News

“The Birds” Star Tippi Hedren Claims Alfred Hitchcock Abused and Sexually Assaulted Her During Filming

Published

7 years ago

November 2, 2016

Written by Patti Pauley

Alfred Hitchcock is undoubtedly a pioneer when it came to horror and macabre. However, according to one of his most stunning leading ladies Tippi Hedren (The Birds, Marnie) who opened up in an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail, revealed how the master of suspense who green-lit her career to super-stardom with 1963’s The Birds, had her living a real-life horror movie filled with brutal abuse and an ongoing victim of sexual assault.

Photo by REX/Shutterstock

Hedren now 86, talks about her horrific experiences with the horror directer regarding his obsessive and possessive nature over her, which would lead to unwanted advances towards the young actress. Hedren touches on this subject ever so delicately in her new memoir entitled Tippi, claiming Hitchcock would corner her in her dressing room and then threaten to ruin her career as she was under contract with the director.

From Tippi: A Memoir–

“I’ve never gone into detail on this, and I never will. I’ll simply say that he suddenly grabbed me and put his hands on me. It was sexual, it was perverse, and it was ugly, and I couldn’t have been more shocked and repulsed. The harder I fought him, the more aggressive he became. Then he started adding threats, as if he could do anything to me that was worse than what he was trying to do at that moment.”

According to the interview, after a day of filming, Hitchcock and Hedren shared a limousine back to the hotel where they were staying. As the limo reached the destination, the director then suddenly threw himself on top of her, trying to force a kiss. Repulsed by his actions, Hedren threw Hitchcock off of her and immediately exited the vehicle escaping to her hotel room.

Hedren then went on to say how her rejection towards Hitchcock turned ugly for her on set the following day while filming the infamous phone booth bird attack scene when one of the mechanical birds shattered the supposedly shatterproof glass resulting in Hedren’s face on the receiving end of glass shards.

In the climatic attic scene of The Birds where Hendren’s character of Melanie is brutally attacked by a murderous flock, Hitchcock had reassured the actress that mechanical birds were to be used in the now infamous scene. However on the day of the shoot, assistant director James H. Brown told the actress that “the mechanical birds aren’t working, so we’re going to have to use live ones.”

Hedren states “It was brutal and relentless,” as she endured five full days of ravens, pigeons, and doves being hurled at her by the bird handlers. On the final day of shooting the scene, live birds were loosely tied to Hedren’s costume while she laid on the floor. The actress says when “Action!” was called, the birds that were tied to her started pecking her while again, the wranglers threw more birds at her. Even in the midst of this abuse, the actress kept her head straight up until the closing of the day when a live bird that was tied to her shoulder, almost pecked the actresses’ eye out. That is when Hedren threw up her arms and had enough for the day.

The harshness of the environment and grueling scenes took their toll on Hedren and a doctor ordered a week of rest and a break from filming. After the smash hit of The Birds, Hedren says she was held hostage under Hitchcock’s contract for two years. On the pair’s next film Marnie, a film about a man who traps a woman into marriage and rapes her, is believed to be derived from Hitchcock’s own fantasy about Hedren. Tippi’s lavish dressing room was built adjacent to the director’s office giving him the opportunity to come and go as he pleased and when he caught her alone, Tippi reveals in her memoir how he would proclaim his love for the actress.

Once she became free of her contract, studios were hesitant to hire her in fear of antagonizing Hitchcock who repeatedly bashed her acting ability among the studio lots; all in which case pointing back to the resistance of the director’s advances to the actress.

“I’ve made it my mission ever since to see to it that while Hitchcock may have ruined my career, I never gave him the power to ruin my life.”

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

1 hour ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

5 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.