Birdman of Alcatraz

Starring: Burt Lancaster; Karl Malden & Edmond O'Brien Director: John Frankenheimer

DVD Features:

Audio:

• Dolby Digital Mono - English
• Subtitles - French, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

• Trailer

Product Description:

Burt Lancaster reteams with John Frankenheimer, starring as the title character, Robert E. Stroud. Sentenced to a dozen years in prison for killing a man in 1909, he loses any chance for parole by stabbing another prisoner. Incarcerated in Leavenworth, he adds to his problems by killing a prison guard for refusing to let his mother (Thelma Ritter) visit him and is sentenced to death. His mother begs Mrs. Woodrow Wilson to intercede, and the president commutes Stroud's sentence to life in isolation, under the gaze of the harsh warden Harvey Shoemaker (Karl Malden). One day in the isolation yard he comes across a wounded sparrow, nurses it back to health, and eventually teaches it to perform tricks. With the departure of Shoemaker, Stroud is allowed to have more birds in his cell and begins a study of them. As the years pass, he becomes an expert on caged birds, finally writing a book on the diseases to which they are susceptible. After he wins a prize in a magazine competition, he receives a visit from Stella Johnson (Betty Field), who suggests they start a business manufacturing avian medicine. Backed by an outstanding cast, Lancaster gives one of his finest performances in this moving account of a vicious killer's spiritual rebirth.

Description by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:

How does bitter convict Robert Stroud cope with a lifetime of solitary confinement? The answer, in a sense, comes from above in the form of a feeble sparrow he finds in the isolation yard. Stroud brings this newfound companion to his cell, nurses it to health and, from that point on, there's no turning back. Despite having only a third-grade education, and no hope of parole, Stroud becomes a renowned ornithologistand achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls than many in the outside world will ever know. The "finest prison picture ever made" (Variety), this inspirational and compelling classic stars Burt Lancaster in an Oscar®-nominated* performance as Stroudthe convict who, in his power to heal birds, finds the power to heal himself.

Plot Keywords:

Achievers | Animals | Classic | Drama | Prison / Prisoners | Recommended | Theatrical Release | True Story

Production Notes:

• Theatrical Release: July 3, 1962.
• Shooting locations: Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, and San Francisco, CA.
• Actor Leo Penn is the father of actor Sean Penn.
• Director John Frankenheimer wanted to do the project at CBS while he was on staff there, but a representative from the Bureau of Prisons intimidated the network, preventing the director from doing it there.

Cast and Crew: