Alfred Hitchcock was the master of suspense; well, everyone knows that. But let me break the news that he was also a master of horror movies. If you’ve watched the classic horror film The Birds (1963), you know what I’m talking about. You’ve seen horror flicks that have ghosts and monsters in them, but in this movie, the most scary thing is birds. In this article, I’ll discuss the film and tell you where was The Birds filmed.
The horror thriller film The Birds narrates the story of a small California town where hundreds and thousands of birds wreak havoc and attack the town’s residents. The movie became a cult classic and one of the greatest horror thrillers ever.
Back in the day, people were surprised after watching the movie because no one ever imagined that even birds can also be frightening. I must say all credit goes to the master, Alfred Hitchcock. The Birds features some prominent and veteran actors like Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren, and Veronica Cartwright.
Now let me tell you where was The Birds filmed. The classic horror thriller movie was shot in California, United States of America.
Written by Evan Hunter and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds premised in New York City on 28th March 1963, followed by its wide release in the United States on 29th March 1963. It was released on streaming platforms on 1 October 2014. Interestingly, the horror thriller movie was re-released in the US on 22 October 2023. However, let’s jump into the details of the filming locations.
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Where Was The Birds Filmed? Filming Locations Of Classic Horror Thriller!
The US Library of Congress selected Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds for preservation in the National Film Registry. The movie was also nominated for an Oscar. Tippi Hedren, who played one of the leads, won a Golden Globe Award for her performance. The movie was well-received by critics back in the day, who praised Hitchcock’s brilliant direction and applauded how he approached the horror-thriller genre and experimented with it.
Hitchcock, who is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, certainly needs no introduction as we all are aware of his contribution to cinema. The classic horror thriller movie got an incredible score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.6 on IMDb. However, let’s check out where was The Birds filmed.
California, United States Of America
The classic horror thriller film The Birds was filmed in California, specifically in Bodega Bay, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The movie was shot at multiple locations across California. The scene in which Melanie and Mitch meet for the first time at the pet shop was filmed at Powell Street, Union Square, San Francisco.
Several scenes of the horror thriller movie were filmed in the town of Bodega Bay. The scene where Melanie meets Annie Hayworth was filmed at Bodega Bay, which is quite close to San Francisco. It takes an hour and a half to reach there from metropolitan San Francisco. The sequence in which a swarm of birds gather in a jungle gym was shot near Potter Schoolhouse in Bodega Bay.
A couple of other sequences were also filmed there, including the scene in which Annie dies. Interestingly, not many people are aware of this, but the Potter Schoolhouse was haunted, and the cast and crew knew about it. Initially, the cast hesitated to shoot there, but Hitchcock was adamant.
The restaurant scenes were shot at the Tides Wharf and Restaurant in Bodega Bay. It was once a popular restaurant, but now it has become a big hotel called Tides Inn. The sequence where several seagulls attack Melanie was filmed at West Side Road, Bodega Bay.
The production team shot some scenes in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. Some other scenes were filmed at Universal Studios, which is at 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California. The cast and crew shot mainly in stages 44, 32, and 28.
Plot Of The Birds (1963) | Lock All Doors And Windows!
The story of The Birds revolves around Melanie Daniels, played by Tippi Hedren. Melanie is a modern woman and a wealthy socialite. She is confident and gets what she wants. When she comes across Mitch Brenner, played by Rod Taylor, at a pet shop, they share a funny conversation, after which Mitch leaves. When Melanie finds out that he is heading to the small town of Bodega Bay in northern San Francisco, she follows him.
Mitch visits his mother, Lydia, and sister, Cathy, and decides to spend the weekend with them. Later on, when Melanie arrives, all the birds in the town start to act strange. All of a sudden, a seagull attacks Melanie while she crosses the bay in a small boat. On the other hand, Lydia’s neighbor dies when several seagulls attack her. Soon, hundreds and thousands of birds attack the town’s residents killing many.
Final Words
Now you know all the filming locations of the classic horror thriller movie The Birds. If you wish to check out the filming spots, well, in that case, you can start making a plan. However, if you haven’t watched the movie, you better watch it as soon as possible. And also, if you liked reading the article, do not forget to let me know.
Which Was Alfred Hitchcock’s Last Movie?
Family Plot (1976) was Alfred Hitchcock’s last movie.
Was Alfred Hitchcock American?
No, Alfred Hitchcock was an English filmmaker.
Is The Birds Based On A Short Story?
Yes, The Birds is based on the 1952 short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier.
Where To Watch The Birds Online?
You can watch The Birds on Peacock.
Is The Birds A PG-13 Rated Film?
Yes, The Birds is a PG-13 rated film.
