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Birdman Of Alcatraz [1962]
![Birdman Of Alcatraz [1962]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YW69F5EKL._SL160_.jpg)
DVD Special features: The finest prison picture ever made, this inspirational and compelling classic stars Burt Lancaster in an Oscar-nominated performance as Stroud – the convict who, in his power to heal birds, finds the power to heal himself.
RRP: £15.99
Our Price: £2.85 (subject to change)
Editorial
DVD Description
Original theatrical trailer
Interactive menu screens and chapter selections
Subtitles: French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Editorial
Synopsis
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.
Editorial
From the Back Cover
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 ornithologist – and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls than many in the outside world will ever know.
TIMELESS CLASSIC
Review date: 2006-02-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
A brilliant performance from a Hollywood great, and a timless piece that stands the test of time when it comes to a Saturday night of rubbish TV.
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Thelma Ritter
Neville Brand
Karl Malden
Betty Field
Burt Lancaster
Creators:
Burt Lancaster (Primary Contributor)
Karl Malden (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070007787
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, PAL,
Release date: 2002-04-15
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 142 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1962-07-03
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: German (Original Language)
Language: Spanish (Original Language)