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| Although constantly denied ], Stroud is eventually transferred to another prison in ] after a petition campaign. During the move, he meets several reporters and displays a range of knowledge on more than just birds, such as the technical details of a passing jet aircraft. He even gets to meet the author of the book based on his life. | Although constantly denied ], Stroud is eventually transferred to another prison in ] after a petition campaign. During the move, he meets several reporters and displays a range of knowledge on more than just birds, such as the technical details of a passing jet aircraft. He even gets to meet the author of the book based on his life. | ||
| ==Fact versus fiction== | |||
| ==Critical reaction== | |||
| Fellow inmate Glenn Williams stated that Stroud "was not a sweetheart; he was a vicious killer. I think Burt Lancaster owes us all an apology."<ref>, article on sfgate.com, online home of the ]</ref> | |||
| Lancaster’s portrayal of Stroud stirred sympathy with the general public. However, prison historians have said that the real Stroud was a merciless killer who showed no remorse for his crimes.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} | |||
| According to those who knew him while he was in prison, the mild-mannered characterization of Stroud, as presented in Gaddis' book and the subsequent film, was largely fiction. Former inmate Glenn Williams went so far as to say that Stroud "was not a sweetheart; he was a vicious killer. I think Burt Lancaster owes us all an apology."<ref>, article on sfgate.com, online home of the ]</ref> He and another former convict, Jim Quillan, described the real Stroud as a "jerk", "a guy that liked chaos and turmoil and upheaval... Always at somebody else's expense." They regarded the film as a "comedy... an excellent comedy."<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Historical points== | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| ! Film Depiction | |||
| ! Reality | |||
| |---- | |||
| |The film shows Stroud killing a guard when he is denied a visit by his mother. | |||
| ||In fact it was as a result of his younger brother Marcus being prevented from seeing him.<ref></ref> | |||
| |---- | |||
| |When the President commutes Stroud's death sentence to life in prison, the warden of Leavenworth is Harvey Shoemaker. | |||
| ||The name of the actual warden was T.W. Morgan.<ref name="alcatrazhistory"></ref> | |||
| |---- | |||
| |Stroud meets a woman called Stella Johnson with whom he goes into business selling bird remedies. They later marry. | |||
| ||Her actual name was Della Mae Jones.<ref></ref> | |||
| |---- | |||
| |Stroud is shown ending the ] by throwing the guns out to the authorities and ensuring Warden Shoemaker that the coast is clear. | |||
| ||The guns stolen by two of the would-be escapers were still in their possession when their dead bodies were found in a corridor. ] was warden of Alcatraz during the incident.<ref>'']'' by J. Campbell Bruce, published in 1963</ref> | |||
| |} | |||
| ==Cultural references== | ==Cultural references== | ||
Revision as of 20:24, 26 September 2009
1962 American film| Birdman of Alcatraz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Frankenheimer |
| Written by | Thomas E. Gaddis (book) Guy Trosper |
| Produced by | Harold Hecht |
| Starring | Burt Lancaster Karl Malden Thelma Ritter Neville Brand Telly Savalas |
| Cinematography | Burnett Guffey |
| Edited by | Edward Mann |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date | 3 July 1962 |
| Running time | 143 minutes |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |
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.
In spite of the title, much of the action is set at Leavenworth prison where Stroud was jailed with his birds. When moved to Alcatraz he was not allowed to keep any pets.
The film was adapted by Guy Trosper from the 1955 book 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.
Plot summary
The movie is told in flashback, narrated by Gaddis (O'Brien), the author of the book upon which it is based.
Robert Stroud (Lancaster) 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: on his way to jail by train he breaks open the window to allow the suffocating inmates to breathe. His rebellious attitude puts him in conflict with Harvey Shoemaker (Malden), the warden of Leavenworth Prison.
While in jail, Stroud learns that his mother (Ritter) tried to visit him but was denied and told to return later in the week. Outraged, he attacks a guard over the issue and the man is killed. Stroud is sentenced to death, but his mother runs a successful campaign and it is commuted to life in prison. The terms of the sentence require that he be kept in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.
To break the monotony, Stroud adopts a sparrow as a pet. This starts a trend and he and the other convicts acquire birds as gifts from the outside, such as canaries. Before long, Stroud has built up a collection of birds and cages. When they fall ill, he makes experiments and comes up with a cure. As the years pass, Stroud becomes an expert on bird diseases and even publishes a book on the subject. His writings are so impressive that a doctor describes him as a "genius".
Stroud later meets bird-lover Stella Johnson (Field) and agrees to go into business, marketing his bird remedies. He and Stella later marry, but his mother disapproves and this causes a rift between mother and son.
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 but still shows a rebellious side, writing a history of the U.S. penal system that is suppressed by Shoemaker, now warden of the Rock.
Still at odds with authority, Stroud nevertheless manages to help stop a prison rebellion in 1946 by throwing out the guns acquired by the convicts. He then assures the authorities that they can now re-enter the premises without fear of being shot. Although Stroud has been a thorn in his side for decades, Shoemaker acknowledges that he has never lied to him and takes him at his word.
Although constantly denied parole, Stroud is eventually transferred to another prison in Missouri after a petition campaign. During the move, he meets several reporters and displays a range of knowledge on more than just birds, such as the technical details of a passing jet aircraft. He even gets to meet the author of the book based on his life.
Fact versus fiction
Fellow inmate Glenn Williams stated that Stroud "was not a sweetheart; he was a vicious killer. I think Burt Lancaster owes us all an apology."
Cultural references
The 1967 song, "Birdman Of Alkatrash," by psychedelic band Strawberry Alarm Clock gets its title from this film, although the song's theme is very different from that of the film.
Cast
- Burt Lancaster as Robert Franklin Stroud
- Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker
- Thelma Ritter as Elizabeth Stroud
- Betty Field as Stella Johnson
- Telly Savalas as Feto Gomez
- Neville Brand as Bull Ransom
- Edmond O'Brien as Thomas E. 'Tom' Gaddis
See also
References
- "Alumni' revisit The Rock, article on sfgate.com, online home of the San Francisco Chronicle