Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Birdman of Alcatraz
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Written by Guy Trosper from a book by Thomas E. Gaddis
1962/USA
Norma Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Robert Stroud: I could use more room. For my birds.[/box]

This film asks the question: Can a psychopath by rehabilitated by birds?  It fails to answer it.

When we first meet Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster) he is a surly, defiant young punk doing life in Levenworth for one murder.  He has a serious hang up about his mama (Thelma Ritter) and woe betide anyone who merely mentions her name.  This obsession leads him to conflict with a guard, whom he murders.  He is sentenced to death this time.  Mama works tirelessly for a reprieve and at the last minute President Wilson commutes his death sentence to life.  Warden Harven Shoemaker (Karl Malden) assures him he will wish he were dead as he is determined that Stroud will spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement.

In the exercise yard one day Stroud finds a baby sparrow whose nest has been blown down in a wind storm.  He nurses the infant to maturity.

Finally, a new warden takes over at Levenworth.  This man is impressed with Stroud, who has actually trained the little bird brain, and allows him to keep his pet.  Soon the other inmates are getting canaries from their relatives.  As they tire of the birds,  Stroud acquires a huge aviary from which he breeds even more birds.  An epidemic among his charges causes Stroud to study bird diseases.  Over the course of decades, he becomes a foremost expert in ornithology.  He also acquires a bird-loving wife (Betty Field).  She works for his release but clashes with mama.

Eventually, Stroud is transferred to Alcatraz where he meets up again with Warden Shoemaker and is forbidden to keep birds.  With Telly Savalas as Stroud’s next-door cell-mate.

I adored all the acting and the bird-related portions of this movie.  There is a wonderful scene showing a baby canary emerging from the egg.  I was not so hot on the critique of the prison system parts which seemed cliched to me.  It did not help that I had read before hand that Stroud was not only a murderer but a pedophile.  I thought he deserved to remain in prison, a view not shared by the film.  Worth seeing.

Birdman of Alcatraz was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actor; Best Supporting Actor (Savalas); Best Supporting Actress (Ritter); and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White.

Trailer