Was Elvis Offered the Birdie Film?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:23pm

I assume he was. Anyone know for sure or if he ever commented on the show/film?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:33pm

Um, HELL no. BYE BYE BIRDIE is a satire on him and the whole teeny-bopper craze surrounding him AND his being drafted into the army, etc. Even the original 1960 Broadway production's Conrad Birdie was a full visual spoof on the Elvis image and persona.

Here are the originals: Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke), Rose Alvarez (Chita Rivera) and Conrad Birdie (Dick Gautier):

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 8:35pm

I realize it's a spoof of Elvis but doesn't mean he couldn't be in on the joke. I don't think it in any way is disrespectful of his persona.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 9:51pm

Hell, by the end of his career, even HE was spoofing Elvis.

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:04pm

I hate to be a downer... Conrad Birdie = Conway Twitty.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:08pm

From IMDB:
"Conrad Birdie was a parody of Elvis Presley and the play was based upon the furor that arose from Presley being drafted in 1958. The character's name, however, was the result of composers Strouse and Adams finding the name of real-life singer Conway Twitty far more humorous and safer to parody than Elvis. Ironically, producers originally wanted Presley for the role of Conrad Birdie. Presley was interested, but his manager Col. Tom Parker refused to let Presley play a role spoofing himself."

Yes, he was offered the role. Yes, Conrad Birdie is a play on Conway Twitty.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:15pm

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/16/09 at 10:33pm

Walk Hard: The conrad Birdie story

[nmartin]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 5:58am

Side Note: Streisand did offer Elvis the costar role in A Star Is Born. He wisely passed on that stinker.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 10:50am

Conrad Birdie is not based on Conway Twitty, according to Charlea Strouse. At first they called him Elsworth than they changed it to Conway Twitty, then they found out there already was a Conway Twitty, when he threatened to sue they changed it to Conrad Birdie.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 12:05pm

I think some of the humor would have been lost had Elvis been playing the role. It's an obvious satire on him and the hubub surrounding him. If he'd been in the film people might have thought it was his life story or something. It's better that he wasn't.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 9/17/09 at 12:58pm

I agree with Eris, it's funner knowing it's a parody, him playig the role wouldve made everyone take the whole thing too literally.. the "spoof" would have been lost. although it is cool to know that he actually was offered the part.