Pecking Order

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2008)

Tippi Hedren (as Melanie Daniels) visits a San Francisco pet shop when Rod Taylor (as Mitch Brenner) cruises in, looking to pick up some lovebirds for his little sister. When Mr. Taylor mistakes the beautiful and alluring Ms. Hedren for an employee, she plays along, obviously attracted to the handsome man. Since the shop has none of Taylor's desired lovebirds, wealthy Hedren orders some up. Then, she decides to personally deliver them to Taylor's out-of-the-way home, on an island in Bodega Bay. After secretly delivering the lovebirds, Hedren is attacked by a seagull. The freakish incident causes Hedren to stay in Bodega Bay; there, she becomes acquainted with locals, like schoolteacher Suzanne Pleshette (as Annie Hayworth) and Taylor's mother Jessica Tandy (as Lydia Brenner).
Inexplicable terror, laced with sexual desire - "The Birds" is one of director Alfred Hitchcock's best.
Worth noting: The lovebirds get excited, but never attack. Hedren makes a sensational starring debut. Brenner daughter "Cathy" looks like Angela Cartwright for a very good reason, she's Angela's sister Veronica. The Daphne Du Maurier short story "The Birds" (1952) only slightly resembles Hitchcock's film adaptation. An even earlier "Battle of the Birds" occurred in the Fawcett comic "Captain Marvel Jr. #90" (October 1950). The story, probably written by Otto Binder, provides an explanation for the madness in, "the seeds of the Pyrrhic Plantthat drives all types of birds into a murderous rage!"
********** The Birds (3/28/63) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette