SYNOPSIS

Often acknowledged as one of the best prison films ever made, Birdman of Alcatraz was director John Frankenheimer’s first huge success and received rave reviews for its performances, cinematography (by the great Burnett Guffey; From Here to Eternity, Bonnie and Clyde) and Frankenheimer’s directing.

Burt Lancaster stars as the notorious prisoner, Robert Stroud, sentenced to a life of solitary confinement for murdering a prison guard. When he finds an injured sparrow in the prison yard, Stroud nurses it back to health and discovers a new calling in life. Over the years he becomes a renowned ornithologist, and even a respected author, achieving a greater sense of purpose behind prison walls than many in the outside world will ever know.

With an all-star cast that includes Karl Malden (A Streetcar Named Desire), Thelma Ritter (Pickup on South Street), Telly Savalas The Dirty Dozen) and Edmond O’Brien (The Barefoot Contessa), The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present John Frankenheimer’s Birdman of Alcatraz for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.