Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Classic Film Festival 2013
April 2013
A Conversation with Tippi Hedren: Lions, Tigers, and The Birds, Oh My!
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Tippi Hedren, one of Alfred Hitchcock's "blondes," famous for starring in The Birds and Marnie, has come forward in recent years about her unfortunate professional relationship with the controversial director. A popular event at this year's festival, Tippi joined film professor and author Foster Hirsch in a moderated conversation about her career and wildlife activism.
This last year, Hollywood has been riding a wave of Hitchcock resurgence: there's the Anthony Hopkins-Helen Mirren fronted Hitchcock, A&E Network's "Bates Motel," and 2012's Golden Globe-nominated HBO feature The Girl, with Sienna Miller as Hedren in the titular role. "I felt it was important to finally get it out," Tippi said of her story, in support of the film. The Girl profiles Tippi's version of reality in which Hitchcock, or Hitch, was "controlling" and "tormented," per her words, and a man who, in the end, "ruined" her career by preventing her from working after their last collaboration, Marnie. |
"I became an expert of getting out of situations," she said, noting that she witnessed other actresses willfully hurrying their family lives, trying to get pregnant in order to exit contracts early. "I did complete the work, [but] I was getting out of the contract before Marnie was finished," Tippi admitted.
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According to Tippi, acting is "the most awful job you could ever have. [You're] always looking for a job. I think if you're not independently wealthy, you should not be an actor," she said with a laugh. "The responsibility of carrying a motion picture is horrendous. You have to really love the job. I never would've [encouraged Melanie]," she said of daughter Melanie Griffith, who of course, is a well-known actress.
"I never discussed the relationship with Hitchcock and me, not to my parents or Melanie. It was an embarrassing situation," she said, yet starring in The Birds is her history, and it began in the oddest circumstances.
Hitchcock needed a leading lady for his next masterpiece and ordered executives to find "the girl," hence the origin of HBO's title. Tippi received a call, strangely enough, on Friday, the 13th of October, instructing her to report to Universal Studios. She was signed under contract without even knowing the filmmaker's identity.
When the time came for her to meet the mystery director, Tippi described her first impression of Hitchcock. "He opened the door and almost presented that profile, and I thought, 'this is so surreal.' It was awesome." She went on to say that she was "charmed," but not intimidated, by the daunting figure. "It would take a lot to intimidate me," she said ever so securely. During the initial meeting, Tippi reflected, "We discussed travel, food, wines, not a word about movies or acting or anything like that."
Despite the negative experiences, which are showcased in The Girl, Tippi shared much praise for Hitch. "He was the kind of director who really spoiled his actors" and "always wanted control of the light of his leading ladies, which is admirable." She continued, "We received very little direction when we were actually on stage. We rarely did more than 3 or 4 takes."
Though, she told her rapt audience a of a lighthearted memory while filming the "cigarette lighting scene," which took the most takes of all.
"Suzanne Pleshette (Annie Hayworth) and I got the giggles," she began. Hitchcock reprimanded, "Now that will be enough of that." "We looked at each other and just broke up again," she admitted.
Another backstage glimpse Tippi provided was mentioning her iconic costume. Designed by Edith Head, whom Tippi calls "incredibly wonderful," the pale green color of her suit was chosen, she said, because "it had to be something that was soothing and comfortable to look at. It is a beautiful green."
Tippi briefly discussed her time filming Marnie, her last collaboration with Hitchcock. "People didn't understand [Marnie]. [It was] psychologically ahead of its time," she said, noting the subject matter of childhood trauma. The moderator turned the dialogue toward her co-star, Sean Connery, who portrayed Mark Rutland, the man who forces Marnie into an unhappy and unwanted marriage. He comically asked about Tippi's difficulty in having to act as a woman who was not attracted to Sean Connery. "Yeah, the character wasn't," she replied to much laughter, adding that she asked her director the very same thing when she learned of Connery's casting: "How am I supposed to work with that?" she asked Hitch. His reply? "It's called 'acting'."
As a result of Hitchcock's professional manipulations, Tippi would never eclipse the stardom she accrued from The Birds, saying frankly, "[Hitchcock] ruined my career. However, he didn't ruin my life."
Tippi may have said "nevermore" to Hitch, but the unwavering and persevering actress still appears on our screens from time to time. In fact, we recently saw Tippi guest-star alongside Melanie in an episode of FOX's "Raising Hope," where they played fictional mother and daughter. "We never ever discuss show business," she said of her famous family, which includes son-in-law Antonio Banderas.
While her career has been dominated by this cautionary tale, Tippi has worked with some of the most amazing talent known to cinema. Four years after Marnie, Tippi worked under the direction of Charlie Chaplin in 1967's A Countess from Hong Kong. On Chaplin, she said, "[He was] so well-prepared with everything. I wish there was film of him directing. He acted out the whole scene. I was greatly honored to be a part of it."
"I can watch a movie and practically see my whole life at the time. No matter what you do in life, it prepares you for something else," she said at one point during the conversation, which certainly describes her trajectory. Refusing to be defined by the craft of acting or the fickleness of the industry, Tippi instead concentrates her efforts in preserving wildlife, founding The Roar Foundation in 1983, which aids in the care of abandoned exotic felines at The Shambala Preserve.
Currently, she is "trying desperately" to get her second Federal bill passed to stop the breeding of lions and tigers. Shambala has over 50 Big Cats who eat 400-500 pounds of meat per day, Tippi detailed. She went on to say that the cats' food is often pilfered by a resident flock of ravens, an ironic presence she fully embraces - going so far as to install a skylight over her bed so she can "watch them in the morning." Can't you just hear the theme to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" while imagining this curious scenario?
Despite Tippi's growing participation in film festivals and public appearances, she has no plans to pen an autobiography just yet, saying, "I have a lot going on in my life."
Forest concluded his moderation by thanking Tippi for her willingness to speak about the past, in contrast to fellow Hitchcock starlets like Vera Miles, who have withdrawn from interviews and the public spotlight. He remarked that these individuals have "a debt to history" in sharing their stories. We are the history makers, and we cannot preserve or learn from history without accounting for it. So I also thank Tippi and TCM, as well, for a fascinating discussion and for aiding in the efforts to preserve an era of cinema and popular culture that we we herald for generations to come.
"I never discussed the relationship with Hitchcock and me, not to my parents or Melanie. It was an embarrassing situation," she said, yet starring in The Birds is her history, and it began in the oddest circumstances.
Hitchcock needed a leading lady for his next masterpiece and ordered executives to find "the girl," hence the origin of HBO's title. Tippi received a call, strangely enough, on Friday, the 13th of October, instructing her to report to Universal Studios. She was signed under contract without even knowing the filmmaker's identity.
When the time came for her to meet the mystery director, Tippi described her first impression of Hitchcock. "He opened the door and almost presented that profile, and I thought, 'this is so surreal.' It was awesome." She went on to say that she was "charmed," but not intimidated, by the daunting figure. "It would take a lot to intimidate me," she said ever so securely. During the initial meeting, Tippi reflected, "We discussed travel, food, wines, not a word about movies or acting or anything like that."
Despite the negative experiences, which are showcased in The Girl, Tippi shared much praise for Hitch. "He was the kind of director who really spoiled his actors" and "always wanted control of the light of his leading ladies, which is admirable." She continued, "We received very little direction when we were actually on stage. We rarely did more than 3 or 4 takes."
Though, she told her rapt audience a of a lighthearted memory while filming the "cigarette lighting scene," which took the most takes of all.
"Suzanne Pleshette (Annie Hayworth) and I got the giggles," she began. Hitchcock reprimanded, "Now that will be enough of that." "We looked at each other and just broke up again," she admitted.
Another backstage glimpse Tippi provided was mentioning her iconic costume. Designed by Edith Head, whom Tippi calls "incredibly wonderful," the pale green color of her suit was chosen, she said, because "it had to be something that was soothing and comfortable to look at. It is a beautiful green."
Tippi briefly discussed her time filming Marnie, her last collaboration with Hitchcock. "People didn't understand [Marnie]. [It was] psychologically ahead of its time," she said, noting the subject matter of childhood trauma. The moderator turned the dialogue toward her co-star, Sean Connery, who portrayed Mark Rutland, the man who forces Marnie into an unhappy and unwanted marriage. He comically asked about Tippi's difficulty in having to act as a woman who was not attracted to Sean Connery. "Yeah, the character wasn't," she replied to much laughter, adding that she asked her director the very same thing when she learned of Connery's casting: "How am I supposed to work with that?" she asked Hitch. His reply? "It's called 'acting'."
As a result of Hitchcock's professional manipulations, Tippi would never eclipse the stardom she accrued from The Birds, saying frankly, "[Hitchcock] ruined my career. However, he didn't ruin my life."
Tippi may have said "nevermore" to Hitch, but the unwavering and persevering actress still appears on our screens from time to time. In fact, we recently saw Tippi guest-star alongside Melanie in an episode of FOX's "Raising Hope," where they played fictional mother and daughter. "We never ever discuss show business," she said of her famous family, which includes son-in-law Antonio Banderas.
While her career has been dominated by this cautionary tale, Tippi has worked with some of the most amazing talent known to cinema. Four years after Marnie, Tippi worked under the direction of Charlie Chaplin in 1967's A Countess from Hong Kong. On Chaplin, she said, "[He was] so well-prepared with everything. I wish there was film of him directing. He acted out the whole scene. I was greatly honored to be a part of it."
"I can watch a movie and practically see my whole life at the time. No matter what you do in life, it prepares you for something else," she said at one point during the conversation, which certainly describes her trajectory. Refusing to be defined by the craft of acting or the fickleness of the industry, Tippi instead concentrates her efforts in preserving wildlife, founding The Roar Foundation in 1983, which aids in the care of abandoned exotic felines at The Shambala Preserve.
Currently, she is "trying desperately" to get her second Federal bill passed to stop the breeding of lions and tigers. Shambala has over 50 Big Cats who eat 400-500 pounds of meat per day, Tippi detailed. She went on to say that the cats' food is often pilfered by a resident flock of ravens, an ironic presence she fully embraces - going so far as to install a skylight over her bed so she can "watch them in the morning." Can't you just hear the theme to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" while imagining this curious scenario?
Despite Tippi's growing participation in film festivals and public appearances, she has no plans to pen an autobiography just yet, saying, "I have a lot going on in my life."
Forest concluded his moderation by thanking Tippi for her willingness to speak about the past, in contrast to fellow Hitchcock starlets like Vera Miles, who have withdrawn from interviews and the public spotlight. He remarked that these individuals have "a debt to history" in sharing their stories. We are the history makers, and we cannot preserve or learn from history without accounting for it. So I also thank Tippi and TCM, as well, for a fascinating discussion and for aiding in the efforts to preserve an era of cinema and popular culture that we we herald for generations to come.
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