When "Bye Bye Birdie" began, I cringed. The director paid out of his own pocket to add a singing sequence at the beginning and end of the film to showcase the gorgeous Ann-Margret....but the song was just terrible. While he has a lovely voice, you'd never know it with this song--it just sounds off-key and dreadful. Well, apparently folks weren't paying attention to her singing, as the film helped to launch her career into overdrive--but I almost turned the movie off because the song was THAT bad.

What follows is a film very much inspired by Elvis Presley's induction into the army. Girl across America are apparently in hysterics because the new singing sensation, Conrad Birdie, has been drafted. However, as a publicity stunt, he is to sing a song and give a symbolic last kiss to some lucky lady (Ann-Margret). A struggling songwriter (Dick Van Dyke) is hoping that this will revive his career, as they've gotten Birdie to agree to sing his new song. Much of the film is set in the small Ohio town where the girl, her family and her screwball boyfriend live.

Compared to most musicals, this one seems to have a few more songs than usual. Some later went on to be quite famous and many are quite good. However, many are pretty annoying (other than the intro and closing songs). I really think dropping a couple of the lesser songs would have made the film flow a bit better and quickened the pace. Overall, a mildly diverting and occasionally fun film.

Opinions seem to be pretty divisive on this film version of Bye Bye Birdie, and while I can definitely understand why people won't like it it is also easy to see why people do. While it is not perfect, I am one of those who did like the film and always have done. I have yet to re-watch the 1995 version, but I do remember that while it was closer to the original musical/stage show that it didn't have the same levels of energy and sense of fun that we see here, that the cast weren't as strong and that it felt too much like a made for TV movie. The re-watch might make me feel differently though. Bye Bye Birdie(1963) does have foibles in my view, the Ed Sullivan references are dated and have always gone over my head, Jesse Pearsson as Conrad does little with his here very underdeveloped character and Bobby Rydell is rather bland. However, the film is beautifully shot and the costumes and sets are very colourful. The songs are wonderful and really quite catchy, while the choreography is both lively and inventive(loved Conrad's priceless entrance). The story does come across as a little messy as a result of things being omitted, added in and rewritten, but the witty satire and the exuberance of George Sidney's direction make up for things. The performances are very strong generally, Ann-Margaret especially is perfect in the lead even if her singing in the prologue is not that great. But that is not to dispute the rest, Paul Lynde's hilarious and snarky performance- and rendition of Kids- really stood out and Maureen Stapleton is a riot as the overbearing mother figure. I've seen better from Dick Van Dyke but his handsome presence, infectious energy and personal charm still shine here and while the role needed much more of a spitfire personality Janet Leigh was still very charming and really gave her all in every respect. In conclusion, energetic, colourful and fun, not one of my favourites but I can't help liking it very much. 7/10 Bethany Cox

With the gift of a DVD by a good friend, I have now viewed BBB for the first time in over 20 years. And the comments here astound me: so many people coming to a message board to complain on a film that isn't a stage show. Or a book. Or an editorial. Different media sometimes (not always, to be sure) necessitate a change or alteration in a story adaptation. Yes, Rosie's ethnicity is down pedaled in the film (mainly because Chita Riviera wasn't in it),but they don't eliminate it entirely by the inclusion of a hideous black wig on Janet Leigh. I didn't miss Albert not being an English teacher as opposed to a chemist at all; it doesn't change the essence of his still-henpecked-by-his-mother character. On a different matter, I'm a little surprised to learn that Dick Van Dyke apparently had a bruised ego because of the strong emergence of co-star Ann-Margret in the film (his name still comes before hers, f'heaven's sakes!),but what can you do? The film is a fun, bright, pseudo-satire of the generation gap, teens, Elvis, and most of all, Ed Sullivan!! The finer numbers include the A-M introduction in "How Lovely to be a Woman" followed by the insane ensemble piece "Sincere-" which contains one of the funniest closing camera pans ever used in a film. "Kids" is also fine, but "Put on a Happy Face" is hampered by the limited dancing ability of Janet Leigh- through no fault of her own, mind you, but an obvious hole in what should have been a boy-girl dance duet (which they try to hide with excessive trick camera effects). The film's standout number, IMO, is "A Lot of Livin' to Do-" a nightclub extravaganza sung by THREE different leads advancing two different plots of the story at once. With stellar direction by George Sidney and inventive choreography by Onna White, it first appears as a conventional girl-swooning solo for the title character, but quickly shifts to the cat-and-mouse antics of torn lovers A-M and Bobby Rydell, who lead the entire club in a kind of challenge dance. And while it isn't her first film, this is the scene (for me, anyway) which shows A-M's breakout performance, dancing in a bare midriff and pair of hot-pink capris- and she blows the roof off the place. No surprise that the next year she was cast opposite Elvis himself. Check it out, and try not to break into dance yourself, I dare you!!