Alfred Hitchcock is undoubtedly one of the most influential filmmakers that has ever lived and his films have made a mark on filmmakers today. He has an unusual yet affecting way of inducing suspense and intensity in his films and his works like Psycho, Rebecca, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and The Birds are proof of that.
The latter is one of Hitchcock’ most audacious films and actress Tippi Hedren was the lead of the film. The director is known for his rigorous process of bringing his vision to life and this proved to be an excruciating experience for Hedren as she got pecked at by real birds following a last-minute switch-up made by Hitchcock.
Tippi Hedren Was Horrified At Alfred Hitchcock’s Approach While Filming The Birds
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds was one of the director’s most unique films as it integrated a natural horror element involving birds and their reign of terror on the inhabitants of California’s Bodega Bay. Tippi Hedren played the role of Melanie Daniels and she detailed her experience of filming the project in her memoir Tippi.
Tippi wrote about the challenges in shooting the iconic bedroom scene in the film where she gets attacked by birds. It seems the planned mechanical birds that were to be used did not materialize and live birds were ordered for the scene by Hitchcock.
With ravens, doves, and a few pigeons just hurling and pecking at her, Tippi had a brutal experience, trying to survive the attack, while Hitchcock kept on filming the scene. He wrote (via People),
“Everything was building toward the famous ‘bedroom scene’. [Assistant director James H. Brown informed that] the mechanical birds aren’t working, so we’re going to have to use live ones. It was brutal and ugly and relentless. I was too focused on my own survival to notice, but I was told later that it was even more horrifying and heartbreaking for the crew to watch than the previous four days had been. And there wasn’t a thing anyone but Hitchcock could do to put a stop to it.”
Hedren further wrote how she had to take a week’s rest after her horrifying ordeal, but Hitchcock was against it as there were portions of the film that were left to shoot. The actress got rave reviews for her performance in The Birds and Hedren calls it a thrilling experience that she felt justifiably earned.
Cary Grant Was in Awe Of Tippi Hedren’s Determination While Filming The Birds
Cary Grant was a frequent collaborator of Alfred Hitchcock and the duo has starred in four films including Suspicion, To Catch a Thief, Notorious, and North By Northwest. The actor was visiting the set of Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds and was very impressed by actress Tippi Hedren who was shooting the film under very brutal conditions with birds pecking at her for an important scene in the film.
In her memoir Tippi, the actress wrote that Grant complimented her saying that she was the bravest woman he has ever met. Hedren was overwhelmed by the whole situation and told herself that she wouldn’t let Hitchcock break her. She wrote (via Vogue),
“Cary Grant, one of Hitch’s favorite leading men, happened to be visiting the set that day and told me between takes, “You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever seen.” I was never frightened, I was just overwhelmed and in some form of shock, and I just kept saying to myself over and over again, “I won’t let him break me. I won’t let him break me.”
Hitchcock and Hedren had a complicated and conflicting dynamic on set and she was not happy with the horrifying conditions she was put under by the director. Hitchcock even told Hedren that he would ruin her career, nevertheless, the film was a critical and commercial success and is one of Hitchcock’s popular films.
