Mitch. Mitch. Mitch !
Yes, Mother? I'm going to drop Cathy off now.
I'll probably drive over to the Fawcett farm.
Okay.
Mornin'.
Good morning, George. Is Mr. Fawcett around ?
I think so, ma'am. Ain't seen him this morning, but he ought to be in there.
Thanks.
Dan, are you home ?
Uh--
Mother !
What is it, dear ? What's the matter ?
Oh !
Al Malone, the deputy, just called. He wants me over at the Fawcett place.
Some detectives from Santa Rosa will be there.
Will it be all right ? Yes. I was just taking your mother in some tea.
Oh, be careful, please.
And you be careful ?
Mitch ?
No, it's me, Mrs. Brenner.
I thought you might like some tea. Oh. Thank you.
Where's Mitch ? Al Malone wanted him out at the Fawcett farm.
Why ? Didn't Al believe my story ?
He was calling from the farm.
Then he saw. Oh, he must have.
They sent for the Santa Rosa police.
What good will they do ?
Do you think Cathy's all right at the school ?
Yes, I'm sure she's fine.
Do I sound very foolish to you ?
Oh, no.
I keep seeing Dan's face.
And they have such big windows at the school.
All the windows are broken in Dan's bedroom.
All the windows! Try not to think about that.
I wish I were a stronger person.
I lost my husband four years ago, you know.
It's terrible how you-- you depend on someone else for strength, and then...
suddenly all the strength is gone, and you're alone.
I'd love to be able to relax sometime.
I'd love to be able to sleep.
- Do you think Cathy's all right ? - Annie's there.
She'll be all right.
I'm not like this, you know ? N-Not usually.
I don't fuss and fret about my children.
When Frank died--
You see, he understood the children. He really understood them.
He had the knack of entering into their world, of becoming part of them.
That's a very rare talent. Yes.
Oh, I wish, I wish-- I wish I could be like that.
I miss him.
Sometimes, even now, I wake up in the morning and I think,
''I must get Frank's breakfast.''
And I get up, and there's a very good reason for getting out of bed,
until of course...
I remember.
I miss talking to him.
Cathy's a child, of course, and Mitch--
Well, Mitch has his own life.
I'm glad he stayed here today.
I-I feel safer with him here.
Would you like to rest now ? No.
No, don't go.
I feel as if I don't understand you at all, and I--
I want so much to understand.
Why, Mrs. Brenner ?
Because my son seems to be very fond of you.
And I don't quite know how I feel about it.
I don't even know if I like you or not.
Is that so important, your liking me ?
Well, yes. I think so.
Mitch is important to me.
I want to like whatever girl he chooses.
And perhaps if you don't ?
Well, then I don't think it'll matter much to anyone but me.
Oh, I think it would also matter to Mitch.
Mitch has always done exactly what he wanted to do.
But, you see, I-I don't want to be left alone.
I don't think I could bear to be left alone!
Oh, forgive me.
This business with the birds has upset me, I--
I don't know what I'd do if Mitch weren't here.
Why don't you try to sleep now, Mrs. Brenner ?
I wish I was stronger.
Do you think she's all right ?
Do you think she's all right at the school ?
- Would you like me to go for her ? - Oh, I-I couldn't ask it.
- Oh, I don't mind, really. - Would you ?
- I'd feel so much better. - I'll go right now.
Melanie ?
Thanks for the tea.
I married my wife in the month ofjune
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
I brought her home By the light of the moon
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She combs her hair But once a year
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
- With every stroke She shed a tear -
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Rustical quality Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
He brought her home By the light of the moon
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She combed her hair But once a year
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
With every stroke She shed a tear
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She swept up her floor But once a year
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
She said that brooms Were much too dear
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She churns her butter In her dad's old boot
Ristle-tee, Rostle-tee Now, now, now
And for a dash She'd use her foot
Ristle-tee, Rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
The butter it came out All grizzle-y gray
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
The cheese it took legs and ran away
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She let the critter get away
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
I asked my wife to wash the floor
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
She gave me my hat And she showed me the door
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality Now, now, now
I married my wife in the month ofjune
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
I brought her home by the light of the moon
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
She combed her hair But once a year
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Hey, donnie-dostle-tee
Knickety-knackety Rustical quality
Willow-tee, wallow-tee Now, now, now
Ristle-tee, rostle-tee Now, now, now
All right, children. Now, please put your song books away,
then stand up alongside your desks.
We'll go out for recess as soon as everybody gets ready.
We are not going into the playground...
until everybody has quieted down.
Close that door. Quickly. Please. What ?
What is it ? Look.
We've got to get the children out of here.
Shh, shh, shh ! All right, children. Now, quiet.
Quiet. Miss Daniels would like to see...
how we conduct ourselves during a fire drill.
I would like you to show her how quiet and obedient you can be.
- Oh, uh, we're going out of school now. - Leave school ?
We want those of you who live nearby to go directly home.
Home ?
I want the rest of you to go down the hill all the way to the hotel. Is that clear ?
Yes, Miss Hayworth.
Melanie ?
I want you to go as quietly as possible.
Do not make a sound until I tell you to run.
Then run as quickly as you can. Now, does everybody understand ?
Yes, Miss Hayworth.
All right,John, you lead the way.
Cathy ! Cathy !
Well, Daddy, there were hundreds of them.
No, I'm not hysterical. I'm trying to tell you this as calmly as I know how.
All right, Daddy. Yes, Daddy.
Well, just now. Not 1 5 minutes ago.
At the school.
No, I don't. Just a minute. What's the name of the school ?
-Just the Bodega Bay School. - The Bodega Bay School.
Well, I don't know how many children-- 30 or 40.
No, the birds didn't attack until the children were outside the school.
Help you, Mrs. Bundy ? I need some change, Mr. Carter.
Crows, I think.
Well, I don't know, Daddy. Is there a difference between crows and blackbirds ?
There is very definitely a difference, Miss. Thank you.
They're different, Daddy.
Well, I think these were crows.
Well, yes. Hundreds of them.
Yes, they attacked the children. Attacked them !
Well, I don't know when,
but I simply can't leave now, Daddy.
All right. Yes. Good-bye.
They're both perching birds, of course. But quite different species.
The crow is Corvus brachyrhynchos,
and the blackbird is Euphagus cyanocephalos.
Thank you.
You have the number at the Fawcett farm ? Right here in this book, miss.
I can't see that it makes any difference, Mrs. Bundy.
Crows or blackbirds, if the school was attacked, that's pretty serious.
I hardly think that either species...
would have sufficient intelligence to launch a massed attack.
Their brainpans are not big enough to--
I just came from the school, madam. I don't know anything about their brainpans, but--
Well, I do. I do know.
Ornithology happens to be my avocation.
Birds are not aggressive creatures, miss.
They bring beauty into the world. It is mankind, rather, who--
Sam ! Three southern fried chicken.
Baked potato on all of them.
Yes, may I speak to Mitch Brenner, please ?
Yes, I'll wait. It is mankind, rather, who insists upon...
making it difficult for life to exist upon this planet.
Now, if it were not for birds-- Mrs. Bundy, you don't seem to understand.
This young lady said there was an attack on the school.
Impossible ! Oh, Mitch ?
Oh, I'm glad I caught you. Something terrible has ha-- It's the end of the world !
Two Bloody Marys, Deke.
What actually happened at the school ? Bunch of crows...
attacked the school kids.
It's the end of the world. ''Thus saith the J ord God...
''unto the mountains and the hills, and the rivers and the valleys.
''Behold I, even I...
''shall bring a sword upon you.
And I will devastate your high places.''
Ezekiel, chapter six.
''Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink. ''
Isaiah, chapter five. It's the end of the world.
I hardly think a few birds are going to bring about the end of the world.
These weren't a few birds. I didn't know there were many crows...
in Bodega Bay this time of year.
The crow is a permanent resident throughout its range.
In fact, during our Christmas count, we recorded--
How many gulls did you count, Mrs. Bundy ?
Which gulls, Mr. Sholes ? There are several varieties.
The ones who've been playing devil with my fishing boats.
-Have you had trouble with gulls ? -One of my boats did, last week.
This young lady was hit by a gull only Saturday.
Deke, I'm still waiting for those Bloody Marys. Comin'right up.
Could you ask them to lower their voices, please ? They're frightening the children.
A whole flock of gulls nearly capsized one of my boats.
Practically tore the skipper's arm off.
You're scaring the kids. Keep it low. All right.
Yeah, but he's scarin' me, too.
Are you tryin' to say that all these--
Nah, that sounds impossible, Sebastian.
Deke, look, I'm just tellin' you what happened to one of my boats.
The gulls were after your fish, Mr. Sholes.
Really, let's be logical about this.
What were the crows after at the school ?
What do you think they were after ? Miss, uh--
Daniels. I think they were after the children.
- For what purpose ? - To kill them.
- Why ? - I don't know why.
I thought not. Birds have been on this planet, Miss Daniels,
since archeopteryx, 1 40 million years ago.
Doesn't it seem odd that they'd wait all that time...
to start a-- a war against humanity ?
No one called it a war. Scotch, light on the water.
You and Mr. Sholes seem to be implying as much.
Who said anything about a war? All I said, some gulls--
Want some more coffee ? No.
...came down on one of my boats.
They could have been after the fish, just like you said.
- The Captain should have shot at them. - Huh ?
Gulls are scavengers, anyway. Most birds are.
Get yourselves guns and wipe them off the face of the Earth !
- That would hardly be possible. - Why not, Mrs. Bundy ?
Because there are 8,650 species...
of birds in the world today, Mr. Carter.
It is estimated that 5,7 50,000,000 birds...
live in the United States alone.
The five continents of the world--
Kill 'em all. Get rid of the messy animals.
...probably contain more than 1 00 billion birds.
- It's the end of the world. - Those gulls must have been after the fish.
Of course! Hurry up, children. Finish your lunch.
Are the birds gonna eat us, Mommy ?
Hell, maybe we're all getting a little carried away by this.
Admittedly, a few birds did act strange, but that's no reason to believe that--
I keep telling you, this isn't a few birds. These are gulls, crows, swifts--
I have never known birds of different species to flock together.
The very concept is unimaginable.
Why, if that happened, we wouldn't have a chance !
How could we possibly hope to fight them ?
We couldn't, you're right. You're right, Mrs. Bundy.
- What's the matter ? Somethin' wrong out here ? - We're fighting a war, Sam.
A war ? Against who ?
- Against birds ! - I'm glad you all think this is so amusing.
You've frightened the children half out of their wits. If the young lady said...
she saw the attack at a school, why don't you believe her ?
What attack ? Who attacked the school ? Birds did. Crows.
You're all sitting around here debating !
What do you want them to do next ? Crash through that window ?
Mommy ! Ssh. Put on your coat.
Why don't you all go home, lock your doors and windows ?
- What's the fastest way to San Francisco ? - The freeway, ma'am.
- How do I find it ? - I'm goin'out that way, lady. You can follow me.
- Well then, let's leave now. - Haven't finished my drink yet.
I got here as fast as I could. Where's Cathy ?
She's with Annie. She's all right. Al, why aren't you over at the school,
- where the attack was ? - 'Cause I just got back from Dan Fawcett's place.
- He was killed last night by birds. - What ?
Hold it, you don't know that for a fact.
- What are the facts ? - The Santa Rosa Police think it's a felony murder.
They think a burglar broke in and killed him.
How do they explain the dead birds all over the floor ?
Santa Rosa Police figure they got in after the old man was killed.
Were the Santa Rosa Police at your school today ?
- Are you coming ? - Now take it easy, lady.
There isn't a bird anywhere in sight !
''Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap.
Yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.''
Something like this happened in Santa Cruz last year.
The town was just covered with seagulls.
- Please finish your drink. - That's right, sir. I recall it.
A large flock of seagulls got lost in a fog,
and headed into the town where all the lights were.
They made some mess, too, smashing into buildings and everything.
They always make a mess. The point is that no one seemed to be upset about it.
They were all gone next morning, just as though nothing at all had happened.
- Poor things. - I'm leaving ! Are you coming ?
All right, all right !
Well, hope you folks figure this thing out !
It's the end of the world !
I better get back to the cannery. What do I owe you, Deke ?
S-Sebastian, hold it a minute. Huh ?
I-I don't want to be an alarmist, but-- No one ever said you were.
I think we're in real trouble. I don't know how this started, or why,
but I know it's here and we'd be crazy to ignore it.
To ignore what ? The ''bird war'' ? Yes, the ''bird war.''
The bird attack, plague-- Call it what you like,
they're massing out there someplace, and they'll be back.
Ridiculous. C-Come here.
Unless we do something right now, unless we get Bodega Bay on the move, they--
Look, Mitch.
Even if-- Even if this is true, even if all the birds--
Don't you believe it's true ? No, Mitch, frankly I don't.
There's no reason I-- Well, it's happening. Isn't that a reason ?
I like Bodega Bay as well as the next man-- Fine, then help me.
You're an important man. If you help, they all will.
Help how ? What do you want to do ?
Mrs. Bundy said something about Santa Cruz.
About seagulls getting lost in a fog and flying in towards the lights.
We don't have fog this time of year! Make our own fog!
How do you figure to do that ? We can use smoke pots, the way the Army uses them.
- J ook! -
They're attacking again. Melanie, you stay in here. Come on, Al !
Look out !
Look at the gas. That man's lighting a cigar !
Hey, you ! Watch out ! Don't drop that match !
- Get out of there! - Mister, run !
Hey!
Why are they doing this ?
They said when you got here, the whole thing started !
Who are you ? What are you ?
Where did you come from ?
I think you're the cause of all this.
I think you're evil ! Evil !
Oh, God !
I think they're going !
We can get Cathy at Annie's now.
Come on.
Oh, no. Stay here. S-Stay here.
Cathy! Where's Cathy ?
Mitch, don't !
Oh, don't leave her there, Mitch.
Oh !
Come on.
Shh.
Wh-When we got back from taking Michele home...
we-we heard the explosion and we went--
we went outside to see what it was.
All-All at once the-- the birds were everywhere !
All at once she pushed me inside...
and they covered her !
Annie-- She pushed me inside !
Give me another one, darling.
How long have they been gathering there ?
Oh, about 1 5 minutes.
Seems like a pattern, doesn't it ?
They strike, then disappear, and then start massing again.
Doesn't look so very different, does it ?
A little smoke hanging over the town, otherwise--
You want to try your father again ?
No, I tried a little while ago. The phone's dead.
Still got power, haven't we ? Yes.
Mitch, I'm getting something on the radio.
Come on.
I can't get any of the local stations.
I think this is San Francisco.
'..and the work of a team of professionals. '' End quote.
In Bodega Bay early this morning, a large flock of crows...
attacked a group of children who were leaving the school during a fire drill.
One little girl was seriously injured and taken to the hospital in Santa Rosa,
but the majority of children reached safety.
We understand there was another attack on the town,
but this information is rather sketchy.
So far, no word has come through...
to show if there have been further attacks.
On the national scene today, in Washington--
Well, is that all ?
I'll have to get some more water. Mustn't let this fire go out.
Did you get the windows in the attic, Mitch ? Yes, I got 'em all, dear.
When do you think they'll come ? I don't know.
If there are bigger birds, Mitch, they'll get into the house.
Well, it's just a chance we'll have to take. Maybe we ought to leave.
No, not now ! Not when they're massing out there.
When ? W-We'll just see what happens.
Where will we go ? I-I don't know. I think we're safe here for the time being.
Let's get the wood in now. What happens when you run out of wood ?
I don't know ! We'll break up the furniture. You don't know !
When will you know ? When we're all dead !
If only your father were here--
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mitch.
Make yourself some coffee, won't you ?
''In assuming the tasks of the presidency,
I said that few generations--''
Where are they heading ? Somewhere inland.
Santa Rosa ? Maybe.
Come on. Let's get the wood.
- Mitch ? Can I bring the lovebirds in here ? - No !
But, Mom, they're in a cage. They're birds, aren't they ?
Let's leave them in the kitchen, huh, honey ?
Mitch, why are they doing this, the birds ?
We don't know, honey. Why are they trying to kill people ?
I wish I could say.
I-I'm sick, Melanie.
I want to-- I'll go with you.
They're going.
Mitch ?
Oh, Mitch !
Melanie! Melanie!
Oh, poor thing ! Poor thing !
Listen, get some water, bandages and antiseptic. Quickly !
Bandages. It's terrible.
Cathy, get some brandy.
No, no, no ! No, no, it's all right.
No, it's all right, it's all right, it's all right.
It's all right. It's all right. No.
Shh ! Shh !
Cathy, get the lamp.
We've got to get her to a hospital.
We can't, Mitch. There's no place we can go. There's San Francisco.
We'd never make it. We have to try.
We'll go by way of Bay Hill Road. Then we don't have to go through town.
We can't stay here. She needs help !
I'm frightened. Terribly frightened.
I don't know what's outside there.
We better get started before another attack comes.
We'll take Melanie's car. That'll be faster than the truck.
Can you finish the bandaging ? I'll try.
All right.
Mitch ? See if you can get anything on the car radio.
The bird attacks have subsided for the time being.
Bodega Bay seems to be the center, though there are reports...
of minor attacks on Sebastopol and a few on Santa Rosa.
Bodega Bay has been cordoned off by roadblocks.
Most of the townspeople have managed to get out,
but there are still some isolated pockets of people.
No decision has been arrived at yet as to what the next step will be,
but there's been some discussion as to whether the military should go in.
It appears that the bird attacks come in waves, with long intervals between.
The reason for this does not seem clear as yet.
Did you hear anything on the radio ?
It's-It's all right. Come on.
No. No !
Shh. Shh.
- Mitch ? - Shh !
Stay there.
Can I bring the lovebirds, Mitch ?
They haven't harmed anyone.
A-All right. Bring them.