6.7/10
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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, Dandy Nichols | See full cast & crew »
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On Disc

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1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

See all 15 photos »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Shaw ... Stanley Webber
Patrick Magee ... Shamus McCann
Dandy Nichols ... Meg Bowles
Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler ... Nat Goldberg
Moultrie Kelsall ... Pete Bowles
Helen Fraser Helen Fraser ... Lulu
See full cast »
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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

There was a ten-day rehearsal period and the shoot went smoothly. Friedkin says the only tense exchange he had with Pinter in a year of working together came when Joseph Losey saw the movie and requested via Pinter that Friedkin cut out a mirror shot as it was too close to Losey's style; Friedkin refused as "I wasn't about to destroy the film's continuity to mollify Losey's ego". See more »

Quotes

Stanley Webber: How would you like to go away with me?
Lulu: What?
Stanley Webber: How would you like to go away with me?
Lulu: Where would we go?
Stanley Webber: Nowhere...
Lulu: Well that's a charming proposal.
Stanley Webber: There's nowhere to go, so we could just go, it wouldn't matter.
Lulu: We might as well stay here.
See more »

Connections

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Great early Harold!
14 December 2004 | by shepardjessica-1 – See all my reviews

A wonderful play (which I've directed in the 80's) that cuts a scene from the play with Lulu..but is still PINTER! What can you say about this '58 play (film '68) except to say it's INTENSE. Robert Shaw as Stanley (post-James Bond and pre-Jaws and pre-The Sting)..most Americans (no offence)..don't even know who this guy is. Anyway, it's a brilliant parody of English (and everybody in the 50's) take on the one artist. Sidney Taffler as Goldberg is comical, frightening, bossy, and just plain "too much there". Patrick MaGee as McCann (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, BARRY LYNDON, Kubrick.etc.) is lone newspaper-ripping non-horror (or so you think) DUDE, who hung out with the The Beatles.

Decent version of a great early play of a genius..which bombed..duh? Stick with Meg and Petey and you can't go wrong or right. 20 years ahead of it's time as a play and 10 years...right.
9 of 24 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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