Evan Hunter

And at the same time, we didn't want it to seem...

as if we hadn't thought of it, as if we hadn't thought, why are these birds attacking?

Why the creative forces behind the picture hadn't once thought to ask this question of themselves.

So it was a dodgy situation.

And we decided, I did a scene in the screenplay where they try to figure out why the birds are doing this.

And they succeed only in frightening themselves.

But what they do come up with is the notion that there is a collective intelligence behind it, that these birds are not acting in isolated little groups, but that it's all the birds.

It's all the birds attacking mankind for whatever reason.

We never explain why, but at least we do explain that there is a unified force here and not some stragglers here.

On the cutting room floor.

I don't think he ever, wait, did he shoot that one?

Yes, he did shoot it.

He shot it and it did not survive the final cut.

Never.

I once asked him in one of our meetings, how far can I go with this hitch?

And he said, go wherever you want and let me worry about it.

You put it on paper and I'll get it on film.

And I think he really believed that.

You know, you must remember this was in 1961.

and we did not have Star Wars technology, which is unfortunate because we would have had them screaming out of the theater, I promise you.