Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
I used to love watching Bye Bye Birdie as a kid, but as I grew older I realized it was one of those movies best enjoyed by the younger generation. The upbeat songs, the high school setting, and the adorableness of Ann-Margret are so much more appealing when you’re in that setting yourself – which makes it one of the most perfect musicals for a high school to put on!
From stage to screen, there were some major changes. The catchy title song wasn’t in the original Broadway production, if you can imagine it. Other songs were cut: “An English Teacher,” “Baby, Talk to Me,” “A Normal American Boy,” and “What Did I Ever See in Him?” Special effects tried to jazz up the film version, but they’re pretty ridiculous. I wasn’t around in 1963, but in the 2000s when I watched the DVD ad naseum, the added cartoons during “Put on a Happy Face” and the sped-up ballet during the Ed Sullivan show seemed really cheesy. But the wonderfully imitable choreography of “Got a Lot of Livin’ to Do” and the funky editing of “The Telephone Hour” make up for it. Just know when to get more popcorn and when to stay in your seat.
As a little girl, Ann-Margret was my idol. I thought she was the cutest, sweetest girl ever, and I was determined to grow up exactly like her. It was a short-lived dream, as my mom told me Bye Bye Birdie was one of the only times she acted sweet. Viewings of Tommy and Carnal Knowledge made me change my description of her. But in this movie, she’s still as cute as a button.
Button or not, I would imagine the other cast members might not have appreciated how much screen time she received. Her character on the stage is a minor one, with the bulk of the story featuring the grown-ups’ romance. But in the film, to appeal to the younger folks, Ann-Margret got extra songs and extra scenes; all the songs cut from the stage show belonged to the grown-ups. Dick Van Dyke was made a goofball and Janet Leigh a sourpuss. Janet was given a ridiculous black wig to try and pull off a Spanish background, but since so little of the story involves Dick’s mother’s disapproval of her, why not dismiss that aspect as well?
It's a fun one to watch every once in a while, so if it’s been a few years since you’ve seen this peppy flick, rent it for a weekend matinee. For me, it’s infinitely better than Grease.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Dick Van Dyke movies here!
From stage to screen, there were some major changes. The catchy title song wasn’t in the original Broadway production, if you can imagine it. Other songs were cut: “An English Teacher,” “Baby, Talk to Me,” “A Normal American Boy,” and “What Did I Ever See in Him?” Special effects tried to jazz up the film version, but they’re pretty ridiculous. I wasn’t around in 1963, but in the 2000s when I watched the DVD ad naseum, the added cartoons during “Put on a Happy Face” and the sped-up ballet during the Ed Sullivan show seemed really cheesy. But the wonderfully imitable choreography of “Got a Lot of Livin’ to Do” and the funky editing of “The Telephone Hour” make up for it. Just know when to get more popcorn and when to stay in your seat.
As a little girl, Ann-Margret was my idol. I thought she was the cutest, sweetest girl ever, and I was determined to grow up exactly like her. It was a short-lived dream, as my mom told me Bye Bye Birdie was one of the only times she acted sweet. Viewings of Tommy and Carnal Knowledge made me change my description of her. But in this movie, she’s still as cute as a button.
Button or not, I would imagine the other cast members might not have appreciated how much screen time she received. Her character on the stage is a minor one, with the bulk of the story featuring the grown-ups’ romance. But in the film, to appeal to the younger folks, Ann-Margret got extra songs and extra scenes; all the songs cut from the stage show belonged to the grown-ups. Dick Van Dyke was made a goofball and Janet Leigh a sourpuss. Janet was given a ridiculous black wig to try and pull off a Spanish background, but since so little of the story involves Dick’s mother’s disapproval of her, why not dismiss that aspect as well?
It's a fun one to watch every once in a while, so if it’s been a few years since you’ve seen this peppy flick, rent it for a weekend matinee. For me, it’s infinitely better than Grease.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Dick Van Dyke movies here!