The hundreds of birds found in Bodega Bay were not the usual subject of horror films. Certainly the film animals that inhabited horror films were not intelligent with an ability to act in unison. Alfred Hitchock’s brilliance wove those disparate themes together
for his groundbreaking horror film, “The Birds.”
In 1961, Alfred Hithcock needed a remote coastal location for is next film. He had already shot one movie in the area: the 1942 thriller “Shadow of a Doubt” filmed in Santa Rosa. He needed a spot that would give him clear shots of sky, without interference from trees and mountains.
“The Birds” is based on a short story by Daphne DuMaurier. Essentially, a mood piece, DuMaurier’s story chronicles the struggles of a farmer and his family when murderous birds
attack their English seashore village. Screenwriter Evan Hunter, whose credits include “The Blackboard Jungle” and “Last Summer,” changed the location to the California coast. The story immediately suggested a myriad of cinematic possibilities that stirred Hitchcock’s creative instincts.
Financed by his successful television show and filmed with equipment borrowed from the Revue Studio, “The Birds” debuted as Hitchcock’s first horror/fantasy film. It has come to be known as a precursor to modern horror movies and marks the first time cinematic animals acted in an organized attack on humans.
Hitchcock picked the towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay to serve as the setting for his thrilled featuring Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette and, of course, the birds. At the time, the special effects utilized were enough to thrill and frighten young and old, and the film continues to affect modern day viewers. Mechanical and live-trained birds were used in the film, along with
optically altered film overlay of flying birds. The film took almost three years to complete before it was released in 1963.
Hitchcock chose the Bodega Bay area for the foggy weather and skyline, which at that time was subdued and open. When the time came for shooting, however, Hitchcock despaired at the clear and sunny skies.
“It's a color film,” he said, “and I wanted it dark and gloomy. Now we’ll
have to subdue the color in the film lab.”
