Wednesday, May 9, 2012

'The Birds' , Tippi Hedren, Film Stories, Hitchcock

Last night was one of those magnificent nights again. I am truly fortunate to be able to attend all of these events. It's very true that if you want things to happen you have to go get them. I wanted to dive into the world of Movies, Books and Broadway and this I did.

Last night Robert Milazzo from The Modern School of Film interviewed Tippi Hedren after a showing of 'The Birds,' the Hitchcock film at the Cinema Village.

My Mom took me to see 'The Birds' and 'Marnie,' Tippi's other Hitch film when I was little. I was so scared that the birds were really going to come get us that I plotted where I was going to hide. My Grandmother had a closet that was made of metal. That was the place. Probably wouldn't have been able to breathe, but I figured since the birds could peck through wood and glass, metal was the only way to go. Anyhoo, watching that movie transported me back to being with my Mom and remembering how she kept telling me that Tippi was so beautiful.

She still is. She isn't just beautiful, she's funny and kind and amazing. I'm not going to put this in quotes simply because I'm a little in a hurry, but here's the jest of it to share with all of you interested film people.....
Hitchcock was obsessed with her and he said he would ruin her career. She didn't want any part of that and decided if that's what it takes, so be it. So he kept her under contract for 2 more years after 'Marnie' and she couldn't work. Worse yet Hitchcock's wife knew and wouldn't help Tippi. She  told her she was sorry she was going through that. Tippi told her she could make it stop, but Mrs. Hitch, for whatever reason, wouldn't.

Also on the set of The Birds she was lied to about mechanical birds being used. They were real.

Charlie Chaplin asked Tippi to be in his last film, 'A Countess From Hong Kong,' along with Brando and Sophia Loren. She was asked what Chaplin's style of directing was and she said that he acted out each person's part. He would go from Sophia's part, to Marlon's part. Marlon really didn't like that but he had to stick it out.

Stay tuned...more to come....







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