| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
type |
TVTItem |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
label |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
page |
TheBirthdayParty |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
comment |
The Birthday Party is a 1950s "Comedy of Menace" written by Harold Pinter. It concerns a boarding house on The Great British Seaside run by Mr and Mrs Bowles, a Happily Married couple, and their single tenant, Stanley Weber, a former concert pianist who seems to have come from nowhere. Life trudges by slowly until the annoucement of two guests arriving, two men who seem to have some sort of link with Stanley's Mysterious Past.Nothing to do with Nick Cave's original band. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
fetched |
2024-04-24T15:01:34Z |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
parsed |
2024-04-24T15:01:34Z |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
isPartOf |
DBTropes |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_146f4e0 |
type |
Blind Without 'Em |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_146f4e0 |
comment |
Blind Without 'Em: Stanley losing his glasses is a major plot point. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_146f4e0 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_146f4e0 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_146f4e0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1da5941e |
type |
The Quiet One |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1da5941e |
comment |
McCann has a habit of tearing newspapers into strips. When Stanley touches them he goes from being The Quiet One to Suddenly Shouting. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1da5941e |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1da5941e |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1da5941e |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1ec3eb0a |
type |
Take Our Word for It |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1ec3eb0a |
comment |
Take Our Word for It: Whatever happens to Stanley. It visibly shakes McCann and leaves Goldberg drained. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1ec3eb0a |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1ec3eb0a |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_1ec3eb0a |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_24321e44 |
type |
Only Sane Man |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_24321e44 |
comment |
Only Sane Man: Petey Bowles, but he is too scared to act. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_24321e44 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_24321e44 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_24321e44 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2ae29c0d |
type |
The Dreaded |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2ae29c0d |
comment |
The Dreaded: Goldberg. Hearing that he is coming sends Stanley into Heroic BSoD mode. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2ae29c0d |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2ae29c0d |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2ae29c0d |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2cbaa888 |
type |
Empty Shell |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2cbaa888 |
comment |
Empty Shell: Stanley is so traumatized by whatever he's subjected to in his room that he can't even speak as he's taken away. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2cbaa888 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2cbaa888 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_2cbaa888 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96 |
type |
Kick the Dog |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96 |
comment |
Kick the Dog: Most of Stanley's scenes with Meg have at least one case of this. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_38b9969 |
type |
The Münchausen |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_38b9969 |
comment |
The Münchausen: Goldberg again, Stanley also to some extent. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_38b9969 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_38b9969 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_38b9969 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_3cebf628 |
type |
Irishman and a Jew |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_3cebf628 |
comment |
Irishman and a Jew: McCann and Goldberg, of course. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_3cebf628 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_3cebf628 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_3cebf628 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_42215dce |
type |
Ambiguous Ending |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_42215dce |
comment |
Ambiguous Ending: It's not clear what Goldberg and McCann's organization intends to do to/with Stanley after they take him away. One possibility is that he's eventually killed, another is that he's brainwashed into being a loyal member of the organization again. In either scenario, it's something of a Downer Ending in that the sinister organization achieved its aims largely unopposed. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_42215dce |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_42215dce |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_42215dce |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_537dd8fe |
type |
Affably Evil |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_537dd8fe |
comment |
Affably Evil: Goldberg |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_537dd8fe |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_537dd8fe |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_537dd8fe |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_60f92ddd |
type |
Oireland |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_60f92ddd |
comment |
Oireland: McCann's background hints strongly at this. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_60f92ddd |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_60f92ddd |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_60f92ddd |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_6d871385 |
type |
Villainous BSoD |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_6d871385 |
comment |
Villainous BSoD: After Stanley's offscreen torture. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_6d871385 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_6d871385 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_6d871385 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_70c73c20 |
type |
TheUnseen |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_70c73c20 |
comment |
The Unseen: The mysterious Monty. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_70c73c20 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_70c73c20 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_70c73c20 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b |
type |
Eye Scream |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b |
comment |
Eye Scream: Offscreen, Stanley tries to insert his broken glasses into his eyes. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a426ae28 |
type |
Multiple-Choice Past |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a426ae28 |
comment |
Multiple-Choice Past: Most of the characters. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a426ae28 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a426ae28 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a426ae28 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a8a04f6f |
type |
And I Must Scream |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a8a04f6f |
comment |
And I Must Scream: Stanley tries to scream in fear and rage as he's taken away by Goldberg and McCann, but he's so traumatized by the implied brainwashing and torture that he hardly makes any sound at all. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a8a04f6f |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a8a04f6f |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_a8a04f6f |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_b2cb7993 |
type |
Brains and Brawn |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_b2cb7993 |
comment |
Brains and Brawn: The smaller, older Goldberg does most of the talking while interrogating/tormenting Stanley, while McCann doesn't say much but is much more physically imposing. Goldberg isn't specified in the script as being smaller than McCann. When Harold Pinter played him in a TV adaptation of the play in the 1980s, he towered over the rest of the cast, especially Kenneth Cranham as Stanley and Colin Blakely as McCann. But he is implied to be the brains of the operation, while McCann is the muscle. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_b2cb7993 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_b2cb7993 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_b2cb7993 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27 |
type |
Berserk Button |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27 |
comment |
Berserk Button: Do not call Goldberg "Simey." This may be linked to the fact that it was his mother's nickname for him. McCann has a habit of tearing newspapers into strips. When Stanley touches them he goes from being The Quiet One to Suddenly Shouting. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_c19bdbe1 |
type |
Good Cop/Bad Cop |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_c19bdbe1 |
comment |
Good Cop/Bad Cop: The superficially friendly, physically frail and older Goldberg is the "good cop" to the larger, younger, and quietly menacing McCann's "bad cop" when interrogating and tormenting Stanley. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_c19bdbe1 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_c19bdbe1 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_c19bdbe1 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_cdfe12c3 |
type |
Nothing Is Scarier |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_cdfe12c3 |
comment |
Nothing Is Scarier: We never see what Goldberg and McCann do to Stanley in his room to break his spirit, but it must have been something horrible since not only is Stanley reduced to a catatonic state, Goldberg himself is shown to be exhausted and traumatized by the events. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_cdfe12c3 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_cdfe12c3 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_cdfe12c3 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_d46ddfa2 |
type |
CloudCuckooLander |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_d46ddfa2 |
comment |
Cloud Cuckoolander: Meg. So much. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_d46ddfa2 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_d46ddfa2 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_d46ddfa2 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_da264b9c |
type |
Word-Salad Horror |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_da264b9c |
comment |
Word-Salad Horror: Goldberg and McCann torment Stanley with strange non-sequiturs (at one point asking "Why did the chicken cross the road" out of the blue). |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_da264b9c |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_da264b9c |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_da264b9c |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_eaf5a1ac |
type |
Groin Attack |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_eaf5a1ac |
comment |
Groin Attack: Stanley defends himself against Goldberg by kicking him in the groin before being subdued by the much more physically imposing McCann. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_eaf5a1ac |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_eaf5a1ac |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_eaf5a1ac |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_f1d3f0c9 |
type |
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_f1d3f0c9 |
comment |
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Goldberg, to great extent |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_f1d3f0c9 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_f1d3f0c9 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_f1d3f0c9 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9 |
type |
Have a Gay Old Time |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9 |
comment |
Have a Gay Old Time: "Give me a blow!" |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9 |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9 |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fed93e1b |
type |
Dark and Troubled Past |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fed93e1b |
comment |
Dark and Troubled Past: It's implied that Stanley has some connection to Goldberg and McCann's shady organization. His claims about his past career as a concert pianist are often self-contradictory. |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fed93e1b |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fed93e1b |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_fed93e1b |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
type |
ItemName |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
comment |
|
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
featureApplicability |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
featureConfidence |
1.0 |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
hasFeature |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
| | The Birthday Party (Theatre) / int_name |
itemName |
The Birthday Party (Theatre) |
