Tippi Hedren is best known for her role as Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 thriller The Birds…and little else. Although Hitch tried to make her a big star by casting her as leading role in this film as well as the lesser-acclaimed Marnie, it never really happened for her. She was quickly relegated to low-budget films and fleeting television appearances (but did also star in A Countess From Hong Kong, notable as the last film of Charlie Chaplin).
But naturally as the female lead in not one, but two Alfred Hitchcock films, her autograph was highly desirable to me - so much in fact that I actually purchased the signed photo above at a film convention before making any attempt to write to her. Later on when I began collecting autographs heavily in 1997, I purchased the photo below from Marnie and sent it off to her on September 30. There was a very quick response and it came back signed (along with the little bird illustrations that she is known for) on October 21.
I then found another nice color photo of Ms. Hedren as she appeared in the much lower-budget Roar in 1981, directed by her husband Noel Marshall (no Hitchcock). I sent this off the following year, on August 3, 1998 and she signed this as well. Her film career may have gone the way of the pigeon, but to fans she’ll soar high as a generous superstar! (Sorry about that wretched alliteration. It’s for the birds.).
She must not have been able to draw lions
Autographs of 1997 will continue…
Leave a Reply