Steve found an article by Richard Benbrook, who was present as a youth when Hitchcock and company gathered in the northern California town of Bodega, the tiny village near Bodega Bay where the majority of the film was shot. Thousands of Hitchcock fans still flock to the area hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the scenery that appeared in the film. The schoolhouse featured in the film still stands. But in a bow to the times, it is now a bed and breakfast inn. In order to study the genetic structure of the flu and perhaps create a vaccine, an international team of scientists will soon exhume the bodies of the coal miners, which nature has preserved in their graves at Norway's Svalbard Islands.
Viruses deteriorate rapidly, so there is no chance of contamination.
In fact, the scientists say they may not find anything at all. But the chance that this might unlock some of the secrets of this mysterious virus make the effort worthwhile as a way to help prevent future deadly flu epidemics. It will take three weeks to exhume the bodies, remove samples, and respectfully restore the graves. All rights reserved.