Bill and Coo
| Bill and Coo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Dean Riesner |
| Produced by | Ken Murray |
| Written by |
Dean Riesner Royal Foster |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bill and Coo is a 1948 film directed by Dean Riesner, filmed in Trucolor, and conceived to showcase George Burton's trained birds (Burton's Birds).
The 61-minute live-action film stars many types of birds, including budgies, commonly known in the US as parakeets, and lovebirds. The film also features other trained animals, including cats, dogs and a crow. With the exception of three humans (producer Ken Murray, bird trainer George Burton, and Elizabeth Walters) in a short set-up segment before the opening credits, the film features an all-animal cast. The film was shot on the world's second smallest film set, a miniature village built onto a 15' x 30' (4.57m X 9.14m) tabletop.
The film received an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the "Oscars") "In which artistry and patience blended in a novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion pictures."
Plot
The plot of the film is that the birds live in a fictional, peaceful town named Chirpendale. A crow arrives known as the Black Menace. As his name suggests, the Black Menace terrorizes the town. The story follows the adventures of the hero Bill, a cab driver, as he tries to save Coo and the rest of the town's inhabitants from certain destruction.
External links
- Bill and Coo at the Internet Movie Database
- Bill and Coo is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- New York Times review on Bill and Coo
- Bill and Coo
- Elizabeth Walters tells the story of Bill and Coo