6.5/10
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11 user 10 critic

The Birthday Party (1968)

G | | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 9 December 1968 (USA)
The Birthday Party Poster
The down-at-heel lodger in a seaside boarding house is menaced by two mysterious strangers, who eventually take him away.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writer:

Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Shaw, Patrick Magee, Sydney Tafler | See full cast & crew »
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On Disc

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1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

See all 16 photos »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Shaw ... Stanley
Patrick Magee ... McCann
Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler ... Goldberg
Dandy Nichols ... Meg
Moultrie Kelsall ... Petey
Helen Fraser Helen Fraser ... Lulu
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Based on Harold Pinter's enigmatic play about a border in a British seaside dwelling who is visited by two strangers. They torment him verbally, ask him idiotic unanswerable questions, force him to sit down and stand up, and give him a "party." Then, eventually, they take him away, a tongue-tied idiot. The trivial becomes the terrible, and with it a certain wonder, a certain pity. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

day in title | three word title | boarding house | toilet flush | psychological abuse | See All (39) »

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 1968 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A Festa de Aniversário See more »

Filming Locations:

7 Eriswell Road, Worthing, West Sussex, England, UK See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar Pictures International, American Broadcasting Company (ABC) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White (some sequences)| Color (photographed in) (Eastman Color)
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Closing credits: All characters and events in this film are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons living or dead is purely coincidental. See more »

Quotes

Nat Goldberg: But a birthday, I always feel, is a great occasion, taken too much for granted these days. What a thing to celebrate, birth! Like getting up in the morning. Marvelous! Some people don't like the idea of getting up in the morning. I've heard them. Getting up in the morning, they say, what is it? Your skin's crabby, you need a shave, your eyes are full of muck, your mouth is like a boghouse, the palms of your hands are full of sweat, your nose is clogged up, your feet stink, what are you but a ...
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Providence: The Birthday Party (1999) See more »

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User Reviews

 
Shaw snogs Nicholls
11 February 2019 | by malcolmgsw – See all my reviews

This was probably the only entertaining moment of the whole film.Good to see Sydney Taffler in something other than the role a spiv.I haven't a clue as to what this film was really all about.So if you are a Pinter fan you will undoubtedly enjoy it,If nothe leave well alone unless you fancy two hours of terminal boredom.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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