''Something for the Birds'' is a 1952 film directed by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

and starring

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

and

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

Plot

Johnnie Adams, an engraver in Washington, uses some of the invitations his firm makes to crash Washington parties. He gets to be called "Admiral", and is accepted as part of the social group. Johnnie meets Anne Richards, who's interested in preventing a gas company from drilling on certain west coast lands, which should destroy the breeding grounds of some California condors. She enlists Johnnie's aid, and he asks Steve Bennett, a lobbyist, for help. However, unknown to him, Bennett's company is also employed to lobby Congress to develop the land: and he's the one they've chosen. When an investigating committee gets on the job, Johnnie's actual position is exposed, and he comes in for national publicity. This makes it possible for the bird sanctuary to be saved, and Johnnie gets his job back, with a promotion. Steve, who has had a falling out with Anne, finds himself invited to his own wedding, by Anne, to her: she had Johnnie print the invitations: smiling, he puts one in his pocket.

Cast

as Steve Bennett *

as Anne Richards *

Edmund Gwenn Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won t ...

as Admiral Johnnie Adams *

Larry Keating Lawrence Keating (June 13, 1899 – August 26, 1963) was an American actor best known for his roles as Harry Morton on ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', which he played from 1953 to 1958, and next-door neighbor Roger Addison on '' Mist ...

as Roy Patterson * Gladys Hurlbut as Della Rice *

Christian Rub Christian Rub (pronounced ''Rhoob''; April 13, 1886 – April 14, 1956) was an Austrian-born American character actor. He was known for his work in films of the late 1910s to the early 1950s, and was featured in more than 100 films. Biography ...

as Leo Fischer (his last film) *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as a ...

as Foster *

Madge Blake Madge Blake (née Cummings; May 31, 1899 – February 19, 1969) was an American character actress best remembered for her role as Larry Mondello's mother, Margaret Mondello, on the CBS/ ABC sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', as Flora MacMichael on ...

as Mrs. J.L.Chadwick * Archer MacDonald as T.Courtney Lemmer

Production

The film was based on an original story by Joseph Petracca and Alvin Josephy about the romance between an environmentalist and a lobbyist. It was purchased by 20th Century Fox in October 1950 and assigned to producer Sam Engel. Boris Ingster wrote the script. The original stars were Anne Baxter (environmentalist),

Paul Douglas Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois for eighteen years, from 1949 to 1967. During his Senat ...

(lobbyist) and

Victor Moore Victor Fred Moore (February 24, 1876 – July 23, 1962) was an American actor of stage and screen, a major Broadway star from the late 1920s through the 1930s. He was also a writer and director, but is best remembered today as a comedian, play ...

(admiral). However, Douglas dropped out when his contract with Fox terminated, and he was replaced by

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

. The film took some months to go into production. By April 1952, Baxter had dropped out and

Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in '' Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films '' In the Meantime, Darling'' (194 ...

was to star. But Crain had just given birth and could not get medical clearance to make the movie so

was cast instead. The male romantic lead was given to

, who was meant to be in ''Farmer Takes a Wife'' for Fox but was reassigned. At this stage the title had been changed to ''Old Sailors Never Die''. The other lead role was given to Edmund Gwenn, who played a counterfeiter for Fox in ''

Mister 880 ''Mister 880'' is a 1950 American light-hearted romantic drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire and Edmund Gwenn, about an amateurish counterfeiter who counterfeits only one dollar bills, and manages ...

''. I.A.L. Diamond was bought in to rewrite the script."Something for the Birds"
at AFI Filming started May 1952. The cast included

, making his first film in five years. "It's a nice script", said Neal. "I've appeared in comedies before but this is my first real comedy role."

Reception

Producer Julius Blaustein liked Mature and Neal so much he bought an original story from Francis Cockerell, ''The Desert'', to reteam them but it was never made.

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at ''New York Times'' {{Robert Wise 1952 films Films directed by Robert Wise 20th Century Fox films American comedy films 1952 comedy films American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films