Often acknowledged as one of the best prison films ever made, Birdman of Alcatraz was director John Frankenheimer s first huge success and received rave reviews for its performances, cinematography (Burnett Guffey) and Frankenheimer s directing. Burt Lancaster stars as the notorious prisoner, Robert Stroud, sentenced to a life of solitary confinement for murdering a prison guard. When he finds an injured sparrow in the prison yard, Stroud nurses it back to health and discovers a new calling in life. Over the years he becomes a renowned ornithologist, and even a respected author, achieving a greater sense of purpose behind prison walls than many in the outside world will ever know. With an all-star cast that includes Karl Malden ( A Streetcar Named Desire), Thelma Ritter ( Pickup on South Street), Telly Savalas ( The Dirty Dozen) and Edmond O Brien ( The Barefoot Contessa), The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present John Frankenheimer s Birdman of Alcatraz for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.