Bye Bye Birdie

( 20 )

Overview

George Sidney's adaptation of the satiric Broadway musical smash by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse, and Lee Adams -- about an Elvis Presley-inspired rock star, who is drafted into the army and who creates a near-riot in a small Midwestern town when he stops there for one last publicity junket -- takes good-natured swipes at popular culture, rock n' roll, and American family life. Dick van Dyke re-creates his Broadway role of Albert Peterson, a down-on-his-luck songwriter for the rock-n'-roll idol Conrad Birdie ...
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Overview

George Sidney's adaptation of the satiric Broadway musical smash by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse, and Lee Adams -- about an Elvis Presley-inspired rock star, who is drafted into the army and who creates a near-riot in a small Midwestern town when he stops there for one last publicity junket -- takes good-natured swipes at popular culture, rock n' roll, and American family life. Dick van Dyke re-creates his Broadway role of Albert Peterson, a down-on-his-luck songwriter for the rock-n'-roll idol Conrad Birdie Jesse Pearson. When Birdie is drafted into the army, Peterson is worried about his future as a songwriter. His secretary, Rosie Janet Leigh in a brunette wig, with whom Albert has long been romantically attached, convinces Albert to write a farewell song for Birdie that he will sing on The Ed Sullivan Show to a specially selected fan. The lucky fan turns out to be Kim McAfee Ann-Margaret of Sweet Apple, Ohio. When Birdie arrives in this hick town, the population goes crazy and in the ensuing madness, Albert must deal with the celebrity-fawning population, Kim's manic father Paul Lynde, also re-creating his Broadway role, and his own domineering mother Maureen Stapleton, while he loses Rosie to the Shriners.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler
On-stage, Bye Bye Birdie played like a champion. Though it was hardly a great musical, it was deceivingly well crafted. Unfortunately, the changes wrought by screenwriter Irving Brecher and director George Sidney damage the piece's structure and ultimately make the film entertaining but little more. Greater emphasis is placed on the secondary characters played by Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell, the Spanish ethnicity of Janet Leigh's Rosie (vital to the conflict between her and Maureen Stapleton's character) is essentially eliminated, and two ridiculous and pointless subplots -- one involving a drug that speeds up metabolism and one about the Moscow Ballet's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show -- are added to no positive effect. Director Sidney takes an overly cartoonish approach (exemplified by silly animated chalk drawings during "Put on a Happy Face") that takes the reality out of the movie. Fortunately, the cast and the score make up for a lot of the flaws. Ann-Margret is a wonderful mixture of kittenish innocence and sensuality, and Dick van Dyke is engaging and amiable. Janet Leigh is merely adequate, but Paul Lynde and Maureen Stapleton are quite amusing. Onna White's choreography is lively, and such numbers as "The Telephone Hour" and "A Lot of Livin' to Do" sparkle. The 1995 TV remake was more faithful to the source material, although it has its own shortcomings.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/12/1996
  • UPC: 043396015005
  • Original Release: 1963

    • Rating:

  • Source: Sony Pictures
  • Presentation: Clam Shell
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Janet Leigh Rosie DeLeon
Dick Van Dyke Albert Peterson
Ann-Margret Kim McAfee
Maureen Stapleton Mama Peterson
Bobby Rydell Hugo Peabody
Paul Lynde Harry McAfee
Jesse Pearson Conrad Birdie
Ed Sullivan Himself
Mary Laroche Mrs. McAfee
Michael Evans Claude Paisley
Robert Paige Bob Precht
Gregory Morton Borov
Bryan Russell Randolph
Milton Frome Mr. Maude
Ben A. Astar Ballet Manager
Trudi Ames Ursula
Cyril Delevanti Mr. Nebbitt
Frank Albertson Mayor
Frank Sully Bartender
Bo Peep Karlin Ursula's Mother
Kim Darby
Linda Kaye Henning Uncredited
Laura Lamb
Technical Credits
George Sidney Director
Pat Barto Costumes/Costume Designer
Joseph Biroc Cinematographer
Irving Brecher Screenwriter
Johnny Green Score Composer
Fred Kohlmar Producer
Charles Nelson Editor
Charles Rice Sound/Sound Designer
Onna White Choreography
Marvin Willens Stunts
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 20 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(8)

4 Star

(7)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

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Sort by: Showing all of 20 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Very entertaining!

    The character Conrad Birdie was actually modeled after Conway Twitty, who was a big rock and roll star before he switched to country music. According to his website, he was even offered the lead role in the movie. Ann margaret is electrifying in her performance. Great musical.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    It's a hit still!

    I loved this movie when I was 16, and 45 years later I still do. Paul Lind still makes me laugh. Ann Margaret was WOW! Everyone was perfectly cast. It makes me smile just to think about it.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Klassic Kitsch

    Perhaps you need to be in the right mood, or maybe it helps if you either recall or have some fondness for the period, but Bye Bye Birdie can be an absolute delight to screen. Dick Van Dyke was at his peak, as were Ann-Margret and Janet Leigh (the latter in rare musical comedy mode), and Paul Lynde brings his own curious charms to the proceedings. The original High School Musical, it also sows seeds now grown into the American Idol phenomenon. Although, at the time, it was all about the sudden development of Youth Culture and its fascination with superstars -- Conrad Birdie was Elvis. It is not, mind you, a masterpiece on the order of Singin' in the Rain or An American in Paris. But it is a family accessible musical hit, especially for families wherein HSM- and AI-worship would benefit from a bit of retro irony.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Early Ann Margret

    I've always loved this movie! It's so cute and full of fun. It's a young Ann Margret at her sexiest. Paul Linde is great, everyone is great and the songs are lively and fun. See it, you'll love it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Still a fun show

    Here is a wonderfully silly farce for the whole family. True, it doesn't follow quite the same script or song line-up as the stage version...and true, cute Janet Leigh will probably never be a match for Chita Rivera who played Rosie on Broadway...but, there is much to admire, especially Paul Lynde and Maureen Stapleton...and a special nod to the choreography of Onna White, who turns the 'Honestly Sincere' number into a laugh riot.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Bye Bye Birdie

    I had a music project on Bye Bye Birdie. At first my whole class thought it sounded corny and boring, but as the movie was playing it became amusing, adventurous, surprising, romantic, happy, sad, funny, and etc. ! We thought it was GREAT! You should really watch it (If you haven't already).

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    hilarious

    i just had to a project on this musical for my music class, and i thought it was just going to be a boring, corny movie from the 60's. but then when i watched it, i found that it was a great movie, and it was absoulutely hilarious! i had no idea that "put on a happy face" originated from this movie. i most definitely recommend this movie, because it's funny, romantic, full of great music and choreography, and a little corny [but in a good way]. hope that if you decide to see it, you like it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    good movie

    My class is doing a play on this movie. I really liked this move.It was very funny and i enjoyed it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Nice Comeback

    Our highschool just put on the play,'Bye Bye Birdie' a few weeks ago and I thought it was fantastic. All of the cast members in the play all related to the cast in the movie.The movie sometimes gets carried away with all the music and dancing. The best movie for a nice family to all sit on the couch and eat popcorn!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    good movie but......

    ths is a good movie but i give it points off because as a movie of a musical play it is not entirely fatefull to the oriningal play for example albert in the play is an english teacher, in the movie he is a bio chemist and there is nom turtle that he gives fast pills too but dick van dyke (reprising his broadway role) is very good and it is a fun movie of a fun show but i cannott recomend it just because it is n0ot entirely fathfull a more fathful version is the jason alexander- vanessa wiliams version which unfortunelty is not available on dvd it is on vhs though but if you put this movie on its own without the brodaway play i recomend it it is agood movie

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    One of the Funniest Movies I Have Ever Seen!

    In 1963, my mother and I sat through this movie twice and then saw it at the drive-in three times. I have worn out my VHS copy! Conrad Byrdie is the epitome of the 50's greaser singer! Margaret Stapleton, in her full-length mink coat ('Don't bend the fur!') is hysterical. Paul Lynde has Tinsle-Town stars in his eyes over 'Eddie Sullivan - I Love You'! What a hoot! I can hardly wait to get my new copy and howl!!

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    Posted July 4, 2009

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