Birds Do It * (1966, Soupy Sales, Tab Hunter, Arthur O’Connell, Edward Andrews, Doris Dowling, Beverly Adams) – Classic Movie Review 8337

Director Andrew Marton’s 1966 film Birds Do It is a silly, mostly mirthless comedy with Soupy Sales starring as Melvin Byrd, a nuclear plant’s caretaker ionised in error so he can fly across Florida and round up a few secret agents.

Tab Hunter has the thankless task of supporting him as the bad guy Lieutenant Porter, the horrible spy who tries to put a stop to Soupy’s little game.

American children’s TV entertainer Soupy’s first starring film is aimed squarely at his audience of kids and Soupy works hard to raise some laughs. But it is written with a lack of much wit by Arnie Kogen and Art Arthur, based on a story by Leonard B Kaufman.

Also in the cast are Arthur O’Connell, Edward Andrews, Doris Dowling, Beverly Adams, Louis Quinn, Frank Nastasi and Burt Taylor.

The Yellow Cab Driver is played by Frank Nastasi, the puppeteer who did White Fang, Black Tooth and Pookie on The Soupy Sales Show TV series (1959–1962).

The real name of Soupy Sales (1926–2009) was Milton Supman.

Birds Do It is directed by Andrew Marton, runs 95 minutes, is made by Columbia Pictures, and Ivan Tors Films, is released by Columbia, is written by Arnie Kogen and Art Arthur, based on a story by Leonard B Kaufman, is shot in colour by Howard Winner, is produced by Ivan Tors and Stanley Colbert, and is scored by Samuel Maltovsky.

 © Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8337

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Tab Hunter (1931–2018).