Lot 319: A signed costume sketch for Tippi Hedren’s screen test for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

When Alfred Hitchcock discovered Tippi Hedren in 1961, she was a rather unknown actress with little training. Before filming The Birds,(1963), the director arranged for Hedren to do a two-day color screen test alongside actor Martin Balsam, in which she ran lines from Hitchcock’s other films, such as Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), and To Catch a Thief (1955). Head designed a few outfits for Hedren for this screen test, including this white gown, which did not appear in the The Birds. Shaping this unknown actress, Hitchcock also asked Head to design clothing for Hedren’s private life, advised the actress about wine and food, and, to add mystique for publicity purposes, insisted on the presentation of her name in single quotes: ‘Tippi’.

Please note the drawing shows Tippi Hedren in a screen test for "The Birds," not in an unused dress for her role in "Marnie." The catalog note was updated on 4/22/2024.