FILM · 1976
The Blue Bird
25 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (25)
- #001
Columnist Rex Reed was a visitor to the troubled set. Greeting Dame Elizabeth Taylor for the first time, Reed asked her how she withstood the pressure. "I've been through it all, baby," she told him. "I'm Mother Courage."
- #002
James Coco was initially cast as the Dog. The only local food he could find was bread and butter. He gained so much weight that his costume no longer fit him, suffered a gallbladder attack and eventually had to be replaced. Coco later said: "They tell us the film will be finished in August, but not which year's August. I understand Elizabeth (Taylor) has printed Christmas cards."
- #003
In an interview, director George Cukor recalled that during shooting he received complaints about Jane Fonda from several English-speaking members of the Russian crew. Their complaints were that, instead of letting them do their jobs, she followed them around quoting Karl Marx and wanted to draw the technicians into discussions about it. They told Cukor that they were already communists, that Fonda did not need to convert them, and that if she persisted in her behaviour the entire crew would go on strike. The producers spoke to Fonda and stopped her.
- #004
The financial figures for this film were made a state secret in Russia.
- #005
This film was not released on video in America.
- #006
Since no blue bird could easily be found, several thousand pigeons were hand-painted blue for the climate scenes.
- #007
Katharine Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine dropped out of the production before shooting began, and Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda took their places.
- #008
The American side of the production initially promised Marlon Brando's participation (which role is unknown), but Brando backed out. The problem was amicably resolved when Dame Elizabeth Taylor was brought in to play four roles.
- #009
Dame Elizabeth Taylor offered David Bowie a role, possibly Fire. After reading the script, he backed out.
- #010
During shooting, Valentina Ganibalova was performing in the "Don Quixote" ballet at the Kirov Theatre. Most evenings she had to rush to the theatre after the day's filming was over. Elizabeth Taylor attended one of her performances.
- #011
Pigeon breeders were accused of eating some of them.
- #012
During the filming of this film in Russia there were so many production problems, mistakes and resentments that in the end director George Cukor and executive producer Edward Lewis spoke to each other only through their lawyers.
- #013
There were so many communication problems on set that the interpreters on set were overwhelmed.
- #014
This film was the first US-Soviet co-production made during the Cold War.
- #015
When it emerged that Gricius had never shot a colour film before, Freddie Young replaced the award-winning cinematographer Jonas Gricius.
- #016
Irwin Kostal, the composer for the American half of the production, clashed with the Soviet composer Andrey Petrov. Petrov wanted jazz for the music; Kostal wanted "Volga boatmen music".
- #017
Although this was a Soviet/United States co-production, there was a great deal of bureaucracy. The Russian studio wanted a Russian-made film featuring big Hollywood names that would appeal to the local audience, but the Soviet authorities would not help with this because of the politics of the time. The Russian side of the production was also forbidden from travelling to the US to help with casting because their work permits were refused. In the end, a compromise was reached whereby, because of the suspicions of the Soviet authorities and the KGB, only a limited number of US personnel would be actively involved in the filming. This explains why most of the supporting cast and technical crew, including the British-born Elizabeth Taylor, were British, since the Soviet authorities were less suspicious of their activities and politics and were more willing to let them obtain work permits.
- #018
Jane Fonda insisted on calling everyone she met in Russia "Comrade."
- #019
When Elizabeth Taylor unexpectedly became available, Shirley MacLaine was dropped.
- #020
Although there were many reports of fights between the cast and crew, Valentina Ganibalova later said that the cast got along very well and had a great time during the shooting.
- #021
Valentina Ganibalova made one of her own costumes for this film and wore it in the open-air scene.
- #022
In her autobiography Just As I Am, Cicely Tyson wrote that the only bright spot of making this film was meeting Jane Fonda, who knew she had recently lost her mother and embraced her. They talked constantly, on set and off. She did not spend much time off set with Ava Gardner or Elizabeth Taylor.
- #023
Although it was shown on British television, it was never given a theatrical release in the United Kingdom.
- #024
Like its predecessor The Blue Bird (1940), which starred Shirley Temple, this film failed at the box office.
- #025
The film's cast includes two Oscar winners, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, and three Oscar nominees: Robert Morley, Cicely Tyson and James Coco.
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