Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Guy Trosper (screenplay)
Thomas E. Gaddis (book)

Release Date:

3 JÚLIUS 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

now the world will know the story of the most defiant man alive!

Plot:

A surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert.

Plot Keywords:

Bird | Prison | Convict | Solitary Confinement | Murderer

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Robert Franklin Stroud
Karl Malden	...	Harvey Shoemaker
Thelma Ritter	...	Elizabeth Stroud
Neville Brand	...	Bull Ransom
Betty Field	...	Stella Johnson
Telly Savalas	...	Feto Gomez
Edmond O'Brien	...	Thomas E. 'Tom' Gaddis
Hugh Marlowe	...	Roy Comstock
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Ellis
Crahan Denton	...	Kramer
James Westerfield	...	Jess Younger

Runtime:

147 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:16 (1962) | West Germany:16 (f) | France:U | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Company:

Norma Productions

Trivia:

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.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In his narration at the start of the film, Gaddis states that Stroud has been in solitary confinement since 1916, the year Kaiser Wilhelm ordered the sinking of the Lusitania. This is incorrect on two counts. First, while Germany was then waging unrestricted submarine warfare and regarded any ships traveling to or from the British Isles as fair targets, neither the Kaiser nor the German government gave any specific order to target the Lusitania. Second, the ship was sunk in 1915, not 1916.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tour guide: ...during which you will see all of the man-made and natural beauties, the most spectacular bay in the world. You'll pass beneath the famous Golden Gate Bridge, considered by most authorities to be one of the most striking structures ever erected by man...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Birdman of Boston (#2.28)" (2006)

Lancaster's Fine Performance Makes Up For The Weaknesses

Burt Lancaster's fine performance as "Birdman" Robert Stroud makes up for the movie's weaknesses elsewhere. Thanks to Lancaster, it is an interesting and at times very human story, with a number of memorable scenes. The story itself does has some slow spots, and it probably goes on a bit too long. More than that, while it takes some of its basic facts from reality, its portrayal of the lead character is idealized at best, and is probably quite distorted in his favor.

None of the flaws can be blamed on Lancaster, who successfully portrays all sides of his character. Sometimes brutal, sometimes sensitive; sometimes brilliant, sometimes foolish; he makes Stroud a three-dimensional and memorable character. Few of the other characters have much depth, but most of them are played well by the supporting cast.

For all that Lancaster's portrayal of Stroud is so believable in itself, the movie's depiction of the "Birdman" seems to be very much at odds with his real character. It's too bad that Hollywood film-makers are rarely satisfied to portray a complex historical character as he or she really was, without idealizing or demonizing someone to force a story into a simple mold. It's even more of a problem now than it was in the 1960s. If the actual facts don't make for a good movie, you can always use the basic idea to write a completely fictional story that is not passed off as factual.

Yet as a movie, this is still well worth seeing. If taken just as a story, it makes for interesting viewing, and it contains some worthwhile ideas. Some of the later scenes seem a bit anti-climactic, yet they do round out the story, and they also allow Lancaster the opportunity to develop his character even further.