Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

John C.W. Saxton (screenplay) &
Peter Jobin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 May 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It'll be a killer party! [DVD]

Plot:

Virginia is proud that she belongs to a clique. The best students at a private school. But before her 18th birthday...

Plot Keywords:

Accident | Birthday | School | Student | Murder

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Virginia Wainwright
Glenn Ford	...	Dr. David Faraday
Lawrence Dane	...	Hal Wainwright
Sharon Acker	...	Estelle Wainwright
Frances Hyland	...	Mrs. Patterson
Tracey E. Bregman	...	Ann Thomerson (as Tracy Bregman)
Jack Blum	...	Alfred Morris
Matt Craven	...	Steve Maxwell
Lenore Zann	...	Maggie
David Eisner	...	Rudi
Lisa Langlois	...	Amelia
Michel-René Labelle	...	Etienne Vercures (as Michel Rene Labelle)
Richard Rebiere	...	Greg Hellman
Lesleh Donaldson	...	Bernadette O'Hara
Earl Pennington	...	Lieutenant Tracy
Murray Westgate	...	Gatekeeper
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Prof. Heregard (as Jerome Tiberghien)
Maurice Podbrey	...	Dr. Feinblum
Vlasta Vrana	...	Bartender
Walter Massey	...	Conventioneer Leader
Griffith Brewer	...	Verger
Allan Katz	...	Ann's Date (as Alan Katz)
Ron Lea	...	Amelia's Date
Terry Haig	...	Feinblum's Assistant
Karen Stephen	...	Ms. Calhoun
Louis Del Grande	...	Surgeon
Nicholas Kilbertus	...	Anesthetist (as Nick Kilbertus)
Damir Andrei	...	Junior Surgeon
Gina Dick	...	Waitress Ingrid
Stephanie Miller	...	Hospital Nurse
Stephen Mayoff	...	Police Officer (as Steven Mayoff)
Aram Barkev	...	Conventioneer
Alan Barnett	...	Conventioneer
Paul Board	...	Conventioneer
Marc DeGagne	...	Conventioneer
Bruce Gooding	...	Conventioneer
Victor Knight	...	Conventioneer
Rollie Nincheri	...	Conventioneer
Keith Sutherland	...	Conventioneer
Herbert Vool	...	Conventioneer
Len Watt	...	Conventioneer
Joe Wertheimer	...	Conventioneer
Nancy Allan	...	Cheerleader
Karen Hynes	...	Cheerleader
Tracy-Marie Langdon	...	Cheerleader
Debbie McGellin	...	Cheerleader
Kathy Reid	...	Cheerleader
Lori Timmons	...	Cheerleader
Debbie Tull	...	Cheerleader
Lynn Wilson	...	Cheerleader
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Zilbert	...	Crawford Student (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
John C.W. Saxton		(screenplay) (as John Saxton) &
Peter Jobin		(screenplay) &
Timothy Bond		(screenplay)
John C.W. Saxton		(story) (as John Saxton)
John Beaird		uncredited

Produced by
John Dunning	....	producer
Stewart Harding	....	line producer
André Link	....	producer (as Andre Link)
Lawrence Nesis	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bo Harwood
Lance Rubin

Cinematography by
Miklós Lente		(director of photography) (as Miklos Lente)

Film Editing by
Debra Karen

Production Design by
Earl G. Preston		(as Earl Preston)

Costume Design by
Huguette Gagné		(as Hugette Gagne)

Makeup Department
Jocelyne Bellemare	....	makeup artist
Thomas R. Burman	....	special makeup effects artist
Normande Campeau	....	assistant makeup artist
Monique Cogez	....	assistant makeup artist
Bob Pritchett	....	hairdresser
Benjamin Robin	....	assistant hairdresser

Production Management
Ginette Hardy	....	production manager
Estelle Lemieux	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Braive	....	assistant director
Charles Braive	....	second unit director
Robbie Ditchburn	....	third assistant director (as Robert Ditchburn)
François Ouimet	....	second assistant director (as Francois Ouimet)

Art Department
Claude Benoît	....	second assistant art director (as Claude Benoit)
Charles Bernier	....	set props
Andre Brochu	....	construction manager (as André Brochu)
Ryal Cosgrove	....	assistant set props
Michel Dernuet	....	assistant art director
Jim Hodgson	....	art department assistant
Mark Montebello	....	art department assistant
Réal Paré	....	art department assistant (as Real Paré)
Armand Thomas	....	assistant set dresser
Katherine Wadas	....	set buyer

Sound Department
Jeff Bushelman	....	sound effects
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Les Fresholz)
Peter Lee-Thompson	....	sound supervisor (as Peter Thompson)
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Jean-Claude Matte	....	boom operator (as Jean Claude Matte)
Stanley H. Polinsky	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Stan Polinsky)
Susan Schneir	....	sound: second unit
Pat Somerset	....	sound effects
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gilles Aird	....	special effects technician
France Belisle	....	special effects technician
Louis Craig	....	special effects technician
Bill Doane	....	special effects coordinator
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects technician
King Hernandez	....	special effects coordinator
Warren Keillor	....	special effects coordinator
Ron Ottesen	....	special effects coordinator (as Ron Otteson)

Stunts
Brad Bovee	....	stunt performer
Susan Charest	....	stunt performer
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunt performer (as Bennie Dobbins)
Lyne Fournier	....	stunt performer
Tony Jefferson	....	stunt performer
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Jean Lysight	....	stunt performer
Dwayne McLean	....	stunt performer
Karen Pike	....	stunt performer
Eve Robin	....	stunt performer
Ben Scott	....	stunt performer
John-Clay Scott	....	stunt performer (as John Clay Scott)
Jérôme Tiberghien	....	stunt performer (as Jerome Tiberghien)

Camera and Electrical Department
François Aubry	....	lighting technician
Michel Bernier	....	second assistant camera
Don Burgess	....	camera operator: second unit
Pierre Charpentier	....	grip
Jean-Louis Daoust	....	key grip
David Douglas	....	camera operator
Mathieu Décary	....	focus puller (as Mathieu Decary)
Michael A. Jones	....	camera operator: second unit (as Michael Jones)
Jacques LeFlaguais	....	grip
Emmanuel Lepine	....	grip
Moshe Levin	....	camera operator: second unit (as Mosh Levine)
John Lewin	....	electrician
Ernst Michel	....	camera operator: second unit
Piroska Mihalka	....	still photographer
Walter Nichols	....	electric: second unit
Jacques Paquet	....	electrician
Gérald Proulx	....	electrician (as Gerald Proulx)
Guy Rémillard	....	generator operator (as Guy Remillard)
Don Saari	....	gaffer (as Donald Saari)
Eddy Trempe	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Francine Brasseur	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie-Hélène Gascon	....	wardrobe mistress (as Marie Helene Gascon)
Élisabeth Lamy	....	wardrobe assistant (as Elizabeth Lamy)

Editorial Department
Jacqueline Carmody	....	assistant editor (as Jaki Carmody)
Michaël Karen	....	assistant editor (as Michael Karen)

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
Shinichi Yamazaki	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Neil Bibby	....	transportation captain
Jim Disensi	....	driver
John Ellis	....	driver
Victoria Frodsham	....	driver
Sidney Goldberg	....	driver
Edward Sanden	....	driver

Other crew
David Bailey	....	assistant location manager
Giselle Bolduc	....	caterer (as Gisele Bolduc)
Linda Browne	....	script supervisor
Monique Champagne	....	continuity
Lucie Drolet	....	production accountant
Gregory Dunning	....	production assistant
Kathy Flynn	....	secretary to director
Leo Gregory	....	production controller
Michael Klingbell	....	animal trainer: Winston and George (as Mike Klingbell)
Carole LaFlamme	....	production secretary
Beverly Lev	....	production assistant
Trudi Link	....	production accountant
Irene Litinsky	....	executive assistant to producer
Marilyn Majerczyk	....	assistant to line producer
Cary Ross	....	location manager
Danae Vilandre	....	production typist
Kathy Wolf	....	production secretary
Stuart Woolley	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (as Columbia Pictures) (presents)
• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) (as The Canadian Film Development Corporation) (produced with the participation of)
• Famous Players (as Famous Players Ltd.) (produced with the participation of)
• The Birthday Film Company (as The Birthday Film Company Inc.) (copyright holder)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner - Columbia Filmverleih (1981) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1982) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video Ltd. (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (198?) (Japan) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Burman Studio, The (special makeup effects)
• Intrigue (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Casablanca Productions  casting (as Casablanca Productions Inc.)
• Les Ateliers Coutu & Michaud  jewelry design (as Coutu-Michaud)
• Burbank Editorial Service Inc.  sound effects (as Burbank Editorial Services Inc.)
• Catman Productions  animal training: Winston and George
• Metrocolor  prints (as Metrocolor®)
• Sonolab  processing (as Sonolab Inc.)
• Film Opticals  opticals (as Film Opticals [Quebec] Ltd)
• Westheimer Company  opticals (as Westheimer Co.)
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  approval certificate: no. 26216
• Village of Phoenix, New York  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as The Village of Phoenix, New York)
• New York State Department of Transportation  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:110 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) | Peru:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2004) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | USA:R | Norway:(Banned) (1981) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) (Re-rated 2009) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

647 Rue Main, Hudson, Quebec, Canada

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This is the only slasher/horror film that J. Lee Thompson directed.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the game of flying of the drawbridge in cars, Ginny runs away into the forest with just her scarf. In the forest she has her scarf and handbag.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mrs. Patterson:[to her attacking dog] Winston! Winston! Winston, just stop it, bad boy. Sit down. Sit!
Bernadette O'Hara:Oh, Mrs. Patterson.
Mrs. Patterson:Bernadette O'Hara, do you have any idea what time it is? Where are you going?
Bernadette O'Hara:Well, I, I. was just going up to the village to meet some of the kids at the inn.
Mrs. Patterson:You mean the second home for the Crawford top 10, don't you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Drive Thru (2007)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to Me

Nicely done

This is the story of Ginny, the aftermath of a car accident she was involved in and that cause her mother's death. It all started going bad before that, divorced parents, living with an abusive mother, Ginny wasn't popular, didn't have any friends, all in all a childhood to forget. Due to the car accident, she undergone extensive brain surgery, the consequence was frequent blackouts. Once at the Crawford Academy, she finally started getting along with the popular kids but not for long because they all started to mysteriously disappear. Who's to blame, are Ginny's blackouts related to this events??

I consider this to be a very good slasher movie. The cast is as good as it gets in this genre. The killings are original and imaginative. The death of Dr. David Faraday (Glenn Ford) is particularly bloody and Ginny's brain surgery is also pretty graphic and worth watching. The only negative aspect is the exaggerated amount of "twists", it is a good plot but taken a little to far in my opinion. Still a must watch slasher.