Robert Stroud - The Birdman of Alcatraz Official Bookstore Robert "the Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud Robert Stroud, who was better known to the public as the "Birdman of Alcatraz," was probably the most famous inmate ever to reside on Alcatraz. In 1909 he brutally murdered a bartender who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom Stroud was pimping in Alaska. After shooting the bartender to death, Stroud took the man's wallet to ensure that he and the prostitute would receive compensation for her services. In 1911 Stroud was convicted of manslaughter, and he was sent to serve out his sentence at McNeil Island, a Federal penitentiary in Washington State. His record at McNeil indicates that he was violent and difficult to manage. On one occasion, Stroud viciously assaulted a hospital orderly who he insisted had reported him to the administration for attempting to procure narcotics through intimidation and threats. On another occasion he stabbed a fellow inmate. Robert Stroud following his arrival at U.S.P.

Alcatraz in December of 1942 Robert Stroud at Alcatraz in October 1951 Shortly after receiving an additional six-month sentence for his hostile actions, Stroud was transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas, due to ceaseless complaints about his threats toward other inmates, and also because of overcrowding in the prison. In 1916, after Stroud was refused a visit with his brother, he stabbed a guard to death in front of eleven hundred inmates in the prison Mess Hall. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging, and he was ordered to await his death sentence in solitary confinement. His mother desperately pleaded for his life, and finally in 1920 President Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment without parole. As a result of Stroud's unpredictable and violent outbursts, Warden T.W. Morgan directed that Stroud be permanently placed in the segregation unit, to live out his sentence in total solitude. Over the course of Stroud's thirty years of imprisonment at Leavenworth, he developed a keen interest in canaries, after finding an injured bird in the recreation yard.

Stroud was initially allowed to breed birds and maintain a lab inside two adjoining segregation cells, since it was felt that this activity would provide for productive use of his time. As a result of this privilege, Stoud was able to author two books on canaries and their diseases, having raised nearly 300 birds in his cells, carefully studying their habits and physiology, and he even developed and marketed medicines for various bird ailments. Although it is widely debated whether the remedies he developed were effective, Stroud was able to make scientific observations that would later benefit research on the canary species. However, after several years of Stroud's informal research, prison officials discovered that some of the equipment he had requested was actually being used to construct a still to make an alcoholic brew. In 1942 Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz, where he spent the next seventeen years - six years in segregation in D Block, and eleven years in the prison hospital. In 1959 he was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, and there on November 21, 1963, he was found dead from natural causes by convicted spy, close friend, and fellow inmate Morton Sobell.

Stroud had never been permitted to see the movie in which Burt Lancaster portrayed him as a mild-mannered and humane individual, but "Birdman of Alcatraz" later earned Lancaster an Academy Award nomination for best actor. For a more detailed narrative on Robert Stroud please see the full-length article published on this web site, or follow the link for more information on the book Alcatraz - A Definitive History, which can be ordered directly from this site. This publication contains a comprehensive chronicle of Robert Stroud's life and imprisonment. In addition, it includes an extensive archive of rare Alcatraz related documents and photographs. Former Alcatraz Correctional Officer George DeVincenzi standing outside of Stroud's Alcatraz ward cell in 2011. George guarded Stroud and to pass time the two played checkers through the cell bars. Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Frankenheimer's compelling, if slightly fictionalized biopic of Robert Stroud is extremely wel acted by Burt Lancaster and the rest of the cast, including Thelma Ritter and Telly Savalas.

January 8, 2011 | Rating: B+ | Full Review… Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com This preachy bio pic is a hokey take on the birdman with Lancaster being misused on every occasion. July 16, 2007 | Rating: 1/5 Felix Vasquez Jr. Film Threat Prison biopic that's more interested in its liberal message about prison reform working for redemption than in anything else. February 12, 2007 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… Dennis Schwartz Ozus' World Movie Reviews Even with its limping screenplay and general drift toward competence rather than excellence, Birdman does pull us well enough into its fistful of compelling characters. August 9, 2006 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… Birdman of Alcatraz Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Frankenheimer Directs Great Lancaster Performance 13 April 2009 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Birdman of Alcatraz is the story of Robert Stroud, world renowned author and authority on bird diseases.

The film, as directed by television directorial pioneer John Frankenheimer, becomes a story about a defiant individualist marred by his own anger and attachment to his deceptively domineering mother played by Oscar-nominated Thelma Ritter. The birds change how Stroud spends his time behind bars in Leavenworth, giving his life meaning and purpose. Birdman Of Alcatraz is misleading, of course, because discerning viewers already know the film's subject, Robert Stroud, never possessed birds while he was incarcerated in Alcatraz. The title probably sounded better than its alternative: Birdman Of Leavenworth. Burt Lancaster plays sociopath Robert Stroud as a defiant individualist willing to forgo any human attempts to transform him into a rehabilitated man. He shuns a prison warden (Karl Malden) and eventually his mother (Thelma Ritter) and his wife (Betty Field). Stroud, as played by Lancaster, transforms himself from within, using the birds as a catalyst to unlock the instinctive motivation from within to learn about something he cares about.

Stroud becomes a man with a purpose who will not be deterred by a prison system only concerned with punishment and creating obstacles to rehabilitation in the process. Neville Brand is the prison guard whom Stroud eventually befriends, receives favors from, and reveals to Stroud that everyone has feelings regardless of circumstances. The film moves into polemic mode in the last third of the film, making a case for cruel and unusual punishment accompanied by a noble speech from Lancaster. Stroud, in real life at one point, also made a plea for release based on this notion, his apparent rehabilitation, his research with birds, and his long incarceration history to no avail. He died in prison the year after the film's release on November 21, 1963. Reportedly, prison officials never allowed Stroud to see the film. Frankenheimer creates an extraordinary picture with confined settings, emphasized at times by its Oscar-nominated cinematography illustrating entrapment through the use of low key lighting. Location filming at Alcatraz prison adds immeasurably to the film. Many real life incidences from Stroud's life are portrayed in the film, such as his mother's appeal to President Wilson's wife to spare him from execution.

Although much of Stroud's real life personality is omitted from the film (reportedly his psychopathic and homosexual tendencies), it's clear the road taken by screenwriter/producer Guy Trosper is an entertaining one. He based the script on the book by journalist Thomas Gaddis played in a cameo by narrator Edmond O'Brien. Telly Savalas, Whit Bissell, and Hugh Marlowe add excellent support in a film already blessed with outstanding performances. No less than three performances were Oscar-nominated: Savalas, Ritter, and Lancaster himself. Malden could have easily been nominated as by the book warden Harvey Shoemaker. Frankenheimer's direction, although stagy at times, moves the story along at a crisp pace. Reportedly the film was originally much longer when first filmed, with the first third being significantly cut down to the final version viewers see. Perhaps this is how most of Stroud's deeds and his real persona were eliminated from the film. **** of 4 stars. Was the above review useful to you?

5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: A true-life drama with awesome performance by Burt Lancaster as a surly prisoner who educated himself in the science of birds from Santander Spain 3 November 2013 Thought-provoking studio of a prisoner , Robert Stroud , who during many years in prison became a world-renowned bird authority . At one point, the real Robert Stroud had over 400 birds in his cell . Burt Lancaster plays Stroud , in one of his best acting as the convict murderer and according to the biography of Robert Stroud , he killed the prison guard because he was denied a visit from his brother, not his mother as portrayed in the film. However , Robert Stroud really should be known as the "Birdman of Leavenworth," since it was there that he kept his birds and did his research , he was not actually allowed any birds during his time at Alcatraz. Due to this popular movie, the real Robert Stroud became one of the most famous inmates of the federal prison at Alcatraz, second only to mob boss 'Al Capone .

The real Stroud was an extremely difficult and demented inmate who, though highly intelligent, was a vicious killer and a psychopath , spending 53 years in prison. Robert Stroud died the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; therefore news of his death was not well publicized. This is a pensive examen of an inmate and contains emotion , imaginative sidelights , interesting dialog ; though overlong and sometimes static . Very good acting by Burt Lancaster as a surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation who redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert .Well produced by the same Lancaster and United Artists . In fact , Burt Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for $150,000 a picture in the 1960s: The young savages , The Alcatraz Birdman , The train and The Hallelujah trail rather than his normal fee of $750,000, because of cost overruns at his production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible .

Extraordinary support cast gives magnificent performance such as Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker , Thelma Ritter as Elizabeth Stroud , Neville Brand as Bull Ransom , Telly Savalas as Feto Gomez , Edmond O'Brien as Thomas Gaddis , Hugh Marlowe as Albert Comstock , Whit Bissell as Dr. Ellis and Betty Field as Robert Stroud's wife and business partner, whom he married while in jail, she was actually called Della Mae Jones . Atmospheric cinematography by Burnet Guffey , one of the main cameraman of Noir Film along with cinematographer John Alton , the latter was fired two weeks into production and replaced by Guffey . Evocative as well as sensitive musical score by Elmer Bernstein . The motion picture was stunningly directed by John Frankenheimer , though Charles Crichton was fired several weeks into production to be replaced . At the beginning Frankenheimer worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s .

He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate¨, ¨Seven days of May¨ and ¨The Train¨ and , in addition , ¨Grand Prix¨ also with great car races . Later on , he went on directing nice films such as ¨I Walk the line¨, ¨The gypsy moths¨, ¨Black Sunday¨ ,¨French Connection 2¨, ¨Ronin¨, among others . Rating : Better than average and well worth seeing . The flick will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans . Was the above review useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: one of the better prison movies i've seen from Canada 23 September 2010 my roommate and i both really enjoyed this film.you would think it would be depressing,but it's not.it's actually a movie about about hope,when there doesn't appear to be any,about having faith in the midst of despair and not giving up or giving in.Burt Lancaster puts in a a terrific performance as the title character AKA, Robert Stroud.Karl Malden is also very good as Warden Shoemaker.the movie is based on a true story,thought how accurate it is,is anyone's guess.no doubt there were some liberties taken to make it more palatable for audiences and to make the character at least a bit more sympathetic.the movie is long at nearly two and a half hours but doesn't feel that long at all.it's one of the better prison movies i've seen.i wouldn't rate it as high as The Shawshank Redemption,but it's still pretty good.for me, Birdman of Alcatraz is an 8/10 Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Was very much impressed here.

3 July 2009 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Burt Lancaster is the whole show. A movie that's 2.5 hours long had better have a hook to keep the audience going, and here-it's Burt. Watch how he convincingly ages 35 years as a hardened two-time killer inside Leavensworth, and winds up being saved from the gallows by his mother's personal appeal to the ailing Mrs. Woodrow Wilson herself. Thelma Ritter as always shines in the tough as nails smart old cookie role that she made her own around then. I was fascinated by the growth of this character-bird expert, bird sickness and disease expert, expert cage maker, etc. Truly interesting. It was also fun to watch Kojak as a creepy neighboring prisoner who wound up being friendly w/ Lancaster over, as always in the movie-shared interest in their birds. Look for cameos by Betty Fields, Hugh Marlowe and Ed O'brien as a concerned Priest. I enjoyed Whit Bissell's turn as the scientist too, he played that part several times.

Karl Malden is his usual stand out tough guy/man of authority, he was as reliable as the sun no matter what role he had. I say SEE IT. **** outta **** Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Jailbird Author: kenjha 3 April 2009 This is based on the true story of an inmate at Leavenworth and Alcatraz who became a renowned bird expert. Lancaster is well cast in the title role of a social outcast who has an affinity for birds. Savalas is terrific as a fellow inmate. Malden and Brand also turn in good performances. This was the first of a series of fine films Frankenheimer made in the early 1960s, including the masterful "The Manchurian Candidate," released the same year as this. His documentary-like presentation is well-suited to this narrative. The romantic subplot involving Field does not work well and it goes on a bit too long but is engaging for the most part. Was the above review useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Birdman Not of Alcatraz from United States 26 November 2006 Greatly enjoyed this great film about Robert Stroud portrayed by Burt Lancaster as the Birdman from Leavenworth Prison. However, Robert Stroud never was permitted to take his birds to Alcatraz, he was very much hated by the entire prison system which had to deal with him. Karl Malden, "On the Water Front", seemed to be the warden at most of the prison's Stroud stayed at and gave an outstanding performance through out the entire picture. Telly Sevalas, (Feto Gomez),"Horror Express", was about the only prisoner who became close with Bob Stroud because of their interest in birds at Levenworth prison. Sevalas put his heart and soul into this role and also put some humor in many of the scenes. There were many other great veteran actors, Thelma Ritter,(Elizabeth Stroud),"The Misfits" who played the role as Robert Stoud's mother who even went to President Wilson to prevent her son from being hanged in prison.

Neville Brand,(Bull Ransom) played the prison guard and grew old with Robert and became a very close friend. There were no scenes photographed from the actual cells on Alcatraz and any place on Alcatraz. This film clearly showed the horrible conditions of prison life in those years with 5 x 9 cells and very little rehabilitation for the poor souls to have a new lease in Life. Was the above review useful to you? 3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: A seldom revived masterpiece from Derry, Ireland 4 September 2008 In 1962 John Frankenhimer was probably the most exciting young director working in America. In that year alone, he made "The Manchurian Candidate", perhaps the most brilliant political satire ever to come out of America and a prescient fore-bearer of political assassinations to follow, and this, as deeply affecting and as moving a biopic as the cinema has given us. I am sure that outside his chosen field, (ornithology), not too many people would have heard of Robert Stroud before this film was made. (Stroud was a life-serving prisoner who was still incarcerated when the film was released).

It is based on a book by Thomas Gaddis and Edmond O'Brien appears briefly at the beginning and end of the picture as Gaddis and the film is told in flashback. Stroud's story is, indeed, remarkable. He may well have been a genius, a self-taught man who became one of the world's leading authorities on birds and bird diseases, but what is most remarkable about Frankenhimer's extraordinary film is that Frankenhimer moves Stroud's genius for ornithology onto the back-burner and concentrates instead on the man's moral and spiritual awakening. Stroud was a double murderer; hard as nails by all accounts, who only escaped the gallows because his mother appealed personally to President Wilson and whose life in prison was lived largely in solitary confinement. His initial interest in birds was sparked, not so much out of kindness, as from boredom but ultimately, as his relationship with his birds grows, we see the change that envelops him; we see him shift up a gear as he begins to interact with people. If anything, this is a film about personal redemption, not a film about impersonal science.

Consequently, Frankenhimer's film is certainly Bressonian in outlook but perhaps more prone to sentiment, (but not sentimentality), than had it been made by Bresson: there are several passages where it is indelibly moving. It is also beautifully acted. As Stroud, Lancaster is magnificent; many people think it is his greatest performance, but then every performance is beautifully etched with each player giving as much of themselves as it is possible to give. If you wished, you could single out pitch-perfect character studies from Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Betty Field and Telly Savalas, (like Lancaster, Ritter and Savalas were nominated for the Oscar for their work here), while Burnett Guffey's luminous black and white photography adds considerably to the overall effect. Sadly, it is a film seldom revived and there is probably a whole generation who have not only not seen it but, perhaps, have never even heard of it. Seek it out, if you can: it is a small masterpiece. Was the above review useful to you?

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: More "fictionalized history" from the Hollywood boys from United States 2 February 2011 When I first saw this film I thought that Lancaster had done a very good job. Unfortunately, I then read up on the man the movie had practically immortalized and realized I'd been had. Again. I lost a lot of respect for Lancaster after that. Apparently the only way a story can turn out the way Hollywood wants is to simply manufacture it. Of all the historical films that I've seen whose events I am familiar with, the only one that I can honestly say was accurate was The Longest Day. As for the other reviewers who somehow find deep meaning in what, for all intents and purposes, seems to be some sort of religious or propagandistic morality play, well, I didn't discern any deep thinking floating around the cell block. Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: "I guess you're a lifer pal, just like me." 27 October 2012 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I would have bet some poetic license was taken with this depiction of Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz, and a host of other reviewers state that case pretty well. What I kept wondering as the film progressed was how he came to be known by his nickname since all of his bird study took place at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. I guess it doesn't matter much as Alcatraz sounds a lot catchier than Leavenworth. Well Burt Lancaster was given a large one man job here and he pulled it off pretty well. His presence dominates most of the picture and even when he's not on screen you can feel it. It seems to me that Lancaster had to have a certain kind of patience to film a host of scenes that required all manner of birds to behave in just the right way. A 'making of' film about this movie would probably be as interesting as the picture itself. Oddly, there were two different scenes that didn't involve birds that captured my interest the most.

The first was when guard Bull Ransom (Neville Brand) challenged Stroud for not treating him like a human being, not even talking to him. In a strange way the dynamic of the picture turned the usual treatment of prisoners of the era on it's head. Then, towards the end of the film, Stroud basically uses the same tactic to let Warden Shoemaker (Karl Malden) know that his approach to inmates robs them of their individuality by treating them all the same way. I thought that was a clever observation for director Frankenheimer to make. So as a stand alone movie, this one rates pretty highly with me. In fact, when I finished watching, I immediately checked the awards competition for 1962 to see what edged this story out for the major Academy nominations. Not that I saw it as a contender for Best Picture, but between Lancaster, Savalas, and Ritter, I thought one of them might have pulled it off for their respective category. I guess it's fair enough that each was nominated; they all did an outstanding job. Savalas in particular had that crazed menace thing going for him making you wonder if he was going to flip out at any minute.

Best quote of the movie and strangely apropos for it's subject matter occurs when Stroud goes on a drunken binge in his cell and releases all the birds to show his displeasure - "Fly my avian friends. I give you the illusion of freedom." Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Jailbirds of all kinds from Finland 22 July 2009 Robert Franklin Stroud (1890-1963) spent most of his life in jail.This is his story.It tells us how he found the birds, and eventually his whole cell was full of them.It tells us how he became an expert on bird diseases, writing a book on bird remedies.It tells us how he married and later divorced a woman who had corresponded with him about birds.The marriage cut all the ties to his mother, who once meant so much to him.It tells us how he was transferred to the federal penitentiary at Alcatraz.He was not allowed to keep birds there.It tells how he aged, hoping that one day he could be free.The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) is directed by the great John Frankenheimer.It's hard to picture anybody portraying the role of Robert Stroud better than Burt Lancaster.He is so good as the aging Stroud, that it almost makes you cry.And then Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker, the warden of Leavenworth Prison.Mr.

Malden sadly died the 1st day of this month at the age of 97, but he will be remembered from roles like these.Thelma Ritter is terrific as the mother, Elizabeth Stroud.It's moving to watch how she helps her son to avoid the death penalty by going to see the president Wilson's wife.And it's heartbreaking when they start seeing each other.The movie is very well made.Take the prison rebellion of Alcatraz in 1946, for instance.And The real Stroud was not as good of guy as portrayed here, but a movie is allowed to modify the truth a bit.The story told in this movie is beautiful.More beautiful than the reality must have been. Was the above review useful to you? Page 4 of 8: The birdman of Alcatraz Birds of Eden sanctuary is the biggest single free flight aviary in the World. The Birdman Of Alcatraz View Gallery Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 – November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a federal American prisoner who reared and sold birds and became an ornithologist.

Despite his nickname, he actually only kept birds at Leavenworth penitentiary, prior to being transferred to Alcatraz, where he was not allowed to keep pets. Arrest, trial and imprisonment Robert Stroud had moved to Alaska and begun a relationship with a cabaret dancer named Kitty O'Brien. According to Stroud, on January 18, 1909, while he was away at work, an acquaintance of theirs, F. K. "Charlie" Von Dahmer, viciously beat O'Brien. After finding out about the incident that night, Stroud confronted Von Dahmer and a struggle ensued, resulting in the latter's death from a gunshot wound. Stroud went to the police station and turned himself and the gun in. However, according to police reports, Stroud had knocked Von Dahmer unconscious, then shot him at point blank range. Although Stroud's mother Elizabeth retained a lawyer for her son, he was convicted of manslaughter on August 23, 1909 and sentenced to 12 years in the federal penitentiary on Puget Sound's McNeil Island.

(Stroud's crime was handled in the federal system, as Alaska was not at that time a state with its own judiciary.) Prison life While at McNeil Island, Stroud assaulted a hospital orderly who had reported him to the administration for attempting to obtain morphine through threats and intimidation, and also reportedly stabbed a fellow inmate who was involved in the attempt to smuggle the narcotics. On September 5, 1912, Stroud was sentenced to an additional six months for the attacks and transferred from McNeil Island to the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. While there, Stroud was reprimanded by a guard in the cafeteria for a minor rule violation. Although the infraction was not a serious one, it could have annulled Stroud's visitation privilege to meet his younger brother, whom he had not seen in eight years. Stroud stabbed and killed a guard, Andrew Turner, on March 26, 1916. He was sentenced to execution by hanging on May 27, and was ordered to await his death sentence in solitary confinement. The trial was later invalidated; in a later trial he was given a life sentence. That trial was also invalidated after reaching the U.S.

Supreme Court, which ordered a new trial, set for May 1918. On June 28, he was again sentenced to death by hanging. The Supreme Court intervened, but only to uphold the death sentence, which was scheduled to be carried out on April 23, 1920. At this point, Stroud's mother appealed to President Woodrow Wilson and his wife, Edith Bolling Wilson, and the execution was halted. Stroud's sentence was again commuted to life imprisonment. Leavenworth's warden, T. W. Morgan, did not approve of the decision, and ordered that Stroud was to be held in segregation for the complete duration of his imprisonment. Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz on December 19, 1942 where he spent six years in segregation and another 11 confined to the hospital wing. In 1959 Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he stayed until his death in 1963. In 1963 Richard M. English, a young lawyer who had campaigned for John F.

Kennedy in California, took to the cause of securing Stroud's release. He met with former President Harry Truman to enlist support, but Truman declined. He also met with senior Kennedy administration officials who were studying the subject. English also took the last photo of Stroud, in which he is shown with a green visor. The warden of the prison attempted to have English prosecuted for bringing something into the prison he did not take out, namely unexposed film. The authorities declined to take any action. Upon Stroud's death, his personal property, including original manuscripts, was delivered to English, as his last attorney representative. English later turned over some of the possessions to the Audubon Society. Birdman While at Leavenworth, Stroud found injured sparrows in the prison yard and kept them. He started to occupy his time raising and caring for his birds, soon switching from sparrows to canaries, which he could sell to supplies and to help support his mother. Soon thereafter, Leavenworth’s administration changed and the prison was then directed by a new warden.

Impressed with the possibility of presenting Leavenworth as a progressive rehabilitation penitentiary, the new warden furnished Stroud with cages, chemicals, and stationery to conduct his ornithological activities. Visitors were shown Stroud's aviary and many purchased his canaries. Over the years, he raised nearly 300 canaries in his cells and wrote two books, Diseases of Canaries, and a later edition, Stroud's Digest on the Diseases of Birds, with updated specific information. He made several important contributions to avian pathology, most notably a cure for the hemorrhagic septicemia family of diseases. He gained respect and also some level of sympathy in the bird-loving field. Soon Stroud’s activities created problems for the prison management. According to regulations, each letter sent or received at the prison had to be read, copied and approved. Stroud was so involved in his business that this alone required a full-time prison secretary. Additionally, most of the time his birds were permitted to fly freely within his cells. Due to the great number of birds he kept, his cell was dirty and Stroud’s personal hygiene was reported to be gruesome.

In 1931, an attempt to force Stroud to discontinue his business and get rid of his birds failed after Stroud and a female friend, Della Mae Jones, made his story known to newspapers and magazines and undertook a massive letter- and petition-writing campaign that climaxed in a 50,000-signature petition being sent to the President. The public complaints resulted in Stroud being permitted to keep his birds — he was even given a second cell to house them — but his letter-writing privileges were greatly curtailed. Stroud's cell at AlcatrazIn 1933, Stroud advertised in a publication to publicize the fact that he had not received any royalties from the sales of Diseases of Canaries. In retaliation, the publisher complained to the warden and, as a result, proceedings were initiated to transfer Stroud to Alcatraz, where he would not be permitted to keep his birds. Stroud, however, discovered a legal clause according to which he would be allowed to remain in Kansas if he were married there.

He then married his friend Della Jones in 1933, which infuriated not only prison officials, who would not allow him to correspond with his wife, but also his mother, who refused any further contact with him (and died four years later in 1937). However, Stroud was able to keep his birds and his canary-selling business until it was discovered, several years later, that some of the equipment Stroud had requested for his lab was in fact being used as a home-made still to distill alcohol. Alcatraz Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz on December 19, 1942. While there, he wrote two manuscripts: Bobbie, an autobiography, and Looking Outward: A History of the U.S. Prison System from Colonial Times to the Formation of the Bureau of Prisons. A judge ruled that Stroud had the right to write and keep such manuscripts, but upheld the warden’s decision of banning publication. After Stroud's death the transcripts were delivered to his last attorney, Richard M. English of California. In 1943, he was assessed by psychiatrist Romney M. Ritchey, who diagnosed him as a psychopath, with an I.Q.

of 134. Stroud spent six years in segregation and another 11 confined to the hospital wing. He was allowed access to the prison library and began studying law. Stroud began petitioning the government that his long prison term amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. In 1959, with his health failing, Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. However, his attempts to be released were unsuccessful. On November 21, 1963, the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Franklin Stroud died at the Springfield Medical Center at the age of 73, after 54 years of incarceration, of which 42 were in segregation. He had been studying French near the end of his life. Robert Stroud is buried in Metropolis, Illinois (Massac County). Personal relationships Stroud had a close relationship with his mother. She helped him with legal proceedings on many occasions, even managing to elicit sympathy from the president over her son's death sentence. Stroud kept busy with his bird enterprise and had numerous bird-loving pen-pals.

He started a regular correspondence with a woman named Della Mae Jones, a bird researcher, resulting in her move to Kansas in 1931 and starting a business with Stroud, selling his medicines. Stroud's mother strongly disapproved of the relationship and moved away from the Leavenworth area. She also argued against her son's application for parole, which became a major obstacle in his attempts to be released from the prison system. Jones, a middle-aged widow from Indiana became interested in Stroud after reading his many articles written in her favorite journal. One day, she offered up one of her prized canaries to the winner of a contest in the Roller Canary Journal. It happened to be Stroud who won the contest and the bird was sent away to him with a letter from Della inquiring about his vast knowledge of birds. Eventually the two began to correspond on a regular basis. In April 1931, Jones paid him a visit at the prison. According to the article "Robert Stroud: The Birdman (NOT) of Alcatraz," together they discussed business plans to sell Stroud's Specific bird cures, which Jones agreed to fund.

Enthusiastic about future business prospects, Della moved to Kansas to put into action the plan the two had devised. Once the business was established, it didn't take long for the product to become successful and it was purchased by bird owners and breeders across the country. Much of Stroud's earnings were handed over to his mother, who was struggling to make ends meet during the Depression. That same year, Stroud and Jones' business came under direct threat by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was ordered to cease all business activity and to get rid of his birds. The shock reverberated through him when he was informed of the disheartening news. He wondered angrily why someone would want to destroy more than a decade's worth of hard work that kept him out of trouble and contributed so much to society. Following the bad news, Stroud immediately set about protesting the decision. He began sending letters to radio stations, government officials, bird journals and related organizations. He was desperate and frantically tried to contact whomever might be able to help him save his livelihood. Della assisted Stroud in smuggling the letters out of the prison.

Upon hearing of his predicament, bird lovers around the world began to write letters of protest to congressmen in Kansas and state their displeasure with the decision through national media. Moreover, Jones, who was leading the campaign, began to circulate petitions to be mailed to the President of the United States. Eventually she was able to obtain approximately fifty thousand signatures before mailing it off to the White House. Public and governmental pressures came down so hard on the Federal Bureau of Prisons that they denied ever having stated that Stroud had to dispose of his birds or business. The battle was won, or so it seemed. Stroud was allowed to keep his birds and conduct his business and experiments. However, he was only allowed to keep a minute fraction of the proceeds he made from the business. It was hardly enough to help his mother or pay for the supplies he so desperately needed. Angered, Stroud once again began to protest what he called the socialization of his business by the Bureau. He made such an uproar that the Bureau decided to negotiate with the prisoner, in the hopes of preventing increased attention from the public and media.

Eventually, an agreement was struck and although Stroud did not receive any more money, he did get a new and larger cell and access to all the equipment necessary to conduct his work. However, exasperated prison officials, who had become wary of his ceaseless petitions, revoked many other privileges that had previously been granted to the entrepreneurial prisoner. He was no longer allowed to correspond with a majority of the many bird lovers who wrote to him every week. At most, he was permitted to receive and answer only several letters each week. Using his spare time efficiently and productively, Stroud began to write down everything he had ever learned from his study of birds. He compiled all of the material into a manuscript, which he hoped to publish with the help of the editor-publisher of the Roller Canary Journal. Sexuality There have been allegations of sadism and pedophilia which were raised by short stories allegedly written by Stroud and submitted to magazines for possible publication, including those made by Jim Fisher of the The Kansas City Star, having met and interviewed Stroud early in his career and read his confiscated stories. Stroud was rumored to be a homosexual while at Alcatraz.

According to Donald Hurley, whose father was a guard at Alcatraz, "Whenever Stroud was around anyone, which was seldom, he was watched very closely, as prison officials were very aware of his overt homosexual tendencies." Hurley goes on to state, "He [a former inmate being interviewed for the book] did not know the 'Bird Man' but had heard that he was always in 'dog block' [solitary confinement] or later in the hospital because he was a 'wolf' (aggressive homosexual) who had a bad temper." Associated Files: ‎Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) directed by John Frankenheimer • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd One thing I've learned is not to abuse time. -Robert Franklin Stroud Director John Frankenheimer and screenwriter Guy Trosper bring us the life and times of Robert Franklin Stroud in what I suspect is a film that takes liberties in presenting him in a sentimental light. It was interesting to watch this now in light of all the current Oscar Nominated films that are being criticized for their historical inaccuracies.

Maybe it's the fact that the film is over 50 years old, but I found it quite easy to separate the character of Stroud played by Burt Lancaster with the real life Robert Stroud. What they do though is use his life as inspiration to tell a story of a… 2 Why I watched this one? I continue to find "new to me" Burt Lancaster movies to watch. What is this one about? A convicted murderer (Lancaster) held in permanent isolation for almost 40 years, redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert. My thoughts on this one? I would say this is one of Lancaster's career highlights. He is simply awesome as the Birdman of Alcatraz. His terrific performance makes a 2 and half hour movie fly by. Watching he go from a young angry thug to a wise old man is one of the best acting jobs I have seen. He picked up a well deserved Oscar nomination for this one. The movie also has quality performances from… Review by Anna Imhof Damn you, third act, why did you have to go and ruin everything?

A quick idea what this is about: Burt Lancaster is starring as Robert Stroud, a man who existed, a guy who killed a man in the street, killed another man in prison, is put into solitary confinement for the remainder of his life. Then one day he comes across a baby sparrow in the exercise yard, unable to spread its wings much like he himself. He takes it to his cell, makes it a nest out of a wollen sock, hunts bugs to feed them to it. At first he seems almost a little annoyed at all that noise, this other presence where there was no one… Review by Not Pauline Kael Intelligent, affecting, clearly well-meaning-too well-meaning as it drones on and on, upliftingly. The director, John Frankenheimer, and the scenarist, Guy Trosper, are so sympathetic and discreet in their near-documentary approach to Robert Stroud (who was still in prison, at 75, when the film was made) that they never solve the problem of how to dramatize the life of a convicted killer who spent more than 40 years in solitary confinement, with birds as his only companions.

We don't get enough understanding of Stroud (Burt Lancaster) to become involved in how he is transformed over the years. (Stroud wrote a book on bird diseases.) And though Lancaster has to get points for his willingness to tackle the diffcult role, he doesn't… Review by Emma Fogarty ★★★ Prior to viewing this film I had been warned by a fellow review that the cutting work left something to be desired and they were not wrong. Birdman of Alcatraz is rendered all the sloppier and jumpy for it. The film is further held back by a middling script that at points overrelies on heavy handed, bloated expositional dialogue in the form of a voiceover with a cheesy score a points to boot. And yet its hardly a disaster, the black and white photography and frames are solid, the scenes between O'Bannon and Lancaster are a delight, the relationship between the protagonist and his mother, another highlight.

Also the hypocrisy and unfairness of the prison system, how much the protagonist… Review by JesseCataldo ★★★½ Lancaster’s sturdy performance and Frankenheimer’s ingenuous shooting of various enclosed spaces helps to counterbalance the process of sanctification taken on by the script, or at least makes it a bit more palatable. The “submission, not rehabilitation” thesis establishes this as an obvious forerunner to Cool Hand Luke, although its stylistically an opposite, very much a classic studio picture despite some proto New Hollywood touches. I like how the film doesn’t strain too hard to soften Stroud’s status as an unrepentant hardass made human by his unwavering devotion to principle, and how neatly it cultivates empathy for those who come into his orbit, without short-changing the difficulty of dealing with a person like this.

It does let the character off a… Secret Birdman writings up for bid / Stories of his youth, prison life - SFGate Secret Birdman writings up for bid / Stories of his youth, prison life Jim Doyle, Chronicle Staff Writer Published 4:00 am, Sunday, September 22, 2002 Robert Stroud , the federal prisoner portrayed by actor Burt Lancaster in the 1962 movie "Birdman of Alcatraz," became known all over the world for his erudite treatises on how to make sick birds healthy. What few people realize is that after Stroud wrote his bird texts, the man who had a consuming curiosity and a passion for scientific inquiry spent years writing about two other subjects dear to his heart: himself and the federal prison system. For years, prison officials tried to suppress Stroud's secret writings, fearing public exposure of his allegations of prison guards' brutality and his graphic depictions of rampant sex behind bars. Now, two of the inmate's manuscripts may soon be headed for the public auction block. The unpublished, handwritten manuscripts reveal Stroud's abusive upbringing, his homosexuality and his fervent criticism of the prison system.

They also march somewhat in step, if not in political concert, with the tradition of powerful prison writing ranging from Alexander Solzhenitsyn 's "The Gulag Archipelago" to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Eldridge Cleaver 's "Soul on Ice." This fall, Stroud's former lawyer plans to sell the inmate's final two manuscripts -- "Bobby," an autobiography of his youth, and "Looking Outward," the prison history -- through a New York literary auction house. Prison officials say they blocked publication of the two works because the inmate's writings were lewd and they glorified criminals. Stroud sued the federal Bureau of Prisons in 1962 over the publication ban, saying his First Amendment rights were being violated, but died a year later before a court ruling could be issued. His lawyer said Stroud's writings were hardly worthy of the government's angst. "There's nothing salacious here. Stroud was quite clinical in his descriptions of sex," said Charles Dudley Martin of Springfield, Mo., an attorney who represented Stroud during a standoff with federal prison officials in the early 1960s over the inmate's free-speech rights.

WORTH AN ESTIMATED $50,000? Martin, an administrator of Stroud's estate, predicts that the two manuscripts will fetch an auction price of "probably something about $50,000." If bids are too low, he plans to ask a university press to publish the works. He also intends to auction legal files from Stroud's suit against the prison system as well as the late author Thomas Gaddis ' notes for his best- selling book, "Birdman of Alcatraz," which the late director John Frankenheimer made into a movie. In the "Bobby" manuscript, Stroud wrote a short autobiography about his childhood and adolescence in Metropolis, Ill., including the self-discovery that he was gay. "Looking Outward" is the inmate's five-volume history of the U.S. prison system from colonial times to the creation of the federal Bureau of Prisons in the early 1930s. Stroud's later writing was the voice of a self-righteous, angry man who felt that he should be released because he had atoned for his misdeeds through his innovative bird experiments.

Both works are "handwritten in an accountant's hand, using the most precise writing you've ever seen, using a good ink pen on sheets of legal-size paper," Martin said. "There are some corrections where he lines through something and begins anew. There are no erasures or blackouts. He thought a lot before he wrote." Only a handful of researchers, writers and others have read the Stroud manuscripts. Bay Area author Jolene Babyak , who wrote a biography of Robert Stroud, examined the inmate's prison history manuscript about 20 years ago. "A big portion of it was pornographic: basically, loveless sex between prisoners," said Babyak, the daughter of a former associate warden of Alcatraz. "A couple of hundred pages are polished. He has a lot of anecdotes about prison. He loved to shock people. . . . He had a lofty opinion of himself. He's very casual about violence, very casual about killing." A DIFFERENT KIND OF BIRDMAN Documentary filmmaker Nina Gilden Seavey read the manuscripts in the 1990s and explored the possibility of making a dark, gritty film about the Birdman.

"The story of Robert Stroud is not the story of Burt Lancaster being rehabilitated by the prison system," she said. "This is basically a descent into the mind of a man who is both a genius and quite mad. In some ways, the work is impenetrable. But having said that, it's fascinating." Stroud went to prison in 1909 at the age of 19 for shooting to death a bartender in Alaska during a brawl over a woman. Convicted of manslaughter, he was first sent to McNeil Island Federal Penitentiary in Washington state. He was then transferred to Leavenworth, Kan., where he stabbed a guard to death in the mess hall. Stroud was only 26. During three decades at Leavenworth, he earned the reputation as a smiling, psychopathic killer. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged, but President Woodrow Wilson commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. Stroud bred canary birds for 22 years at Leavenworth. He described and measured their illnesses. He went on to find remedies that applied not only to canary birds but also to domestic birds, poultry and wild birds.

With only a grade school education , he taught himself to use a microscope and a microteme (a device that makes a thin slice of animal or vegetable tissue so that its matter can be examined by a microscope). He read scientific journals in German and Spanish with the help of a dictionary. Stroud submitted his findings to scientific journals and wrote two books on birds, including his most famous work, "Stroud's Digest of the Diseases of Birds." But his success rattled prison officials. In 1942, Leavenworth's warden took away his instruments, saying they could be used to make alcohol, and transferred him to Alcatraz. NO BIRDS AT ALCATRAZ Contrary to popular belief, Stroud was prevented from raising birds on Alcatraz. Stripped of his birds and scientific instruments, the gaunt prisoner with a hawk-like forehead spent 17 years on "the Rock" in the middle of San Francisco Bay. There, he was kept in solitary confinement -- at first in an isolation cell, and later in Alcatraz's hospital wing -- not permitted to speak unless spoken to by guards. "Stroud was used to being alone, but not without books and scientific instruments," said Martin.

"But he didn't perish or self-destruct. He put his time at Alcatraz to good use. He not only survived, he prospered." Perhaps. But former guards at Alcatraz recall the Birdman as a ruthless killer who threatened to harm anyone who got in his way. They also say that he was depressed on Alcatraz and tried to kill himself at least once. "Bobby," written in first person, was the nickname that Stroud's mother had given her only son. The limited autobiography covers his life as a young boy and teenager, before he went to prison. It offers a glimpse into his violent relationship with his abusive, alcoholic father. And he also relates his first intimate experiences with men as a teen. In "Looking Outward," Stroud attempted to write a critical history of the U. S. prison system. He studied the published accounts from colonial times about federal prisoners who were kept in county jails and state prisons. He interviewed inmates who had served time at federal penitentiaries, recording their detailed descriptions of mistreatment. And he interviewed some prison guards. In one chapter, Stroud wrote a detailed description of sex between men in prison. In another, he wrote of guards beating prisoners with whips and canes.

Another chapter details the construction of Leavenworth Penitentiary in the early 1900s. The brick prison was built by inmates, who first made sod huts on the Kansas prairie to house themselves during the winter. PROMPTED NEW RULES Stroud had received permission from the warden at Alcatraz to write a penal history, but bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., balked when they reviewed his manuscript. The top brass hastily created new rules for inmate authors, forbidding the publication of any inmate's work that was obscene, criticized the prison system, or glorified crime. The inmate was transferred in 1959 to a federal prison for chronically ill inmates in Springfield, Mo., where he died in 1963. Martin, the Missouri attorney, was named administrator of Stroud's estate and gained custody of the manuscripts in lieu of compensation for his legal services. He tried to hawk the prison history manuscript to publishers, but they expressed little or no interest. "Some said it was too long. Others were afraid of being sued for libel because he wrote about living people -- corrupt prison officials, sadistic guards and brutalized prisoners," Martin said.

"Others said no one was interested in the prison system, or that history doesn't sell. Some of the great stories in literature are prison stories. I guess they hadn't read 'The Count of Monte Cristo' or 'The Gulag Archipelago.' " Martin insists that Stroud's observations on the U.S. prison system are still relevant today. "I think it's a work of great social value. We're still trying to answer the questions that Stroud raised," he said. "The number of Americans incarcerated is greater than ever before. It costs a lot of money to incarcerate people, and what do we get in return for it? Do we get a better person than what went in, or a worse person?" STROUD'S FINAL MANUSCRIPTS This fall, Robert Stroud's former lawyer plans to sell the inmate's final two handwritten manuscripts -- "Bobby," an autobiography of his youth, and "Looking Outward," the prison history -- through a New York literary auction house. Latest from the SFGATE homepage: Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more.

Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page. Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) - Plot Summary - IMDb Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) Plot Summary Showing all 4 plot summaries In 1912, the notorious and violent prisoner Robert Franklin Stroud is transferred to the Leavenworth Prison convicted for murdering a man. When a guard cancels the visit of his mother, Elizabeth Stroud, due to a violation of the internal rules, he stabs and kills the guard and goes to trial three times. He is sentenced to be executed by the gallows, but his mother appeals to President Woodrow Wilson who commutes his sentence to life imprisonment. However, the warden, Harvey Shoemaker, decides to keep Stroud in solitary for the rest of his life. One day, Stroud finds a sparrow that has fallen from the nest in the yard and he raises the bird until it is strong enough to fly. Stroud finds a motivation for his life raising and caring for birds and becomes an expert in birds. He marries Stella Johnson and together they run a business, providing medicine developed by Stroud.

But a few years after, Stroud is transferred to Alcatraz and has to leave his birds behind. - Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The incarcerated life of Robert Stroud at Leavenworth and Alcatraz from 1912 to 1959 - the last forty-three of those years in solitary confinement - is presented, that end date which is when he is about to leave Alcatraz for good, the result of the writings of advocate Thomas E. Gaddis . Stroud's story starts in year three of his twelve year sentence for manslaughter. In the eyes of the authorities, he is seen as dangerous and unrepentant, not so much of the crime itself but of what they see as his stand against their authority. That attitude leads to him murdering someone else in prison, which ultimately results in a life sentence to be spent in solitary confinement. His life begins to change in 1920 when he finds an abandoned baby sparrow in the prison courtyard. This find begins a self-taught life as an ornithology expert, most specifically in combating bird diseases, many which had no known cure before his findings.

Over the course of his imprisonment, his relationships with those people key to what happens to him are shown. They include: his mother, who began as his sole focus in life early in his incarceration, but with who he had a falling out late in her life; Harvey Shoemaker, the prison warden at both Leavenworth and Alcatraz for the better part of his incarceration, and who was in many respects his chief antagonist based on their differing views of the penal system in general; Bull Ransom, who was his primary guard for most of his stay at Leavenworth; and Stella Johnson, whose initial connection to him is through their mutual interest in birds. - Written by Huggo As an inmate at Leavenworth prison, Robert Stroud has a series of confrontations with the guards and with the other convicts. When Stroud kills a guard, he is sentenced to be executed, and only his mother's impassioned intervention gets his sentence commuted to life imprisonment, which he must serve in solitary confinement. As he serves out his sentence in boredom and despair, one day he finds a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard.

Stroud soon takes a deep interest in caring for birds, which gives him a new purpose in life, but which also brings new conflicts with prison authorities. - Written by Snow Leopard A surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert. Famous Inmates at Alcatraz | List of Notable Prisoners of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary (Page 2) Famous Inmates at Alcatraz By treadLightly 62k views 31 items tags f t p @ List Criteria: Only notable prisoners at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary List of Famous Inmates at Alcatraz ranked by fame and notoriety. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary is a prison located on Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco. Alcatraz operated from 1934 through 1963 and during that time they had several famous prisoners. Alcatraz had 36 inmates make escape attempts, none of which were successful. Who is the most famous inmate at Alcatraz? Notorious gangster Al Capone tops our list.

Capone spent four and a half years at Alcatraz and he continued to run his illegal operations behind bars by buying off the prison guards. Mafia man Mickey Cohen also spent time at Alcatraz and became partially paralyzed by another inmate who beat him with a pipe. Frank Lee Morris was an Alcatraz inmate who attempted to escape in 1962. He escaped along with brothers John and Clarence Anglin and was never seen again. Authorities presume that Morris died in the attempt. Another famous Alcatraz inmate Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, the American mob boss and bookmaker, claims that he arranged for a boat to pick up the escapees, but authorities dismissed his comments as an attempt to receive a plea deal. What do you think about Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary? Share your thoughts in the comments section. List Photo: user uploaded image Z Photo: uploaded by treadLightly Along with Theodore Cole, Ralph Roe took part in the second documented escape from Alcatraz. In 1937, after working in the tire shop, the two two men escaped into the dense fog surrounding the island and used 5 gallon cans in an attempt to traverse the waters. Their bodies were never found .

Whitey Bulger Photo: Freebase /Public domain Despite White Bulgar's incredibly long wrap sheet, he only spent three years on Alcatraz after taking part in the military's MK ULTRA program . He's one of only 11 inmates to survive Alcatraz. Robert Franklin Stroud Photo: Freebase /Public domain Most famously known as the Birdman of Leavenworth, Stroud was one of the most notorious killers the United States, as well as a genius and respected ornithologist.When he was transferred to Alcatraz he was stripped of his birds and equipment, so he wrote a history of the penal system . Clarence Anglin Photo: Freebase /Public domain After trying to escape from Florida the state penitentiary, Anglin was sent to Alcatraz with his brother John (which seems like a very bad idea!) and they planned an elaborate escape attempt which took place on June 11 1962. Clarence disappeared without a trace and is still wanted by the FBI , although he's presumed dead. John Anglin Photo: Freebase /Public domain John Anglin, along with his brother Clarence, and Frank Morris, took part in the 1962 escape attempt from Alcatraz .

The official report on the escape says the prisoners drowned in the bay but since then, there have been reports that there was an illegal boat in the bay on the night of the escape, that there have been sightings of the three men and that friends and family members have received many unsigned postcards and messages. Alvin Karpis Photo: Freebase /Public domain "Creepy Karpis" was a murderer and burglar who was the longest serving prisoner of Alcatraz, he was interred on the island until 1962 , one year before it closed. Bumpy Johnson Photo: Freebase /Public domain Bumpy Johnson was a Harlem mob boss who was celebrated in the Black community as the man who made a tenuous peace with the Italian community. While incarcerated he spent most of his time on Alcatraz, where he helped three fellow inmates escape by arranging to have a boat pick them up once they broke out and made it to San Francisco Bay. Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud - Masonic Cemetery - Metropolis, Il. - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com you are not logged in.

[log in] Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud - Masonic Cemetery - Metropolis, Il. - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com Welcome to Waymarking.com! We hope you've been able to find what you are looking for. We would also like to encourage you to take some time to browse some of the other aspects of our site. We recommend viewing our featured waymarks , or perhaps the newest waymarks . You can also create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others.

Click here to view the complete waymark directory N 37° 10.154 W 088° 43.849 16S E 346334 N 4115048 Quick Description: Robert Stroud is buried in the Masonic Cemetery - Lois Lane and North Avenue in Metropolis, Illinois Location: Illinois, United States Date Posted: 10/13/2013 5:00:15 PM Waymark Code: WMJ96H ( visit link ) "Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 - November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a federal American prisoner, cited as one of the most notorious criminals in American history. During his time at Leavenworth Penitentiary he reared and sold birds and became a respected ornithologist, but despite his nickname, he was not permitted to keep his birds at Alcatraz, where he was incarcerated from 1942.

Born in Seattle, Stroud ran away from his abusive father at the age of 13, and by the time he was 18, he had become a pimp in Alaska. In January 1909, he shot and killed a barman who had attacked one of his prostitutes, Kitty O’Brien, turning himself into the authorities. He was found guilty of manslaughter on 23 August 1909, and sentenced to 12 years in the federal penitentiary on Puget Sound's McNeil Island. Stroud gained a reputation as an extremely dangerous inmate who frequently had confrontations with fellow inmates and staff, and on 26 March 1916, he stabbed guard Andrew F. Turner to death in the cafeteria for stripping Stroud of his visitation privilege to meet his younger brother, whom he had not seen in eight years. Convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to execution by hanging, after several trials, Stroud's sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment.

Stroud began serving life in solitary confinement at Leavenworth, where in 1920, after discovering a nest with three injured sparrows in the prison yard, he began raising them, and within a few years had acquired a collection of some 300 canaries. He began extensive research into them after being granted equipment by a radical prison-reforming warden, publishing Diseases of Canaries in 1933, which was smuggled out of Leavenworth and sold en masse, and a later edition, Stroud's Digest on the Diseases of Birds (1943), with updated, specific information. He made several important contributions to avian pathology, most notably a cure for the hemorrhagic septicemia family of diseases, gaining much respect and some level of sympathy among ornithologists and farmers. Stroud ran a successful business from inside prison, but his birding activities infuriated the prison staff, and he was eventually transferred to Alcatraz in 1942 after it was discovered that Stroud had been secretly making alcohol using some of the equipment in his cell.

Stroud began serving a 17-year term at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on 19 December 1942, and became inmate #594. In 1943, he was assessed by psychiatrist Romney M. Ritchey, who diagnosed him as a psychopath, but with an I.Q. of 134. Stripped of his birds and equipment, he wrote a history of the penal system entitled Looking Outward: A History of the U.S. Prison System from Colonial Times to the Formation of the Bureau of Prisons. He spent six years in segregation and another 11 confined to the hospital wing because of his health. In 1959, with his health failing, Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he stayed until his death on 21 November 1963, at the age of 73, having been incarcerated for the last 54 years of his life, of which 42 were in solitary confinement. He had been studying French near the end of his life. Robert Stroud is buried in Metropolis, Illinois.

Carl Sifakais considers Stroud to have been "possibly the best-known example of self-improvement and rehabilitation in the U.S. prison."" Description: See above - Robert Stroud was known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" Date of birth: 1/28/1890

Question: Convict Robert Franklin Stroud was better known as whom?
Answer: The Birdman of Alcatraz