What's This - Giant Bird? (No, Not "The Claw"!)

[Feyde]

Here's one for you lot out there in badmovie land. My brother and I have had this conversation on and off for the last twenty odd years. He states that he saw a film, American, back in the late sixties/early seventies set in the then present time. Its about a giant bird that's eating people, and all my brother can remember clearly is that the bird is finally trapped inside a stadium. I've got mo ideas, so anyone out there going to put us (well my brother!) out of our/his misery? Many Thanks.

[JaseSF]

Pretty sure you're looking for The Vulture (1967)... believe it's actually a Canadian film though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062463/

[JaseSF]

Not sure if there's a stadium in that film though so I could be wrong. The only other giant bird films that come to mind are both Japanese: THE X FROM OUTER SPACE and RODAN.

[Feyde]

Thanks for the reply - but no we've gone through all the likely suspects including "The Vulture". A couple of extra details, the hero was a policeman, and the giant bird was apparently a "real" raptor, not a man bird.......!! To be honest that's why I posted on here, because I'm totally stumped.

[major jay]

Maybe Q-THE WINGED SERPENT? (1982)
It doesn't end at a stadium, but the cops do finish him off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okBKiKtkh3A

[Feyde]

Again, many thanks for your reply - But no not "Q". It's no later than early seventies, and the giant bird is definitely trapped in a stadium at the end.

[major jay]

How about THE BLACK SCORPION?
It ends in a stadium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PChqptAj6us

[Feyde]

Looks a good film!  , but again no......

[The Fake Macoy]

This sounds just like a scene in Gamera - Guardian of the Universe, though the time period is WAY off.

This is a wild stab but is it possible that he saw the scene w/ the harpies in Jason and the Argonauts?  They're in some Greek ruins.

Do you have any more details about the bird in film?  Did it fly around or was it just a bird-like monster that walked around?  Was it stop motion, a puppet, or a suit?

[Feyde]

I'm afraid I can give you any more information, to be honest it's not much to go on...... But many thanks for trying.

[JaseSF]

It sounds like you might be mixing up certain movies there. Some of your description really brings to mind Q, The Winged Serpent (the cops especially) while the part with the arena sounds like it could be from several classic films (such as 20 Million Miles to Earth or The Black Scorpion yet those films don't have actual birds in them although the Ymir does hatch from an egg, he's far more lizard like and somewhat humanoid in appearance). Honestly if this giant bird/flying dragon/dino film does exist, I would like to know what it is as well.

[The Fake Macoy]

For what it's worth, wikipedia has 2 lists of monster movies that may be helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monster_movies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_giant-monster_films

I went through both of them but I didn't see anything that matches the film described (giant bird, 1960s or 1970s, climax in stadium).  Maybe someone else will notice something.

[Feyde]

Thank you all! What a cool bunch you lot are  Normally I would agree, we all know how fickle memories are! In past conversations with my brother though I've suggested that maybe it wasn't an American film, perhaps a foreign one dubbed, or even an episode from some TV show. But, and this is the thing, he's so damn adamant - and that's rare for him.

[Rayo Casablanca]

Likely not it but worth looking at this clip from LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN (1974):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReETky-b0TA

[Feyde]

That's certainly "something" !  Again no, but thank you kindly.