It Can't Happen Here!

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" was on TV last night and as I was watching (and writing) I couldn't help but notice one of the scenes in the film that pretty much mirrored some of the sentiment that has been expressed on AC lately, especially about my Remember 9/11 Article.

"The Birds" is a masterpiece of a film. Based on a book by Daphne DuMaurier, it tells about a rich girl who brings a couple of love birds to Bodega Bay, off the coast of San Francisco to a bachelor. Soon after she gets to the area, she starts to notice some strange things happening. A seagull pretty much attacks her in her boat an hits her in the head.

Other stuff starts to happen in the little fishing town. A seagull runs into a door for no apparent reason. Birds start congregating on fences and in trees. At a girl's birthday party, birds actually attack a bunch of young kids playing outside.

This is pretty disturbing to the main characters in the film but isn't really taken seriously until a flock of sparrows (not to be confused with a Flock of Seagulls, an 80s pop group) invades the home of the family in the film and attacks them, breaking plates, dishes, and pretty much causing havoc in the home.

The family, which is a domineering mom, the bachelor (Rod Taylor) who is her son, her young daughter, Kathy, and the rich girl (Tippi Hedron, who is not really part of the family but for some reason becomes attached to everyone rather quickly, is pretty upset that the birds came through the chimney and wrecked the living room. So they call out the sheriff.

The conversation between the sheriff and Mitch (Taylor) goes something like this:

Mitch: "Aren't you going to do something?"

Sheriff: "Do what?"

Mitch: "About the birds."

Sheriff: "The kids must have been teasing the birds. When they feel threatened...."

Mitch: "THE BIRDS ATTACKED THEM!"

Sheriff: "Attacked is a pretty strong word."