Something for the Birds

"MR. 800 IS BACK - 881 times phonier!"

1952 1h 21m EN

🤯

8.5

MASTERPIECE

★8.5TMDB · 2

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A conservationist fights to save the habitat of the California condor and to do it she works her way into the affections of a representative of the oil company that wants the land for their own purposes.

“MR. 800 IS BACK - 881 times phonier!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Victor Mature
Steve Bennett
Patricia Neal
Anne Richards
Edmund Gwenn
'Admiral' Johnnie Adams
Larry Keating
Roy Patterson
Gladys Hurlbut
Della Rice
Hugh Sanders
Jim Grady
Christian Rub
Leo Fischer
Adele Longmire
WAVE Lieutenant - j.g.

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Wise
Writers: Boris Ingster, Alvin M. Josephy, Joseph Petracca
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Sol Kaplan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hugh S. Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Victor Mature and Patricia Neal and Edmund Gwenn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "MR. 800 IS BACK - 881 times phonier!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Wise directs. Joseph LaShelle behind the camera. Sol Kaplan scores. Hugh S. Fowler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Sol Kaplan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Hugh S. Fowler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Victor Mature and Patricia Neal and Edmund Gwenn carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "MR. 800 IS BACK - 881 times phonier!".
9IMDB entry: tt0045173 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.