The Birthday Party (1968 film)

The Birthday Party
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Friedkin
Written by	Harold Pinter
Produced by	Max Rosenberg Milton Subotsky
Starring	Robert Shaw Patrick Magee Sydney Tafler Dandy Nichols
Cinematography	Denys Coop
Edited by	Antony Gibbs
Production company	Palomar Pictures International
Distributed by	Continental Distributing
Release date	9 December 1968 (1968-12-09)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$640,000[1]
Box office	$400,000[1]

The Birthday Party is a 1968 British drama neo noir directed by William Friedkin and starring Robert Shaw. It is based on the 1957 play The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter. The screenplay for the film was written by Pinter as well. The film, and the play, are considered examples of "comedy of menace", a genre associated with Pinter.

The film was a passion project for Friedkin, an admirer of the play, and he remained proud of the film after its release, though it was a box office disappointment. It influenced his later work, particularly The Exorcist.