Birdman of Alcatraz
DVD cover
Directed by	John Frankenheimer
Produced by	Harold Hecht
Written by	Thomas E. Gaddis (book) Guy Trosper
Starring	Burt Lancaster Karl Malden Thelma Ritter Neville Brand Telly Savalas
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography	Burnett Guffey
Editing by	Edward Mann
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	3 July 1962
Running time	143 min.
Country	U.S.A
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, a federal prison inmate known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his life with birds. John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film director. ... Harold Hecht (1907-1985) was US film producer. ... Thomas E. Gaddis (1908–1984) was a United States author, most noted for his book Birdman of Alcatraz. ... Guy Trosper (1911 - 1963) was an American screenwriter. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Karl Malden portraying Gen. ... Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American character actress of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. ... Brand in D.O.A. (1950) Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992), was an American television and movie actor. ... Telly Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor whose career spanned four decades. ... Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1])(April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer best known for his work writing music for film and television. ... American cinematographer Burnett Guffey (May 26, 1905 - May 30, 1983) was born in Del Rio, Tennessee, USA. The Academy Award-winning lensman began as an assistant cameraman in the early 1920 while still a teenager. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film director. ... Categories: Movie stubs | 1890 births | 1963 deaths | Seattleites | 1962 films | Best Actor Oscar Nominee (film) | Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominee (film) ...

The movie was critically acclaimed and a great commercial success. The film was adapted by Guy Trosper from a 1955 book of the same name by Thomas E. Gaddis. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Burt Lancaster), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Telly Savalas), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter) and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Stroud was never allowed to see the film. Guy Trosper (1911 - 1963) was an American screenwriter. ... Thomas E. Gaddis (1908–1984) was a United States author, most noted for his book Birdman of Alcatraz. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... The Academy Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ...

Plot summary

The movie is told in flashback, narrated by Edmond O'Brien, who plays Gaddis, the author of the book upon which the movie is based. Edmond OBrien (September 10, 1915–May 9, 1985) was an American film actor who is perhaps best remembered for his role in D.O.A.. Born in New York, New York, OBrien made his film debut in 1938, and gradually built a career as a highly regarded supporting...

Robert Stroud is imprisoned as a young man for committing a murder in Alaska. He is shown as a rebellious inmate, fighting against a rigid prison system. In an early scene he breaks open the window of a prison train, so that suffocating inmates can breathe.

He is sentenced to life in prison after stabbing a guard who denied him a visit from his mother, played by Thelma Ritter. The terms of the sentence require that he be kept in solitary confinement for the rest of his life. His rebellious attitude -- portrayed in the film as justifiable -- puts him in conflict with the warden of Leavenworth prison, played by Karl Malden. Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American character actress of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. ... For the city in the state of Washington, see Leavenworth, Washington. ... Karl Malden portraying Gen. ...

To break the monotony, Stroud adopts a bird as a pet. When the bird gets sick, he experiments with a cure. As the years pass, working with many birds, he becomes an expert on bird diseases. He publishes a book on bird remedies, and then writes a history of the U.S. penal system that is suppressed. He remains rebellious and at odds with authority. He marries and then divorces a woman who had corresponded with him about birds. This turns his mother against him.

Stroud is abruptly transferred to the federal penitentiary at Alcatraz, a new maximum security institution where he is not permitted to keep birds. He is now growing elderly, and though still rebellious he is a positive influence, and helps stop a prison rebellion in 1946. He is transferred to a prison hospital after Alcatraz closes, but efforts to gain his freedom fail. Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. ...

Fact versus fiction

Burt Lancaster’s impersonation of Stroud stirred sympathy with the general public. However, prison historians have pointed out that the real Stroud was a merciless killer who showed no remorse for his crimes. ...

External links

Birdman of Alcatraz at the Internet Movie Database Birdman of Alcatraz at All Movie Guide Crime Library article on Robert Stroud The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, films, television shows, television stars, video games and production crew personnel. ... All Movie Guide is a free-access, commercial database for information about films and television programs and their actors. ...

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