A Leading Lady With Blonde Ambition – Tippi Hedren

When Tippi Hedren appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds in 1963 a screen and style icon was born.

Based on the 1952 short story by Daphne de Maurier, The Birds is generally regarded as Hitchcock’s best film and Tippi his most iconic leading lady. Playing Melanie Daniels, a well-dressed socialite from San Francisco, Tippi’s performance earned her a Golden Globe for ‘Most Promising Newcomer – Female’ in 1964, but the film took its toll on the young mother (her only daughter is Melanie Griffith) and her next Hitchcock role in Marnie – an unfairly underrated romantic psychological thriller starring alongside Sean Connery - was to be her last.

The Birds, 1963

Born Nathalie Kay Hedren on January 19^th, 1930, in Minnesota, Tippi was plucked from relative obscurity, Tippi had been working as a model and TV commercial actress when the director discovered her in 1961 after seeing her in a drinks commercial and intrigued by her elegance and beauty, cast her as the lead in two of the most referenced films ever made - The Birds and Marnie.

Hitchcock launched Hedren’s career and gave her the break she was desperate for but their relationship was a complicated one. Although married, the director was extremely controlling and forced Tippi to sign a personal contract which prevented her from working for anyone else, something that haunted her for the rest of her career.

Ultimately, their unconventional working relationship was shortlived - refusing his sexual advances and psychologically drained from the unwanted attention and intrusion into her personal life (the director reportedly had her followed and even had her handwriting analysed) when Marnie wrapped, Tippi declined any further work with Hitchcock.  

But even though the actress only starred in two of Hitchcock’s movies, her influence on fashion and film can still be seen today. From Mad Men to Louis Vuitton, the impact and influence of Hedren’s characters in The Birds and Marnie on popular culture is unwavering - right down to a special edition The Birds Barbie. You know you’ve made it when you’ve been immortalised in plastic!

She's for the birds...

In The Birds, her most memorable outfit is undoubtedly the iconic green suit. Comprising of a woollen shift dress and matching coat, the suit epitomised the conservative, polished ladylike glamour of the era and the wardrobe and styling were integral to the narrative of the story – from her waspish nipped in waist to her perfectly coiffed hair, this was pre-1980s power dressing on a much more subtle level. Even with a flock of squawking birds behind her, she still managed to look flawless!

In Marnie, Hedren was polished, painted and perfect – her outward purity masking the fact she was a thief - and the white column dress she wore in the film epitomised this. From her vast array of couture ensembles to her unshakeable beehive, Marnie is undoubtedly one of the most iconic fashion films of the 20^th century and has spawned several copy-cats.  

Hedren and Sean Connery in Marnie

Hedren’s film career may have been cut short, but her influence is timeless and we guarantee her time as Hitchcock’s leading lady will be referenced for many years to come.

Intrigued and want to know more? Check out Hitchcock which hits Irish cinema’s on February 8th