Bye Bye Birdie
by George Sidney
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Actor: Ann-Margret, Bobby Rydell, Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Maureen StapletonDirector: George Sidney
Brand: BowTie
Cinematographer: Joseph F. Biroc
Editor: Charles Nelson
Producer: Fred Kohlmar
Writer: Irving Brecher
Writer: Michael Stewart
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Georgian (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-07-13
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Model: c-50
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Bye Bye Birdie
DVD Review: A Joyous and Zingy Screen Adaptation
Summary: 5 Stars
This colorful and lively rendering of the hit Broadway musical is a sunny, and well-paced spectacle.
It begins with a kittenish, but still-somewhat childlike Ann-Margaret as High Schooler, Kim McAfee, looking like a lost little girl as she sings the title song, lamenting the drafting of her favorite rock'n' roll star, Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson, who plays the title character as an attractive and charismatic jerk), a crisis protested by teenagers all over America.
Also dismayed by the turn of events is struggling songwriter, Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke), who was supposed to compose a song for Birdie's next film.Peterson's long-suffering secretary/fiancee, Rose DeLeon(Janet Leigh) conjures up a scheme to help his failing business, which is on the verge of dissolution, and to hopefully speed up their trip down the aisle, an endeavor that has also been obstructed by Albert's possessive mother, Mae (Maureen Stapleton).
During a conference with Ed Sullivan (Himself), Rose plugs the idea of Birdie singing a song on his show, and giving one last kiss to a member of his fan club, and she later urges Albert to write Birdie's swan song. Rumaging through a file cards drawer of the Ohio members of Birdie's fan club, she chooses Sweet Apple, Ohio resident Kim McAfee, who at the time, is happily gabbing with her best friend, Ursula(Trudi Ames) about having been pinned by boyfriend, Hugo Peabody(Bobby Rydell) over the phone. Ursula subsequently spreads the word among the High School crowd, and the news is alternately met with delight, skepticism, and cynicism as an aggravated telephone operator (Yvonne White) tries to keep pace.
While dressing down for the day, Kim sings "How Lovely to be a Woman" in a playful moment which ends with her looking more like a kid.
As she trots downstairs, we receive a proper introduction to her family, including her brother, Randolph (Bryan Russell), whose chemistry set will have considerable influence over events, her warm, nurturing mother, Doris( a sunny, Mary LaRoche, who spends much of her time in this production clad in yellow), and her father, fertilizer company executive, Harry( Paul Lynde, with his characteristically bemused persona). The family soon receive the call announcing the selection of Kim as the girl to be kissed by Birdie, and the teen loses all self control.
The town eagerly awaits Birdie's arrival, but the situation results in resentment from the teenaged boys of Sweet Apple , who recruit Hugo to confront Kim about violating the sanctity of their pledge by these impending events. But Kim and the girls win out , and when expressing agreement with the views of the English teacher, Claude Paisley (Michael Evans)on the matter, the guys brand Hugo a fink.
Birdie arrives at the town hall, and the impact is one of mass hysteria. The presentation of the keys to the city is an unceremonious ceremony.
The McAfees face the disruption of their homelife, with sycophantic teenagers on their lawn, concern over a rock star's proximity to a young girl, and the possibility of Mr. McAfee's loss of his best clients, who disapprove of his family's current associations. Rose concocts another plan to appease the McAfees , and Albert uses his prospective talents as a chemist to help McAfee's business.
In the meantime Hugo and Kim reaffirm their relationship in a beautiful sequence, as Rose broods over the uncertainty about her future with Albert.
In due time, the clomp of heavy orthopedic shoes announces Mae's arrival at the McAfees' and a subsequent confrontation that leads Rose into Mr. Paisley's arms. Among the principles rehearsing for the event in the school gym, some tension develops, culminating in Kim's passing out when Conrad kisses her. Soon, they learn Birdie's number has been cut to give a Russian ballet more airtime, and a few other typical showbusiness promises that were easily made are just as easily broken.
Kim drowns her sorrows with girlfriends at the local canteen, and soon joins Conrad in a lively and colorful performance that literally rocks the joint, but which ends with her relationship with Hugo looking even more out of joint than ever before.
The McAfees wait on Albert at the amplitheatre as he tries to negotiate with the Russians to shorten the length of the ballet. Unsuccessful at that attempt, he is driven to Maude's (Milton Frome)Madcap Cafe, where he finds Rose imbibing and trying to seduce some shriners in a situation that gets a little out of hand, while Mae finds a new partner for canasta.
The night of the show arrives, and another of Rose's clever schemes pays off, giving Conrad's spot with Kim the desired amount of airtime, only to have the outcome altered by Hugo.
All's well that ends well, and we leave our flaming-haired young Kim with a bit more maturity than she had when we found her, and a different set of priorities.
Having put in my two cents' worth on this delightful American classic, it's time for me to fly!
Description of Bye Bye Birdie
Rock star/teenage heartthrob Conrad Birdie gets drafted so his manager organizes a nationwide contest in which one lucky girl will win a goodbye kiss from Birdie.Genre: Musicals
Rating: G
Release Date: 13-JUL-1999
Media Type: DVD
When Elvis-like rock & roll star Conrad Birdie is drafted into the military, the teen nation is united by a contest in which the winner bestows a farewell kiss upon their idol while on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ann-Margret (in her film debut) is the lucky little lady from Sweet Apple, Ohio, who wins the contest, much to the chagrin of her steady beau (Bobby Rydell) and miserable parents (Paul Lynde and Mary LaRoche). Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh are an older couple kept from marrying by his meddlesome mother, played to the hilt by Maureen Stapleton. Lightweight but fun, this features an exuberant soundtrack with such memorable ditties as "Put on a Happy Face" and "Kids" and the title track. This is a much better choice than the lackluster, 1995 made-for-TV version. --Rochelle O'Gorman
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