Something for the Birds (1952) User Reviews

Patricia Neal falls for two vultures

[Irie212 · 7/10 · 24 September 2009]

I have to take issue with the review by Matt_Wall, which stated it was "hard to believe this script was written in the early 1950s." The plot is about gas companies vs. conservationists trying to save the California condor. Gas was first drilled for in 1821, and there have been conservationists since before Thoreau, so this was an old story by 1950. Furthermore, California's Audubon Society had been fighting to preserve the condor's habitat since the 1930s. So Mr. Wall seems to be among the disturbingly long list of people who assume nothing much of interest happened before they were alive to hear about it.

What's more, this environmentally conscious movie is hardly a first for Hollywood. To name a very famous example, which this film resembles, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939) centered around the battle against dam-builders for the establishment of a national boys' camp.

The script, credited to I.A.L. Diamond among others, has enough wit so that it hardly needed the screwball spin (or the accompanying silly musical score). Victor Mature at his oiliest is perfect to play the Washington lobbyist named Steve, though he's not exactly a light- footed comic actor. On the other hand, Edmund Gwenn and Patricia Neal bring their reliable gifts to their roles; both exude intelligence, dignity, and disarming honesty.

The IMDb entry for "Memorable quotes" is empty, but there are more than a few good lines in this all-but-forgotten film:

"No one has ever accused me of being unpatriotic. In fact, I was the first man in the House to speak out against the Japanese beetle."

Congressman: "Is it your practice to distribute gifts to people in high places?" Lobbyist: "Only to those who accept them."

"You know how it is in Washington. The more you deny something, the more everybody believes it."

(Said of a widow) "That's quite an accomplishment, surviving a Southern congressman."

Journalist: "You'd barbecue your grandmother on the Capitol steps for a buck." Lobbyist: "And you'd be right there with your little notebook taking down her last word."

(Said of the lobbyist) "Steve hasn't an enemy in the world, but I like him anyway."

Oddly Prescient Mismatch Comedy of Oil Lobbyists vs. Environmentalists

[wall17 · 6/10 · 16 December 2004]

Hard to believe this script was written in the early 1950s -- it sounds like it might be a pitch for some mismatch comedy of today. Neal is an environmental activist sent to Washington to help stop a bill that would allow drilling for natural gas in the habitat set aside by the government for the endangered California Condor. An evil oil company is sponsoring a bill in Washington that would allow them, and only them, to drill -- thus disrupting the Condor's delicate breeding patterns. She crashes a swank DC party to try to gain access to the Department of the Interior bureaucrat who's been ducking her, where she runs into a kindly retired Admiral (Gwenn, better known as Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street"), who is taken by her and agrees to introduce her to one of his many Washington pals, the sleazy but suave lobbyist lawyer played by Mature. What neither of them knows is that the Admiral is in fact an engraver at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving who's been forging party invitations for himself for years and has adopted the persona of a retired admiral. And Mature, infatuated with Neal, has to hide the fact that he's in fact the lobbyist hired by the gas company to get the special interest bill through Congress! Screwball complications ensue, of course, while Neal tries to get protection for the condors, Mature tries to seduce her without actually helping her against the interest of his client, and Gwenn finds his cover story unraveling the more he tries to help Neal, all under the comic theme of the whiff of corruption in government business.

The acting is fine here, hardly true screwball, but with believable performances by all three principles. Neal isn't quite enough of a sex bomb to explain Mature's infatuation, and her natural intelligence and self-possession bely the fact she's supposed to be something of a naif around DC. Nevertheless her portrayal is earnest and just enough tongue in cheek. Mature himself is just creepy enough to be credible as a sleazoid lobbyist, although his B-list looks also don't suggest much chemistry with Neal. Gwenn is his usual sophisticated self, playing the double role of Washington insider and humble engraver.

Modern sensibilities may be a bit perturbed by the comic use of the Condor's plight, but on the other hand it's a sober reminder of how little has changed that the plot would be just as plausible if remade today.

Wait for this hilariously obscene line in the middle of the movie, which somehow slipped by the censors: "Unpack that 16" gun!"

Illogical...but enjoyable.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 November 2018]

In "Something for the Birds" you get a history lesson on how government works...and it's not always a happy and nice lesson! Like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", it talks about the nastier aspects at times, as it follows a lobbyist and shows how deals get made. But, unlike the Capra movie, this one is all about romance and comedy and takes a lighter look at Congressional 'gifts'.

The story begins with Anne (Patricia Neal) crashes a Washington party in order to try to influence people about the plight of the California Condor...a bird that is still on the brink of extinction today. Unfortunately, she meets two people who might not be the best to meet under the circumstances...the Admiral (Edmund Gwenn) and a professional lobbyist, Steve Bennett (Victor Mature). Why? Well, while the Admiral is sympathetic and even helps Anne in her campaign, he's NOT a real admiral and has been posing as one for years in order to attend all the best parties! And, with Steve, she has just started a friendship with a guy whose company is lobbying against saving the Condors! How does all this work out and will there be a happily ever after for everyone...including the Condors?

Despite being highly idealistic (especially in regard to the 'Admiral' when his ruse is discovered), the film also does give insights into the sleazy world of lobbying. It also makes for a dandy rom-com....one well worth seeing and quite enjoyable.

Fighting for what is more important-Gas or a Big Bird.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 2 September 2014]

Long before Texas had a governor named Ann Richards, there was Patricia Neal playing environmentalist Anne Richards, out to save the California Condor from extinction when their sanctuary was threatened by a fuel company drilling for gas. Tough Neal is bold enough to crash a politician's private gathering where she encounters retired Navy Admiral Edmund Gwenn (another one of his many "cute old man" parts) who takes her under his wing, yet seems to have some private motivations of his own that may or may not be on the up and up. Romance develops between the very determined Neal and powerful Victor Mature, and in another case of the type of plot commonly called "Capra-Corn", the stage is set for two people on opposite sides to come together and do what is right while love blossoms between them.

There's a witty screenplay in this Robert Wise directed romantic comedy with political and environmental themes that makes the film more watchable than it could have been in lesser hands. The problem is that great dialog doesn't always mean a strong story, and here, the balancing act between romance, politics and environmentalism isn't always smooth. Perhaps the most amusing moments come from the bird imitator who is so good at his craft that he fools them as they walk through a park and listen to the various bird sounds, all of a sudden perplexed by one very rare to the area.

Cute political comedy

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 18 November 2023]

In a rare comedic turn for both Victor Mature and Patricia Neal, they pair up in a cute political satire, Something for the Birds. Patricia is a liberal activist intent on saving a rare bird on the verge of extinction, and Victor is a slick lobbyist who thinks business and progress are more important than endangered species. Of course, it's hate at first sight, but since it's a comedy, you can bet things will change.

In her trip to Washington, Patricia meets Edmund Gwenn, an adorable and professional party crasher. He owns a company that engraves invitations, and whenever he's hired for a Washington hobnobbing gala, he engraves one extra invite for himself! He's jolly and fun, and he certainly lightens the environment of sleazy politicians and contradictory bills to pass. Once Victor relaxes and - no pun intended - joins the party, he's also quite a bit of fun. Patricia is very cute in this light role; she usually gets put in such heavy movies, so this is a nice change of pace for her. If you like cute romances with a political backdrop, definitely check it out!

So what else is new?

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 10 November 2012]

Once upon a time, Edmund Gwenn had millions of fans. He deserved them too. He was a great actor -- and a great person! Just how highly Gwenn and his films were regarded can be gauged by 20th Century Fox's "Exhibitor's Campaign Book" for "Something for the Birds". An extremely elaborate affair of 24 newspaper-sized pages, this "book" features a three-color cover. Although Mature is the first-billed star, he is represented only by a small, passbook-sized, head-and-shoulders photo. Pat Neal does a bit better with a small but elegant, full-sized shot. Dominating the cover, however, is Edmund Gwenn. And if the size of his picture was not enough to draw the exhibitor's immediate attention, he even has a prominent tag line as well to the effect that "Mr. 880 Is Back...881 times phonier." Gwenn is also prominently featured in almost all the ad blocks. There are even small-sized blocks and a beautiful picture spread that feature Gwenn only, As for the movie itself, I wouldn't say it was the funniest movie I.A.L. Diamond ever wrote -- but it comes close. Its conservation theme was a rarity in 1952. If anything, the movie is even more relevant today. And it's directed by Robert "Sound of Music" Wise!

Watch the birdie !

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 30 March 2024]

Wanting to drill for gas into a valuable piece of nature, a firm has helped to introduce a bill to that effect. The representative of a NGO devoted to bird protection travels to Washington in hopes of defeating the proposal. Along the way she meets with two men : one of them a lobbyist (who is indeed a lobbyist) and the other one a retired admiral (who is not actually a retired admiral)...

A mix of political satire and rom-com, "Something for the birds" tells the tale of a well-meaning activist straying into the wild and not entirely wonderful world of Washington politics. The movie calls attention to the fact that the ebb and flow of legislation owes a great deal to lobbying, both overt and covert. What matters most is skillful influence brought to bear on certain key politicians - and since the amount of influence exerted is directly proportional to the amount of money spent, this means that the players with the biggest checkbooks have the greatest advantage. All of which translates as bad news for the protection of the environment, given that condors, sparrows and swans tend to be short on cash, just like the humans who defend them.

Sadly, things have only deteriorated since the 1950's. Viewers interested in topics like lobbying, corporate power, propaganda, astroturfing, greenwashing etcetera can do worse than read the books by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton, such as the memorably named "Toxic sludge is good for you".

If you listen to the movie closely, you'll hear a politician declare that he does not deem condors worthy of protection because he thinks they're gross, ugly and useless. It's surprising how often this inane argument crops up, even anno 2024. The world seems to overflow with people who classify animals as either "cute" or "non-cute", with the non-cute having to put up with everything from inconvenience to extinction. Of course all of the cute animals would disappear too once their sources of food, shelter, control or support were gone, but somehow this idea doesn't register. One struggles to picture the quality of the education provided in certain schools.

But back to "Something for the birds", which is a pleasantly watchable comedy with some clever finds. (How to gatecrash the finest parties held in Washington ? Watch the movie and find out !) Our professional lobbyist is too nice - I strongly suspect that the majority of them are amoral mercenaries - and the ending is too optimistic, but hey, that's what you get with comedies...

A charming comedy

[rdoyle29 · 8/10 · 30 December 2022]

Edmund Gwenn is an engraver who works for the company that makes most of the party invitations in Washington DC. He has a habit of taking a sample invitation for himself and using it to go to parties around town. He's become well-known to all the society people who are convinced that he's a retired admiral.

At one of these parties he meets Patricia Neal, who has crashed the party trying to find the Secretary of the Interior. She's in Washington trying to defeat a bill that threatens the nesting grounds of the California condor. Gwenn introduces her to Victor Mature, a friend who works as a lobbyist. He agrees to help her largely for ulterior motives, but while digging discovers that his company represents the company backing the bill ... in fact, he personally represents them.

Mature continues to offer Neal non-help help as a means of staying close to her, but eventually she uncovers his ruse and decides to leave town. Gwenn convinces her to stay and starts using his personal connections to do some grass roots lobbying on her behalf. He's so successful that the company backing the bill investigates him and finds out that he's a fraud.

I never would have pegged Mature as a plausible lead for a romantic comedy, but he's quite good. As is Neal in a rare comic role, but this is really Gwenn's movie all the way. The final act has him testifying before a Senate committee and there is serious "Miracle on 34th Street" energy.

There's an absolutely magnificent "come up to my room" joke between Neal and Mature.

10/10

[exepellinglogin · 10/10 · 18 October 2021]

Environmentalist Anne Richards traveled to Washington, DC, to pass legislation to save the last sanctuary of the almost extinct California condor. She sought help from Johnnie Adams, Washington's most successful party spoiler and opposition lobbyist Steve Bennett, who came to Annie's side.

Odd but enjoyable early 1950's comedy

[barrymn1 · 9/10 · 19 January 2020]

In some ways, this is a rather odd early 1950's movie regarding environmental concerns and big business lobbying. It's nice to Patricia Neal in a real romantic comedy. I'm not a van of Victor Mature, but he does well here. One of the main reasons for this movie is wonderful Edmund Gwenn, who made such a splash for 20th Century-Fox in "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Mister 880". He's wonderful here. Very nicely done comedy and quite a surprising find.