The Night We Got the Bird

The Night We Got the Bird is a 1961 British comedy film and a follow-up to the 1959 film The Night We Dropped a Clanger. Directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Dora Bryan, Ronald Shiner and Irene Handl.[1] it is based on Basil Thomas's play "The Love Birds",[2] and was the last film appearance by Ronald Shiner.

The Night We Got the Bird
DVD Cover
Directed byDarcy Conyers
Written byDarcy Conyers
Brian Rix
Tony Hilton
Produced byDarcy Conyers
Brian Rix
StarringBrian Rix
Dora Bryan
Ronald Shiner
Liz Fraser
CinematographyS.D Onions
Edited byThelma Connell
Music byTommy Watt
Distributed byBritish Lion
Release date
  • 1961 (1961)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The title references a phrase in British English with its origin in the world of 19th century theatre, where it was customary to hiss like a goose to express disapproval.[3][4]

Plot

When unscrupulous Brighton antiques dealer Cecil Gibson (Ronald Shiner) dies in a road accident, his widow Julie (Dora Bryan) remarries, and her new husband Bertie (Brian Rix) was Cecil's innocent but naive business partner. One of their wedding presents, from an unknown source, is a mouthy South American parrot, which appears to be a reincarnated Cecil whose aim is to make married life difficult for Bertie. As Bertie and Julie go off on their honeymoon, they are chased by a gangster because of a fake antique bed that the late Cecil substituted for the real thing which he then sold for a profit.[5]

Cast

Production

The film was made at Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England, and on location. A collection of then-and-now location stills and corresponding contemporary photographs is hosted at reelstreets.com.[6]

Critical reception

TV Guide wrote, "sophomoric British comedy...The script finds lots of excuses for people to lose their pants and make vulgar, inane sexual jokes that wouldn't amuse a 10-year-old."[7] Allmovie wrote, "several hilarious slapstick scenes involving chases or sexual encounters, as well as the more reserved wit found in caricatures like an inept magistrate, are all hallmarks of a typically British sense of humor here (shared by many non-Brits)."[5] Sky movies wrote, "a fast and furious farce...With humour that's a notch below the contemporary 'Carry On' films. Never mind, there are some priceless cameo performances from the supporting cast, including Robertson Hare as a dithering doctor, John le Mesurier as a long-suffering court clerk, Kynaston Reeves, hilarious as a deaf magistrate, and Terry Scott as a constable."[8]

References
  1. "The Night We Got the Bird | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  2. "The Night We Got the Bird (1960) - Darcy Conyers | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  3. "Definition of 'get the bird'". Collins. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  4. "Origin of: Give someone the bird". Idiom Origins. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  5. "The Night We Got the Bird (1961) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  6. "Night We Got the Bird, The". ReelStreets. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  7. "The Night We Got The Bird Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  8. "The Night We Got the Bird - Sky Movies HD". Skymovies.sky.com. 24 May 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2014.


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