Bye Bye Birdie **** (1963, Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Paul Lynde, Maureen Stapleton, Bobby Rydell, Jesse Pearson) – Classic Movie Review 4,661

The 1963 movie musical Bye Bye Birdie stars Dick Van Dyke and Ann-Margret, whose delicious turns lead this most enjoyable transfer of the 1960 Broadway hit show about the last TV appearance of a rock and roll star (Jesse Pearson) before he is called up.

Ace musicals director George Sidney’s 1963 movie musical Bye Bye Birdie stars Dick Van Dyke and Ann-Margret, whose delicious performances lead this most enjoyable transfer of the 1960 Broadway hit show about the last TV appearance in Iowa of a big Elvis Presley-style rock and roll star (Jesse Pearson) before he is called up.

Explaining the title, the teen idol is called Conrad Birdie. The pop music satire story is of course inspired Presley being drafted into the US Army in 1957.

Bye Bye Birdie follows the desperate attempts of a songwriter Albert F Peterson (Van Dyke) to get him to record his tune, while chasing lovely Rosie DeLeon (Janet Leigh). But it is lucky love-struck fan Kim McAfee (Ann-Margret), a randomly chosen high school girl, who gets to fulfil her dream of meeting the star and then kiss him goodbye before joining the Army. Kim’s high school sweetheart, Hugo Peabody (Bobby Rydell), is not so thrilled.

This thoroughly entertaining satirical musical is really brightly performed, with Paul Lynde on especially good form as Ann-Margret’s father Harry, while Ann-Margret’s vivacious performance turned her into a star, and Maureen Stapleton entertains as Albert’s widowed, meddlesome mother Mae. On the other hand, the film’s leading star Janet Leigh is sidelined and said she was ‘very upset that all the close-ups were going to Ann-Margret’.

Also in the cast are Ed Sullivan (as himself), Robert Paige, Mary LaRoche, Michael Evans, Robert Paige, Gregory Morton, Bryan Russell, Milton Frome and Ben Astar.

The famous songs in the score from the show by Charles Strouse (composer) and Lee Adams (lyricist) include ‘I’ve Got a Lot of Living to Do’ and ‘Put on a Happy Face’. The score is by Johnny Green and the film is produced by Fred Kohlmar.

George Sidney recalled: ‘It was a young people’s picture, with a lot of bright, gay noisy cast members yelling and screaming.’

Van Dyke (in his feature film debut) and Lynde re-create their roles from the original Broadway production.

Sidney is also the director of Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, Half a Sixpence and Elvis’s film Viva Las Vegas (also with Ann-Margret).

Presley was the first choice for Birdie, but his manager Colonel Tom Parker would not him in any parody roles. However, the film led to Ann-Margret appearing with Presley in Viva Las Vegas (1964). Ann-Margret said she was cast after George Sidney saw her dancing while on a date on New Year’s Eve 1961 at the Sands Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. The film might have turned her into a star, but she didn’t get paid too much. She earned $3,500 a week, which was $85,000 in all.

CBS variety show host Ed Sullivan appears as himself, after Rosie convinces him to have Conrad perform Albert’s song ‘One Last Kiss’ on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The silly name Conrad Birdie is a word play on teen idol singer Conway Twitty.

Jesse Pearson was heard by composer Charles Strouse, who recommended him for the national tour of Bye Bye Birdie. Pearson took over the role of Conrad Birdie when Dick Gautier, the actor playing him, fell ill, and was then cast in the movie.

In the UK, the Duke of Edinburgh saw it at a Royal Charity Premiere on 7 November 1963 at the Odeon Marble Arch.

The cast are Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon, Dick Van Dyke as Albert Peterson, Ann-Margret as Kim MacAfee, Maureen Stapleton as Mae Peterson, Bobby Rydell as Hugo Peabody, Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie, Ed Sullivan as himself, Paul Lynde as Harry MacAfee, Mary LaRoche as Doris MacAfee, Michael Evans as Claude Paisley, Robert Paige as Bob Precht, Gregory Morton as Maestro Borov, Bryan Russell as Randolph MacAfee, Milton Frome as Mr Maude, Hattie Fair as Edna, and Ben Astar as ballet manager.

Jesse Pearson followed this in the Glenn Ford comedy Advance to the Rear (1964), but he had no more film offers and turned to TV. He wrote two adult films, Pro-Ball Cheerleader (1979) and The Legend of Lady Blue (1978), which he also directed, both under the name A Fabritzio. He died of cancer  at age 49 on 5 December 1979.

Bobby Rydell in 1960.

Teen idol Bobby Rydell (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022) plays Hugo Peabody. In Grease, the high school was named Rydell High after Rydell, who is played by Von Lewis in the 2018 film Green Book.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4,661

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