Have you ever seen so many seagulls? What do you suppose it is?
Mrs. MacGruder Well, there must be a storm at sea. That can drive them inland, you know.
Melanie Daniels
Tippi Hedren · 13 quotes
Mitch Brenner
Rod Taylor · 11 quotes
Annie Hayworth
Suzanne Pleshette · 4 quotes
Cathy Brenner
Veronica Cartwright · 4 quotes
Lydia Brenner
Jessica Tandy · 3 quotes
Most scenes together: Mitch Brenner & Melanie Daniels (7), Melanie Daniels & Annie Hayworth (3), Mitch Brenner & Cathy Brenner (2)
The Birds quotes
Page 2 of 2 Mrs. MacGruder On Mondays and Wednesdays I work for the Travelers Aid at the airport.
Helping travelers?
No, misdirecting them.
So you're a lawyer.
That's right. Of course I usually defend people, Miss Daniels, but if I were prosecuting...
Do you practice here?
San Francisco...
What kind of law?
Criminal.
Is that why you want to see everyone behind bars?
Oh, not everyone, Miss Daniels.
Only violators and practical jokers.
Just what is it you're looking for, sir?
Lovebirds.
Lovebirds, sir?
Yes, I understand there are different varieties. Is that true?
Oh yes there are.
Well, these are for my sister, for her birthday see, and uh, as she's only going to be eleven, I, I wouldn't want a pair of birds that were too demonstrative.
I understand completely.
At the same time, I wouldn't want them to be too aloof either.
No, of course not.
Do you happen to have a pair of birds that are just friendly?
Doesn't this make you feel awful... having all these poor little innocent creatures caged up like this?
Well, we can't just let them fly around the shop, you know.
No, I suppose not. Is there an ornithological reason for keeping them in separate cages?
Well certainly, it's to protect the species.
Yes, I suppose that's important, especially during the moulting season.
That's a particularly dangerous time.
Are they moulting now?
Some of them are.
How can you tell?
Well, they get a sort of hang-dog expression.
We met in court... I'll rephrase it. I saw you in court... Don't you remember one of your practical jokes that resulted in the smashing of a plate-glass window?... The judge should have put you behind bars.
What are you, a policeman?
I merely believe in the law, Miss Daniels... I just thought you might like to know what it's like to be on the other end of a gag. What do ya think of that?
I think you're a louse.
I am.
Well, small world...How do you know Annie?
We went to school together - college...
So you came up to see Annie, huh?
Yes.
I think you came up to see me.
Now why would I want to see you of all people?
I don't know. You must have gone to a lot of trouble to find out who I was and where I lived.
No, it was no trouble at all. I simply called my father's newspaper. Besides, I was coming up anyway. I've already told you that.
You really like me, huh?
I loathe you. You have no manners, you're arrogant, and conceited, and I wrote you a letter about it, in fact. I tore it up.
[as she sees a man lighting his cigar as gasoline is leaking around him]
Look at the gas, that man's lighting a cigar!
I think we're in real trouble. I don't know how this started or why, but I know it's here and we'd be crazy to ignore it... The bird war, the bird attack, plague - call it what you like. They're amassing out there someplace and they'll be back. You can count on it... Unless we do something right now, unless we get Bodega Bay on the move, they... Mrs. Bundy said something about Santa Cruz, about seagulls getting lost in a fog and then flying in towards the lights... Make our own fog... we can use smoke pots the way the Army uses 'em.
I'm neither poor nor innocent.