Alfred Hitchcock released his horror masterpiece The Birds March 29, 1963 (the premiere was the day before in New York City).
Based on a story by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca), it tells the story of a small coastal town in California inexplicably attacked by thousands of birds. It starred Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy.
It was nominated for an Academy Awards for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects (but lost to Cleopatra?[WTF?]). Tippe Hedren won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female. The Birds has been honored by the American Film Institute as the seventh greatest thriller. Bravo awarded the scene when the birds attack the town as 96th on the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
It won the Horror Hall of Fame award in 1991.
In 2016, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
