Bye Bye Birdie the movie - ICK!

[children&art]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:03pm

just watched this on TCM, why oh why did they make such drastic changes from the stage to the screen? it's a cute little musical on stage, but the movie is goofy and unfocused and crappy.

if i didnt know the original, i would not be interested in learning more after seeing the film. bleech!

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:07pm

I'm not a fan of the movie version either... except for the talent and budding sexuality of Ann-Margaret.

Zowie!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:12pm

Wait till Marquise reads this. heehee

[children&art]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:13pm

yeah yeah yeah Ann-Margaret and her skirt tossing, hair flipping opening and closing numbers make it bearable for me as well.

[pab]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:25pm

"Wait till Marquise reads this. heehee"

Marquise hasn't been around here for about a month.

[jasonf]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:27pm

I have to agree - terrible movie - but Ann Margret makes it worth having been made.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:32pm

i thought we were talking about the even worse one with Vanessa Williams

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:41pm

they cut all of roses songs out pretty much love Ann Margret tho the 1995 tv version with vanessa williams is closer to the stage version.

[Candleshoe2]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 12:54pm

At least the one with Vanessa Williams one stays true to the actual show! I can't watch either without getting a really bad headache!

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:27pm

The liberties taken and the turtles on meth notwithstanding, I really love the 1963 Bye Bye Birdie.

It's a shame that it's not more faithful, because I think the musical numbers are directed so lovingly and deftly. Kim's "How Lovely to Be a Woman" and Conrad's "Honestly Sincere" are two of note, particularly the latter, which is a frenetic orgy of movement and color.

[mentaltenant]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:10pm

it was basically made to be a vehicle to make Ann-Margret a star. And it worked. She's great in the movie (really in everything she does). But it didn't make Dick Van Dyke very happy and I know Paul Lynde held a grudge about it probably until he died but who cares about him haha.

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:19pm

Why shouldn't we care about Paul Lynde?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:22pm

Not bad except for the musical numbers that were cut /

[Magical_Ms._Mistoffeles_72]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:31pm

Yes I despised this movie. I got it for Christmas a couple years back and I was so excited---until I watched it. It was so unfaithful to my favorite movie that I cried. The only reason I kept it in was because of Paul Lynde. The 1995 movie with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams was so much better and I loved it to pieces. I have tried to find it, but all the copies made were on VHS and because most stores dont carry VHS anymore, I think I am SOL, unless I can somehow order it from somewhere other than the internet

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:35pm

Why can't you order it from the internet?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:35pm

Apart from the opening and closing title song, the movie only seems to work when a stray line of dialogue or a staging idea from the stage script appears.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:37pm

I despise this movie - I think it's one of the worst movie musicals ever made - worse than A CHORUS LINE, even.

Although it's still incredibly mediocre, I prefer the Vanessa Williams/Jason Alexander version anyday.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:42pm

A Chorus Line is an abomination, but at least you get some nice shots of the Mark Hellinger as compensation. Birdie is bad, but I'm not sure it hits the lows of A Chorus Line.

Still, for all time worst, Mame and Man of La Mancha might have them both beat.

[Jane2]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 3:55pm

I like the film (Bye Bye Birdie). It's not the best, but also it's far from the worst musical made. I'd put Rent in that category before Birdie. I especially enjoyed Paul Lynde. I had the film on while doing other work in the apt. today and it was fine for background!

[Shoshana's Future Ex]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 4:04pm

cool

[Pinaud]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 4:11pm

I am also not a huge fan of the movie, although I do enjoy Ann-Margaret, Dick Van Dyck, Paul Lynde and Maureen Stapleton. The one thing that makes me enjoy it more than the TV version is the fact that it had some life to it! It was actually kind of fun in a cheesy sort of way. I thought the new movie was so boring, and I despise the new songs, with the exception of the new arrangement of the title number.

[stylinbohemian]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:23pm

Most musicals that go from stage to screen suck...but I can remember watching Bye Bye Birdie movie ever since I was little and I <3 it! I like the changes they've made from stage to screen, like they did the 1995 version of Bye Bye Birdie with Jason Alexander now that was more true to the stage but I just hated it...i really didn't like that casting though either

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:30pm

I like "A Mother Doesn't Matter Anymore"

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 6:12pm

Okay, this sounds odd, but the fact that it is so obviously bad is what makes it campy and silly and fun to watch. It's not the stage version, true, but if it were, lots of folks would complain about that too!

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 6:30pm

I think both versions are poor. The '63 version is just the Ann Margaret movie. Sorry to disappoint some, but I really don't care for her - except as Blanche. Then she's fabulous! The '95 version dragged too much and was not photographed well at all. "Telephone Hour" was embarassing to watch and the new songs were unecesarry and just dug the movie deeper into the ground. The only parts I cared a rat's ass about were the performances by Ursuala, Mae, and Marc Kudisch as Conrad. Oh, I also love how they changed the lyric for Kim in "How Lovely to Be a Woman" from 15 to 17. Nontheless, she does not even look like she's in her teens. Try 35-ish.