Our team of Hitchcock experts will be online after the UK transmission of The Girl on Wednesday 26th December between 2230-Midnight GMT, 1730-1900 EST and 1430-1600 PST, to answer all your questions on the making of The Birds and Marnie.
Post your questions here:
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Where was The Birds filmed?
I think you did the right thing with your forum.
I actually met Tippi Hedren and had the chance to talk with her about The Birds and Marnie a little bit. I believe Hitchcock was kind of obssessed with her. Diane Baker confirmed it and I think she is honest. And also, every Hitchcock blonde “has a different take on him.” I think like Jay Presson Allen, it was an “old man cri de coeur.”
However, I think everything was exaggerated although, unlike Veronica Cartwright, I believe Hedren is a great actress and had the potential to be a big star.
I believe it was exaggerated because of Donald Spoto and I think you should write about this because there many contradictions in his two books, “DARK SIDE” and “SPELLBOUND BY BEAUTY”. For example, the “make yourself sexually available” incident took place in late February 1964 in “Dark side” and in March 1964 in “Spellbound”. I was also “surprised” to see that he praised Joan Fontaine in the first book and dismissed her in the second. Is it due to Miss Fontaine’s thoughts that Hitchcock was pretending to be a dirty old man and was not a sexual harasser ?
I also think it’s exaggerated for many little things. According to Patrick McGilligan, Hitchcock told Lew Wasserman during the shooting of Marnie that Hedren was surely going to get a nomination. Is it why Hedren believe she was really going to receive one ? Can’t believe it even if I think she deserved it.
Miss Hedren also claimed : “He kept me under contract, paid me to do nothing for close on two years.” So, why did she do a “Kraft Suspense Theatre” episode and another one for “Run for Your Life”, both in 1965, so one year after Marnie ?
I agree with Louise Latham when she says “You’re an actress against the most competitive job in the whole damn world, and you have to go up against everyone and not everyone is going to like you and your work.” Here is 1966 interview – http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f0pJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RoQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=532,4478455 – where Hedren says she is going to wait for something special to come along, because it was very special to work for Hitchcock and Chaplin. My conclusion is that, maybe Hitchcock tried to ruin her career, but she didn’t do anything to have one after Marnie.
I have a few questions for you.
1/ First of all, I would like to know if you are related to Mister Hitchcock.
2/ Do you have any contact with Tippi Hedren ? That would be very interesting to see what she has to say after reading her co-workers’ comments.
3/ Have you been in touch with Hitchcock’s family ? I would like to know what does his daughter Patricia think of Hedren and The Girl. According to Julian Jarrold, his family has not objected to the film.
Thank you.
Alexandre R.
Michael, The Birds was filmed in Bodega Bay in Northern California and at Universal Studios
Alexandre, in answer to your questions:
1) No we’re not related
2) Yes we interviewed Tippi
3) Yes we’re in touch with the family but they have declined to comment on both ‘Hitchcock’ the movie and ‘The Girl’
Hi All,
Watching this film now, really really winding me up.
From what I can tell this film is only shown from the one point of view and that any untoward events are never witnessed by a third party.
Are there any co-oberating accounts from other parties that can give any of this credence?
The BBC interviewed Rita Riggs (wardrobe), Jim Brown (AD) and Diane Baker (co-star on Marnie).
Jim Brown sadly died last year, but his widow protested to The Daily Telegraph and the others have publicly denied the portrayal of Hitchcock in The Girl.
Thank you. And, what does she feel/think/has to say about all these reactions ?
She hasn’t been asked but interviews with other sources suggest that Hitch’s co-workers are siding with him
Did you know Mister Hitchcock himself ? Worked with him ?
I wonder if you know what happened after Marnie. According to Patrick McGilligan, Mister Hitchcock and Miss Hedren met several times. Do you know why ? I heard he had another project, Mary Rose, with her in mind for the leading role.
And also, she was at the AFI event in 1979 to honor him but, do you know if they ever meet again after the last meeting in 1966 during the Chaplin film shooting ?
John Russell Taylor met Mr. Hitchcock many times for the official biography “Hitch”
Mary Rose was cancelled by Universal even though a second draft script was written by Jay Presson Allen. Universal felt the project was uncommercial.
Not aware of any meetings between Tea at the Ritz and the 1979 AFI
I have seen a french TV show recently in which Kim Novak says she could not believe it. I wonder what does Miss Novak think about Miss Hedren’s behaviour ?
Do you know if Mister Hitchcock liked Marnie even after the traumatic experience ?
Do you know anything about Edward Dmytryk’s Mirage and Ralph Levy’s Bedtime Story that Mister Hitchcock is supposed, like for the François Truffaut’s film, to have turned down on Miss Hedren’s behalf ?