It's Tough to Be a Bird (1969)
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- G
- 21min
- Comedy, Family
- 10 Dec 1969 (USA)
- Short
Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Ruth Buzzi | ... |
Soprano (voice)
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| Richard Bakalyan | ... |
Narrator (voice)
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John Emerson | ... |
Bird Fancier
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Jim Swain | ... |
Bird Fancier
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Ann Lord | ... |
Bird Fancier
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Hank Schloss | ... |
Bird Fancier
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Walter Perkins | ... |
Bird Fancier
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Rolf Darbo | ... |
Bird Fancier
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Paul Frees | ... |
Leif Erikson (uncredited) (voice)
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| Ward Kimball | ... |
Bird Fancier (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Ward Kimball | ||
Written by
| Ted Berman | ... | (story) & |
| Ward Kimball | ... | (story) |
Produced by
| Walt Disney | ... | producer (uncredited) |
| Ward Kimball | ... | producer |
Music by
| George Bruns | ||
Editing by
| Lloyd L. Richardson | ||
Camera and Electrical Department
| Dave Spencer | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Animation Department
| Joe Hale | ... | layout artist |
| Eric Larson | ... | animator |
| Art Stevens | ... | animator |
| Wilma Baker | ... | final checker (uncredited) |
| Becky Fallberg | ... | xerox (uncredited) |
| Eve Fletcher | ... | inker (uncredited) |
| Virginia Fontanella | ... | color models (uncredited) |
| Chris Hecox | ... | painter (uncredited) |
| Ruth Tompson | ... | scene planner (uncredited) |
| Val Vreeland | ... | painter (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Mel Leven | ... | songs |
| Ethmer Roten | ... | musician: flute (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- National Audubon Society (with the co-operation of)
- U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Services (with the co-operation of)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (with the co-operation of)
- Walt Disney Productions
Distributors
- Buena Vista Distribution Company (1969) (United States) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1970) (United States) (tv) (original airing)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Technicolor (color by)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A street smart red bird with a heavy New York accent serves as the narrator, who tries to explains why it's tough to be a bird. This edutaining animated short with documentary segments explains the common evolutionary origin of birds, how various cultures have perceived the birds throughout history, how some species have become extinct or endangered due to human activity, how people like birdwatchers or townsfolk of Hinckley, Ohio, where the annual Buzzard Day is celebrated, enjoy the birds in a friendly manner and what a monty pythonesque cutout animation collage with birds looks like. |
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| Taglines | It's tough to be a bird! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | It was the last animated short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios to win an Academy Award, until Paperman (2012). See more » |
| Goofs | The evolutionary theory of how birds evolved from fish and reptiles (osteoderms, lobe-finned fishes, tetrapods, thecodonts, Proavis, and Archaeopteryx) is practically nonsense. They are separate kinds of animals. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into All Because Man Wanted to Fly (1984). See more » |
| Quotes |
Narrator:
I got news for you. We birds were used by your early explorers as navigators because we usually flew into the direction of land. You remember what Columbus said, don't you? Christopher Columbus: [Italian accent] Follow-a that-a bird. Narrator: And Leif Erikson? Leif Erikson: [Scandinavian accent] Follow the bird. Narrator: Both these boys claimed to be the first to set foot in the New World. Christopher Columbus, Leif Erikson: *overlapping arguing* Narrator: But we birds know who was here first. See more » |