Birdman of Alcatraz Franchise Guide: Movie Facts and Legacy

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) — an evergreen reference for this movie: the essentials, the cast, where to watch and what to watch next. Inside the rock called Alcatraz they tried to chain a volcano they called 'The Bird Man'!

Where to watch

TMDB's U.S. watch-provider data lists fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Philo. Availability changes by country and date, so check your streaming app before watching.

Cast

Burt Lancaster as Robert Stroud; Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker; Thelma Ritter as Elizabeth Stroud; Neville Brand as Bull Ransom; Betty Field as Stella Johnson; Telly Savalas as Feto Gomez; Edmond O'Brien as Tom Gaddis; Hugh Marlowe as Roy Comstock

About Birdman of Alcatraz

After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.

More like Birdman of Alcatraz

• Cool Hand Luke
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Papillon
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• Cadence
• Caged
• Convict
• The Mustang

Figures and availability come from public TMDB data and are provided as a sourced reference.