The Legacy of Tippi Hedren & The Birds

The Birds is a 1963 American horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 novell The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few days.

I saw The Birds when I was younger, and I remember feeling afraid in a new way. This wasn’t a B-movie with made-up monsters; it presented a situation in which real life everyday crows go all homicidal without warning.

Although no doubt if you were to watch The Birds in 2011, it would seem a lot more campy than scary, Tippi Hedren’s character has really stood the test of time. You can reprise the role with this Halloween costume for sale here.

In 2008, an official The Birds Barbie doll was released. (Three years prior to the tokidoki tattoo Barbie!) That same year, while driving up the coast I saw a sign in Bodega Bay announcing that Tippi Hedren was doing a signing. Naturally, I pulled over to investigate. Hedren, who now focuses her energy on running the Shambala Preserve, declined to reprise her famous stance, but I got this shot.