The Birthday Party is a 1968 British drama film directed by William Friedkin, and starring Robert Shaw, based on the 1957 play The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter. The screenplay for the film was written by Pinter as well. The film, and the play, are considered examples of "comedy of menace", a genre associated with Pinter.
The film was a passion project for Friedkin, who had been a fan of the play, and he remained proud of the film after its release, though it was a box office disappointment.
Plot
The protagonist is a lodger in his late 30s named Stanley (Webber), played by Robert Shaw, who is staying at a seaside boarding house; he is visited by two unexpected additional guests, menacing and mysterious strangers, Goldberg (Sydney Tafler) and McCann (Patrick Magee). Their neighbour, Lulu (Helen Fraser) brings her a parcel, a boy's toy drum presented to Stanley as his "birthday present." Goldberg and McCann offer to host Stanley's birthday party after Stanley's landlady, Meg (Boles), played by Dandy Nichols, tells them that it is Stanley's birthday, although Stanley protests that it is really not his birthday. In the course of the party, Goldberg and McCann break Stanley down and ultimately take him away from the house purportedly to get medical attention (from "Monty") in their car. The film ends (as the play ends) after Meg's husband Petey (Moultrie Kelsall), a deckchair attendant, who did not attend the party because he was out playing chess, calls after Stanley, "Stan, don't let them tell you what to do"; at the end, Meg, still somewhat hung over, is unaware that Stanley has been taken away, since Petey has not told her that, and tells him that she was "the belle of the ball."
Podcasts:
Matching books:
The Boys Next Door
ALBUMS
- Door, Door released: 1993
- The Birthday Party released: 1980
- 1978-12-21: 3RRR Xmas Party, Storey Hall, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia released:
- 1979-11-05: Crystal Ballroom, Melbourne, Australia released:
- 1978-04-28: Preston Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia released:
- 1978-11-21: Tiger Lounge, Royal Oak Hotel, Melbourne, Australia released:
- Next Door released:
- 1977-08-19: Swinburne College, Melbourne, Australia released:
Next Door
- Let's Talk About Art
- After a Fashion
- Running Goat
- Death by Drowning
- The Cracked Portrait
- A Catholic Skin
- A.K.A.
- Shivers
- The Friend Catcher
- Safe House
- Scatterbrain
- Guilt Parade
- The Hair Shirt
- Guilt Parade
- Shivers
- The Cracked Portrait
- A Catholic Skin
- Waving My Arms
- Death by Drowning
- Running Goat
- The Friend Catcher
- After a Fashion
Died: 1980-02-28
The Birthday Party
ALBUMS
- Live 1981-82 released: 2013
- Pleasure Heads Must Burn released: 2003
- The John Peel Sessions released: 2001
- Prayers on Fire released: 2000
- Drunk on the Pope's Blood released: 1994
- Hits released: 1992
- Hee-Haw released: 1992
- Mutiny / The Bad Seed EP released: 1989
- A Social Gathering for the Celebration of Someone's Birth released: 1987
- A Collection released: 1987
- A Collection... Best and Rarest released: 1985
- It's Still Living released: 1985
- Junk Yard released: 1982
- The Birthday Party released: 1982
- Cremation released:
- 1981-11-27: Rafters, Manchester, UK released:
- 1981-09-10: The Venue, London, UK released:
- 1982-06-25: Ballhaus, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany released:
- 1983-05-06: Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand released:
- 1982-01-06: University Refectory, Sydney, Australia released:
- 1983-05-09: The Seaview Ballroom, Melbourne, Australia released:
Pleasure Heads Must Burn
Released 2003- Nick the Stripper (Promo video)
- Fears of Gun (TV Performance)
- Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow) (TV Performance)
- Deep in the Woods (Promo video)
- Junkyard (TV Performance)
- Dead Joe (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- A Dead Song (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- Junkyard (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- Release the Bats (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- (Sometimes) Pleasure Heads Must Burn (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- Big Jesus Trashcan (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1982)
- Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow) (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- Pleasure Avalanche (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- Six Inch Gold Blade (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- Wild World (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- The Six Strings That Drew Blood (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- Sonny's Burning (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
- She's Hit (live Hacienda club, Manchester, UK 1983)
Cremation
- Death by Drowning (1979-10-03: Melbourne, Australia)
- Figure of Fun (1980-09-10: John Peel radio session)
- Nick the Stripper (1981-11-08: Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- A Dead Song (1981-11-08: Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Big Jesus Trash Can (1981-11-08: Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Loose (1981-04-28: John Peel radio session)
- King Ink (1980-09-10: John Peel radio session)
- Pleasure Heads (1981-04-28: John Peel radio session)
- Cry (1981-04-09: Melbourne, Australia)
- Sonny's Burning (1983-05-03: Auckland, New Zealand)
- She's Hit (1983-05-05: Palmerston, New Zealand)
- Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow) (1983-05-05: Palmerston, New Zealand)
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NICK THE STRIPPER
by: The Birthday Partyinsect insect insect insect incest insect incest insect
Nick The Stripper
a-hideous to the eye
a-hideous to the eye
well he's a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
and ooooooooh! here we go again
Nick The Stripper
a-dances on all fours
a-dances on all fours
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
and ooooooooh! a-here we go again
Nick The Stripper
a-hideous to the eye
a-hideous to the eye
well he's a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
and ooooooooh! here we go again
well he's a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
a fat little insect
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
he's in his birthday suit
insect insect insect insect
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