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Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey (1973)

January. 30,1973
|
6.6
|
PG
| Action Thriller TV Movie

Harry Walker, a former military pilot, works as a helicopter pilot and traffic reporter for a Salt Lake City radio station. One day while working he observes a bank robbery in progress and the kidnapping of a young woman who worked at the bank. Harry goes into pursuit which leads to an exciting conclusion.

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Reviews

Linbeymusol
1973/01/30

Wonderful character development!

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ThiefHott
1973/01/31

Too much of everything

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Comwayon
1973/02/01

A Disappointing Continuation

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FuzzyTagz
1973/02/02

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

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calvinnme
1973/02/03

Friends since their WWII days as part of the Flying Tigers, Meeker's character is now a Lt. (I think) on the Salt Lake City police force while Janssen, whose character misses the good old days and feels somewhat disconnected with things as they are in the present day of 1973, is a radio station helicopter traffic announcer. During the course of his work one day, he spots a bank robbery in progress and, seeing the thieves take a young lady hostage and being aware that they will likely escape if he doesn't intervene, decides to follow them in his copter. Before long, he becomes much more involved with this scenario than he imagined he would be. The interchanges between Janssen and Meeker during the pursuit, as well as the final encounter between the forces of law & order and the criminals, are indeed memorable and worth a look.

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MissClassicTV
1973/02/04

Set in 1973 Salt Lake City, this movie is about a WWII fighter pilot working as a radio station traffic reporter who chases down bank robbers in his helicopter. The robbers have a hostage, a 22-year-old bank employee who's about to be married at the end of the week. The robbers make their getaway first in a car then in a helicopter. Later, the tables turn and the robbers are chasing the ex-fighter pilot.Many reviews rave about the stunt flying, chase sequences and the canyons of Utah. There really is a lot of sensational flying and gorgeous scenery. From my point of view, though, this is an incredibly sad story. Harry Walker, the pilot, has never let go of the past. At one point, while being chased by the bad guys, his old friend who was also a fighter pilot but is now a captain on the police force, tells him to go home and let the cops handle it. Walker says, "Don't you get it, Mac? I am home." The great David Janssen plays Harry Walker as a sentimental romantic, a hero longing for the old days.Oh, and David Janssen has a nice voice.

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Ted Moran
1973/02/05

Just corny enough to be fun, once the chase starts - hang up onto your seat. Not a movie for those prone to air sickness. Only Blackhawk Down holds a candle to it in terms of 'copter flicks, and the actual stunt flying here is better, a lot better. I'm guessing the copyright holder of the original version of "Three Little Fishies" is hanging onto it tightly, as it's hard to find as it is. I've always thought the movie is really about us old, burned out old-time hero types, always tempted to take that one last fling at glory that we know we really shouldn't. Great fun flick, one of my faves. Needs restored on DVD with some Dolby sound remastered. A must see for anyone who likes helos.

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dean.s.espitallier
1973/02/06

This film was part of the edge-of-your-seat action/chase genre made popular in the '70s. Films like Vanishing Point, and Smokey and the Bandit, where nothing more than a car chase sequence with a little cohesive drama or comedy thrown in.The makers of Birds of Prey obviously had the same thing in mind, but they added an interesting twist; helicopters instead of cars.David Janssen plays Harry Walker, an ex-WWII fighter pilot longing for the glory days of dog fights and heroic aerobatics. He is a now twice divorced, lonely, and somewhat bitter, Salt Lake City helicopter traffic reporter. Ralph Meeker plays Jim "Mac" McAndrew, a former war buddy of Walker's who prefers to stay on the ground, forget flying, war planes, and the past, to focus on the his career as a Salt Lake City cop.On a routine day Walker witnesses a bank robbery from the air. He calls it into Mac who thinks he's pulling a gag. The robbers kill a bank guard and take a hostage then get away in a stolen car. The chase begins. The police join the chase as car and chopper scream through urban Salt Lake City.This was a pretty good film for a made-for-TV movie. The flying sequences are well done and well coordinated. The flying stunts, including diving under overpasses, flying into and out of buildings, tumbling (auto-rotating), and flying between sky scrapers, are all done with real helicopters. No toys on strings or models with goofy trick photography were used. The acting and drama aren't bad, but that's not what this movie's about. Like Top Gun, this movie's about flying.

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