Out of anything Hitchcock ever directed, The Birds remains one of my top favorites. And one of the reasons was Tippi Hedren, who had a certain, undefinable "something."
Took a trip up to Bodega and saw a sign saying Tippi Hendron was here. I promptly made a u-turn, stood in line for a while and met Tippi who signed a glossy 8 by 10 with her and Hitch. So lucky.
He is an actor improvising in the role of a creepy pig. Notice when Hitchcock yells 'cut' they both laugh as the tension of the unpleasant contrived scene is relieved. It is called acting.
Tippi was damn good in The Birds! She made the movie! I thought she was so beautiful in that film! I was in Boston when it came out. Great film from Hitchcock.
If this was 'off the cuff' I mean without a script Ms Hedren is brilliant, thinking on her feet, she has an answer for everything that is thrown at her, one classy lady then and NOW.
Mike Hudson Yes, you know, the thing about Hedren is that a clear intellect emanates from the amazing physical beauty. I think that is what sets her apart.
What a graceful, elegant, beautiful and self assured woman Ms. Tippi Hedren was and still is. Looking at this, it is fascinating to see how brilliant and gorgeous this woman was working with a brilliant and tyrannical man like Hitchcock. As charming as her audition, it is brimming underneath with creepiness. Hitch and Martin are toying with her. I love and respect how Tippi stuck to being a lady and also remained true to her morals and standards.
A lot of Hollywood glamor nowadays is contrived and "forced" - but Tippi Hedren is an absolute natural. She has poise, sophistication, class, and mesmerizing allure. It is almost impossible to believe that she (in 2017) is now 87 years old. These screen tests are fantastic.
You're right! I liked The Girl mostly because I love Tippi dearly and I would love to see any movie about her. The problem there is that she seems to be "scared" all the time and we can see here, on the real screen test, how comfortable Hedren was in front of the camera and how great at improvising she was.
Tippi appeared on Gilbert Gottfried's podcast and spoke about this video. She said she ended up leaving the room and slamming the door "the hardest I ever have in my life." She was not happy with their suggestions and innuendo.
Dark, with hindsight. Hitchcock became obsessed with Tippi Hedren, and ruined her career because she set boundries. Here Hedren is not aware of the trap that has been set... Very Hitchcock.
man, so many requests for turns and walks she had to endure from this lot! wonder if they all would`ve felt as comfortable being in her shoes. so glad these situations don`t happen anymore, or do they?
Thanks for posting this! I just saw "The Girl" with Sienna Miller. It was an interesting take on Hitchcock! I tend to believe Tippi Hedren regarding their relationship!
Me too, it's not too hard to believe. Loved ALL Hitchcocks films but her story bears all the hallmarks of truth. She was stunning classy and a lady of course he is going to be mesmorized by her as we all are but he sure treated her badly. Her career may have suffered but she comes out of it with her head held high and remains one lovely lady.
Screen tests might seem a bit strange. They are designed for a number of purposes, like seeing what an actor will look like with different costumes, hairstyles, lighting, lenses, movements, etc. Another thing, quite usually, is to do a small scene to see how an actor might respond. Major actors may seem egotistical...but its for a purpose. In order to get a "performance" from an actor, the direct might have to do many things to achieve this, cajoling, threatening, praising, etc. Actors have to feel they are "the greatest" or that they can do "great acting" in order to achieve the same. The studio or production company is spending a lot of resources to make a film and can't really afford an actor or actress to freeze up during filming. These tests might seem harsh to some...but Ms Hedren knows how to handle it. Also, we don't know what Hitch might have told Martin Balsam, a great character actor, going into the the test.
Another reason for having an actor screen test is to determine how much the actors own personality matches the character they're going to be portraying...ideally Hedren has a little, or more then a little of Melaine Daniels in her. I think Hitch is getting what he wants in this test...a good estimation of what Tippi is capable of...how she moves, wears clothes, changes mood, etc., and how closely she matches the concept of Melaine Daniels. Once this is over, they let you play the part...and then the real fun begins.
Just went to Barnes and Noble and purchased her book, "Tippi"... What a beautiful and fascinating lady. She managed to make a fascinating life and career for herself. Can't wait to find the time to read it.
Am I the only one who is totally under the spell of her voice? And the way she fingers her nails while smoking a cig in The Birds. I've been in love since the age of 5...
For my money, Tippi Hedren is the most beautiful actress EVER. As a teen, I fell in love with her when I saw her in film The Birds. She was incredible then, and still incredible.
Incredible screen test. You could see at that very moment that she had STAR written all over here. She had a screen presence that just blasted out of the screen
this was....awkward. i get that this was most likely for costume/hair/makeup departments as much as anything else, so "the scene" probably didn't matter much, but still.. between hitch barking inarticulate directions and balsam's cringey 'improving', tippi handled herself pretty well all things considered. imagine what she could have done if she'd been treated with a little dignity.
They say that the big screen makes people seem larger than life. Watching these clips, seems to me that Tippi is even larger in life than she is on the screen.
In the movie "The Girl" I would have cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tippi , I know it sounds weird but if you watch Sarah you'll see what I mean . Great footage of Tippi who was and still is a great actress . Thanks for posting .
Martin Balsam who appears in theses tests played the detective in "Psycho". Interesting to watch Tippi Hedren as both actress and model at the same time. I can see what she meant about having to learn to walk a different way, what with those long, confining skirts. People have made comments below about how creepy, etc. Martin Balsam was but, and as someone else said, he was playing a character or type of character in these tests.
Andrew Brendan I'm not in the "creepy" league where he's concerned.On the other hand, I find her a bit creepy, with her holding herself aloof as if she's some kind of prize. He seems relatively down to earth.
Wish they made clothes like that again. So simple and classy. Only Tippi could walk so elegantly in them. She MADE the clothes. The clothes did not make her.
Trouble is, by 1963, the whole Grace Kelly ice queen look was on the verge of going out of fashion. It explains why Hitchcock went through a dry spell after THE BIRDS.
As a woman in the film industry this is so painful to watch. I feel so bad for her , it is so degrading. I am very proud of her for coming out with the truth of what her experience was with that man. I love his movies but it is forever tainted in my mind to think of how he treated women in the industry.
I do agree 100% with you about the chemistry between Miss Hedren and Martin Balsam. The way they play with each other is very sensual, yet poised and classy. That's the combination of the two that makes the scenes so interesting. And with Hitchcock filming, at some point, it gives the feeling of a "ménage à trois"
I couldn't agree more with your comments. Miss Hedren is a true class act; in my eyes, her presence and charisma on screen equal, sometimes even surpass, Miss Grace Kelly's. No wonder Hitchcock was obsessed with her.
I don't know how to evaluate Tippi's acting ability. But I do know that Tippi was very convincing in the Birds and in Marnie. Tippi has done many movie and TV roles since then and she is always convincing and most important one can't take one's eyes off of her. That is good enough for many people. Tippi is classy, articulate, sexy and beautiful! Maybe she act, maybe she can't but she has so many wonderful qualities that I really don't care if she can act or not. Some of the greatest actresses are boring on screen. Apparently you must see something in her as well since you have taken the time to watch this screen test.
I realize this is just a normal screen test, but there is an underlining creepiness to how this 'little girl' is strutting back and forth following an older mans voice for another older man, especially knowing the back-story. The scenes have her playing a kept woman and an adulterer. Necrophilia is even brought up. They felt they had to hit you over the head with the ‘she’s being harassed!’ plot line and made her more timid. Yes, this is all from Hedren's view, agreed.
In terms of the potential innuendo Hitchcock is making, I don't know what part of the anatomy the "Tippi" would be in, it sounds more out of place than perverted, but when you point out "paroxysms" and "necrophilia" I don't know what they're getting at but you do? In this "screentest" I definitely do feel an air of perversion from the both of these men, and watching Tippi's measured reaction I want to say they're poking fun at her so Hitchocock's screentest won't be so serious on her 1rst film.
It was nothing but a hypocritical, mendacious time. People were not even allowed to say "pregnant" in Television but behind the curtain it all happened: stalking, coercion, raping. They just were not allowed to talk about it publicly, that's the difference to today. Homosexual actors had to have fake wifes to be safe. No law protected the star's children against domestic violence. Stars like Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews signed prohibitions not to show up publicly with black people. And there was an extreme, dull-witted sexism for both sexes. If that's what you call "classy", you are the developed one.
I agree with you in the sense you mentioned. However, people are commenting mostly on Tippi's style as an actress. That seems to be lacking these days.
These days a man wouldn't dare sit and chat like that with today's women. What women had to put up with. I miss the good old days and the ole films. But, not the way men treated women. The Birds is my favorite Hitchcock movie. And, The Girl second best. And, Marnie the 3rd best.
As noted, somewhat cuttingly, by Hedren in one of her later extended YT interviews, Balsam was flown out from NY for her to work against in her initial (and only?) screen test for Hitchcock. This appears to be some of that test. That said, the "Marnie" project may already have been in the works, even if "Birds" was to be first up.
Sienna's walk in the casting scene is a bit weird though IMO. Where Tippi moved with grace and elegance, Sienna walks as she had something itching in the back. Way too much swinging.
The movie was about Tippi Hedren, not Martin Balsam-- (hence, they called it 'The Girl', not 'The Boy') and I'm glad she finally got the chance to tell her story of what a creeped-out situation she was in with Hitchcock. P.S. Actually met Ms. Hedren when she visited Chicago area a few years ago; super nice and still beautiful. I'll never forget it.
buzz kirschner This is so openly psychological SM that I wonder how some people can see a normal screen test in that footage. Although Hollywood was even more fucked back then concerning power games, these scenes are unbelievable.
Yeah but thats a old hat of he said she said. Kirschner was talking about pornographic revelations. Comeing on to someone is hardly pornographic or outlandisch. Hitchcock was a famous and rich Direktor. He didnt need to run after wemon. Let alone base movies around them.
I think pornographic is your brain not this footage. This is just screen test about make up, hair style and walk. All actors had to do this test no matter who the director was
Knowing the story behind it, it seems like hungry cats playing with a little mouse. They make her sell herself in a sexual way, which is so humiliating, I can only imagine what became after that, when he was openly expressing his sexual appetite for her.
Petya Anguelova I agree. It made me a bit sick to see how they flirt and play with her. They are testing to see how far they can push her and intimidate her too. Back then the men called the shots and probably made her sleep with them. She was very talented and it's a shame Hitchcock ruined her career.
In the movie The Girl its totally different from this. This leads me to believe the whole story that Tippi is telling is all in her head as to what actually happened. My dad use to manage the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood back in the 60's when The Birds came out and he use to come home and tell my mom stories of things he would hear . My mom always told me that Tippi and Hitch had an affair. As for her acting she was an awful actress. She couldnt act. Her daughter could.
It was a time when people were trying to be sexually liberated. This kind of sexy talk was seen as progressive at the time. People being liberated from harsh conservative values. Stop judging everything by 2019 PC culture.
I think the film purposely exaggerates her uneasiness in this and several other scenes so we can see what is going on inside her head, as well as for dramatic purposes. Had she always seemed poised and confident it wouldn't seem as such a big deal, nor could we see the transformation of her into a 'statue' as stated at the end of the film.
She stands up for herself which makes Hitchcock chase and order her around - he’s a creep and she knows it here - what a balancing act . I don’t find her features attractive , it’s her deportment
Yes it is. Made me sick to my stomach. "Paroxysms" is a reference to orgasms. Necrophilia needs no explanation. How degrading. Pigs. Poor Tippi. Held herself with dignity.
@@wbl5649 Yes, she's trying to manipulate the situation, too. I'm not drawn into it because it has no real feel. Forced emotions, though played out suavely. A power play.
Feminist would criticise the crap out of Tippi here. A seemingly independent, confident woman completely controlled - like a puppet - by a man's voice.
