Bird (1988)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer (WGA):

Joel Oliansky (written by)

Release Date:

30 September 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

"There are no second acts in American lives." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Plot:

The troubled life and career of the jazz musician, Charlie "Bird" Parker.

Plot Keywords:

Jazz | Drugs | 1940s | Drug Addict | Music History

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Forest Whitaker	...	Charlie 'Bird' Parker
Diane Venora	...	Chan Parker
Michael Zelniker	...	Red Rodney
Samuel E. Wright	...	Dizzy Gillespie
Keith David	...	Buster Franklin
Michael McGuire	...	Brewster
James Handy	...	Esteves
Damon Whitaker	...	Young Bird
Morgan Nagler	...	Kim
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Dr. Heath
Sam Robards	...	Moscowitz
Penelope Windust	...	Bellevue Nurse
Glenn Wright	...	Alcoholic Patient (as Glenn T. Wright)
George Orrison	...	Patient with Checkers
Bill Cobbs	...	Dr. Caulfield
Hamilton Camp	...	Mayor of 52nd Street
Chris Bosley	...	First Doorman
George T. Bruce	...	Second Doorman
Joey Green	...	Gene
John Witherspoon	...	Sid
Tony Todd	...	Frog
Jo De Winter	...	Mildred Berg (as Jo de Winter)
Richard Zavaglia	...	Ralph the Narc
Anna Levine	...	Audrey
Al Pugliese	...	Owner - Three Deuces
Hubert Kelly	...	Wilson
Billy J. Mitchell	...	Prince (as Billy Mitchell)
Karl Vincent	...	Stratton
Lou Cutell	...	Bride's Father
Roger Etienne	...	Parisian Emcee
Jason Bernard	...	Benny Tate
Gretchen Oehler	...	Southern Nurse
Richard McKenzie	...	Southern Doctor
Tony Cox	...	Pee Wee Marquette
Diane Salinger	...	Baroness Nica
Johnny Adams	...	Bartender
Natalia Silverwood	...	Red's Girlfriend
Duane Matthews	...	Engineer
Slim Jim Phantom	...	Grainger
Matthew Faison	...	Judge
Peter Crook	...	Bird's Lawyer
Alec Paul Rubinstein	...	Recording Producer
Patricia Herd	...	Nun
Steve Zettler	...	Owner - Oasis Club
Ann Weldon	...	Violet Welles
Charley Lang	...	D.J. at the Paramount
Tim Russ	...	Harris
Richard Jeni	...	Morello
Don Starr	...	Doctor at Nica's
Richard Mawe	...	Medical Examiner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Lane	...	Reporter at Funeral (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
Joel Oliansky		(written by)

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
David Valdes	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lennie Niehaus

Cinematography by
Jack N. Green

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno

Set Decoration by
Thomas L. Roysden
John Sweeney		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Glenn Wright		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist
Michael Hancock	....	makeup artist
Lola Kemp	....	hair stylist

Production Management
David Valdes	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
L. Dean Jones Jr.	....	first assistant director
Marsha Scarbrough	....	second second assistant director
Tena Psyche Yatroussis	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Edward Aiona	....	property master
Larry Boyd	....	set dresser
Judy Cammer	....	set designer
Joseph C. Fama	....	construction foreman (as Joe Fama)
Bill Gay	....	assistant property master (as William D. Gay)
Kelly Hudson	....	construction painter
Ronald C. Jacobs	....	lead man (as Ron Jacobs)
Bob Lawless	....	stand-by painter (as Robert Lawless)
Joe Mendoza	....	drapery
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Mark Rich	....	assistant property master
Danny Rogers	....	graphic designer
Ciro Vuoso	....	construction foreman (as Ciro Vuosos)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Willie D. Burton	....	sound mixer
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	sound editor
Teri E. Dorman	....	sound editor
Jay Engel	....	adr editor (as Jay N. Engel)
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dee Dee Goldner	....	assistant sound editor
Robert W. Harris	....	cable person
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor
David M. Horton	....	sound editor
Joseph A. Ippolito	....	sound editor
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Walter Newman	....	sound editor
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brooke Henderson Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joe Day	....	special effects
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process projection (as Bill Hansard Sr.)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Anderson	....	additional camera operator
Danny Falkengren	....	grip (as Dan Falkengren)
Leroy Hershkowitz	....	best boy electric
Norman G. Langley	....	camera operator
Bruce Logan	....	process photographer
Jack E. McLean Jr.	....	electrician
Dennie C. Modes	....	playback operator
Hal Nelson	....	best boy grip
Víctor Pérez	....	gaffer (as Victor Perez)
Marcia Reed	....	still photographer
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera, steadicam (as Anthony J. Rivetti)
Rick Robinson	....	assistant camera
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	grip
Sidney Sidell	....	assistant camera (as Jerry Sidell)
Sabrina Simmons	....	second assistant camera
Michael J. Spehar	....	electrician (as Mike Spehar)
Tom Stern	....	lighting consultant
Sandy Williams	....	dolly grip (as Walter L. Williams)
Joseph D. Steuben	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Olivia Harris	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bob Christenson	....	wardrobe: men (as Robert Christenson)
Deborah Hopper	....	costume supervisor
Nancy McArdle	....	wardrobe: women
Alfred Tiegs	....	wardrobe: men
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor: men

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant film editor
Jack Garsha	....	color timer

Music Department
Chuck Berghofer	....	musician
Ron Carter	....	musician
Chuck Domanico	....	musician
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (as Bobby Fernandez)
Patti Fidelibus	....	music contractor
John Guerin	....	musician: drums
Donald Harris	....	music editor
Charles McPherson	....	musician: alto saxophone, "Bird" solos
Lennie Niehaus	....	music supervisor
John E. Oliver	....	sideline musicians (as John Oliver)
Steve Wax	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
Keith Dillin	....	transportation coordinator
Randy Luna	....	driver

Other crew
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
Judie Hoyt	....	assistant to producer
Linda Sony Kinney	....	production secretary
David R. Lawson	....	first aid
Antoinette Levine	....	location manager
Michael Maurer	....	production accountant
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
Tom Rooker	....	production associate
Antoinette Simmrin	....	location manager
Danny Wagner	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Nica De Koenigswarter	....	special thanks
Leonard Feather	....	special thanks
Dizzy Gillespie	....	special thanks
Buddy Jones	....	special thanks
Chan Parker	....	special thanks
Red Rodney	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Malpaso Company, The
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1988) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1988) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1989) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV) (1997)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• CBS Records  soundtrack
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• The Estate of Charles Parker  special thanks
• Tony's Food Service  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

161 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-10 | Norway:10 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | UK:15 | Spain:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Bird (1988) was shot before Clint Eastwood's The Dead Pool (1988) but launched stateside after it. Bird (1988) was shot during the last quarter of 1987 before The Dead Pool (1988) filmed Feb-April 1988. Bird (1988) was not released in the USA until late September 1988 after The Dead Pool (1988) had debuted for the American Summer season in July 1988.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Bird is reciting the telegram to be sent to Chan, and we see the telegram being printed as he speaks, he says "Forgive me for not being in the hospital with you," but the telegram reads "Forgive me for not being there with you while you were at the hospital."

Quotes:

Doctor at Nica's:Dr:
[while Bird's body is being retired]
Doctor at Nica's:Charles Christopher Parker, Junior. Preliminary diagnosis: heart attack. Stocky, male, negro. Approximately 65 years of age.
Baroness Nica:Baroness Nica:
[with a sad look]
Baroness Nica:He was 34.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Eastwood... A Star (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Parker's Mood

A sincere but disappointing tribute to Charlie Parker

Clint Eastwood's reputation as a serious filmmaker was given a considerable boost with this lengthy biography of jazz legend, Charlie "Yardbird" Parker, who Eastwood, a jazz aficionado, saw perform in Oakland, California in 1946. For this labor of love, Eastwood assembled an excellent cast including Forest Whitaker as Parker, Diane Venora--flawless as Bird's woman, Chan Parker--and, in a small role of one of the musician's flirtations, Ana Thompson (the "cut whore" from "Unforgiven"). With the aid of cinematographer Jack N. Green, Eastwood captures the neon burnished lights and darks of the night world Parker inhabited, and the music, featuring genuine Parker solos augmented by modern musicians, can't be faulted, but despite its merits, this "Bird" never takes flight. It is long--too long--and the story it tells, though certainly dramatic in its bleak and uncompromising portrait of an artist whose music was often overshadowed by his drug addiction, weighs down too heavily on the latter than the former. Why is Charlie Parker so important? That question isn't answered here, but another question--why was Charlie Parker dead at 34?--is addressed and answered at length. There is potential on view here--Parker's struggle to survive as a musician in a culture that is more appreciative of rock and roll than of jazz is a minor thread that could have been expanded--but much of it is unrealized. "Bird" is a handsome film, but its craftsmanship and artistry is defeated by the script.