the birds have inspired Halloween costumes and even a Barbie doll.

I think that the most impressive scene is when Melanie (Hedren) goes to pick up Cathy (Cartwright) at school, and she waits for the child on an outside bench. The children inside sing:

The butter came out a grizzle-y-grey. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

The cheese took legs and ran away! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She let the critter get away. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

I asked my wife to wash the floor. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

She gave me my hat and she showed me the door! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, Now, now, now!

I married my wife in the month of June. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

I brought her off by the light of the moon. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She combed her hair but once a year. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

Behind Melanie, the monkey bars are filled as more and more birds alight (see photo above). We know it before she does and combined with the weird little background song, this makes for a tense scene. The growing menace is scarier than the scene that follows, when the schoolkids are dive bombed, pecked and chased (which was probably plenty scary for them).

Enjoy!