hitchcockian art, outside film streams; north downtown; omaha, ne.
Try and figure out what’s going on in this picture before reading the description below!
Bird trainer Ray Berwick (on ladder) holds onto a seagull as Hitchcock prepares to shoot another take on one of the first sequences filmed with live birds, the gull attack on Cathy’s birthday party. As can be seen from the expression on Hitchcock’s face, the scene is not going well. According to Berwick, the child actor (standing next to Hitchcock and held firmly in the grasp of assistant director Jim Brown) was to have a gull swoop down on his head from behind but was terrified of the bird, as can be seen from his expression. Cinematographer Robert Burks stands directly behind Hitch.