USA, 1948
61m
35mm film, colour (“in Trucolor”), 1.37:1
mono (RCA Sound System), English
An American fantasy film directed by Dean Riesner. Apart from a short prologue, all of the characters are played by trained birds and it was shot on what is believed to be the world’s smallest film set, a 30 x 15 ft table on which was built the village of Chirpendale. It was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 1948, for ” artistry and patience blended in a novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion pictures.”
Plot Summary
The bird citizens of Chirpendale are menaced by a raven known as “The Black Menace” and avian taxi driver Bill Singer and his new girlfriend Coo decide to make a stand.
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Dean Riesner
Copyright MCMXLVIII [1948] by Republic Pictures Corporation
Produced by: Ken Murray
Screen Play: Royal Foster, Dean Riesner
Based on an idea from Ken Murray’s Blackouts
Director of Photography: Jack Marta
Film Editor: Harold Minter
Music by: David Buttolph
Sound: Howard Wilson, T.A. Carman
Sets by: Fred Malatesta
Cast
George Burton’s Love Birds
Curley Twiford’s Jimmy the Crow
George Burton (appearing in prologue)
Elizabeth Walters (appearing in prologue)
Alternative Titles
Bill & Coo – Australia (video)
Bill and Coo – The Movie – Australia (video)
Bill e Lú – Brazil
Bill en Coo – Belgium (Flemish)
Bill et Coo – Belgium (French)
Bill ja Coo – Finland
Bill og Co – Norway
Bill y Coo – Mexico
Dois Papagaios Aventureiros – Portugal
Ken Murray’s Bill and Coo
Pip og kvidder – Denmark
Printemps à gazouilliville – France
ビルの冒険物語 – Japan
References
Periodicals
- Motion Picture Herald vol.169 no.13 (27 December 1947) p.4000
Books
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.35
