Not worth seeing
Added 11/2/2009
The Bottom Line:
I hear the stage musical is much better, so I'll refrain from passing judgement on Michael Stewart's popular play and instead merely say that Bye Bye Birdie the film has very little to recommend it: disliked by its own cast (and rightly so) its songs range from shrill and annoying at worst to forgettably pleasant at best and none of the characters emerge as likable or three dimensional human beings.
2.5/4
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Holds Up Very Well Today And We Appreciate Rest Of Cast Today
Added 9/13/2009
This is the extremely enjoyable musical comedy about Elvis Going Into the Army and everyone else getting in on the pandemonium surrounding his leaving. I saw this when it was released in the theaters. It was supposed to be Dick Van Dyke's big break through into the movies but he was blown off the screen by Ann-Margret as the teenager upon whom Elvis-Birdie would bestow his last kiss. According to the standards of the early 1960s, she was a screen siren-kitten the likes of which had never blasted upon the screen before. Every teenager in America wanted to be her and the baby boomers flocked to this movie in droves. They certainly didn't go to see Van Dyke, Maureen Stapleton, Janet Leigh or Paul Lynde. Today, Ann-Margret is still great in the role but relatively tame in comparison to what now appears on the silver screen. Thus, we can now better appreciate the great job done by these other actors. Although Van Dyke does very well as the mama's boy trying to break into show business, Paul Lynde as the teenager's father and Maureen Stapleton as Van Dyke's mother are absolutely fantastic. The musical numbers are performed beautifully by both the young people and their elders in the film. I found that this movie held up very well going on fifty years later. Yes, it is set back in a different era but it is totally faithful to that era and entertaining as such.
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Entertaining
Added 7/10/2009
I had seen the movie on TV a while ago and wanted to have it for my collection. The dancing sequences are amazing.
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GREAT FUN ALL THE WAY
Added 6/28/2009
Superb version of the Broadway musical about rock and roll superstar about to join the army. The movie centers on his visit to a small town so one of his fans can give him "one last kiss" on national television.
Great musical numbers, great fun all the way. Paul Lynde really knew how to be funny. If only the General had allowed Elvis to be in this movie! If you haven't seen it, get it. It's great entertainment for the entire family.
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ENJOYED A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
Added 6/27/2009
THIS MOVIE WAS A "BLAST FROM THE PAST" FOR MY SISTER AND I. WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT WE SAT IN THE THEATRE AND WATCHED IT OVER & OVER & OVER. BACK THEN YOU COULD DO THAT. MOVIES WERE 50c, YOU GOT 2 SHOWS, CARTOONS AND SOMETIMES A GIVEAWAY. AFTER 6PM KIDS WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE BUT WE SNUCK DOWN TO THE FRONT ROW AND CROUCHED DOWN IN THE SEATS TO WATCH IT AGAIN. MY OLDER SISTER CREATED A SCENE BY MAKING THE USHER SEARCH THE ENTIRE THEATRE FOR US AND WE GOT A SMACK IN THE HEAD FOR OUR EFFORTS. I STILL REMEMBER ALL THE WORDS TO THE SONGS AND IT'S STILL FUNNY TO ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
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Not worth seeing
Added 11/2/2009
The Bottom Line:
I hear the stage musical is much better, so I'll refrain from passing judgement on Michael Stewart's popular play and instead merely say that Bye Bye Birdie the film has very little to recommend it: disliked by its own cast (and rightly so) its songs range from shrill and annoying at worst to forgettably pleasant at best and none of the characters emerge as likable or three dimensional human beings.
2.5/4
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Holds Up Very Well Today And We Appreciate Rest Of Cast Today
Added 9/13/2009
This is the extremely enjoyable musical comedy about Elvis Going Into the Army and everyone else getting in on the pandemonium surrounding his leaving. I saw this when it was released in the theaters. It was supposed to be Dick Van Dyke's big break through into the movies but he was blown off the screen by Ann-Margret as the teenager upon whom Elvis-Birdie would bestow his last kiss. According to the standards of the early 1960s, she was a screen siren-kitten the likes of which had never blasted upon the screen before. Every teenager in America wanted to be her and the baby boomers flocked to this movie in droves. They certainly didn't go to see Van Dyke, Maureen Stapleton, Janet Leigh or Paul Lynde. Today, Ann-Margret is still great in the role but relatively tame in comparison to what now appears on the silver screen. Thus, we can now better appreciate the great job done by these other actors. Although Van Dyke does very well as the mama's boy trying to break into show business, Paul Lynde as the teenager's father and Maureen Stapleton as Van Dyke's mother are absolutely fantastic. The musical numbers are performed beautifully by both the young people and their elders in the film. I found that this movie held up very well going on fifty years later. Yes, it is set back in a different era but it is totally faithful to that era and entertaining as such.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Entertaining
Added 7/10/2009
I had seen the movie on TV a while ago and wanted to have it for my collection. The dancing sequences are amazing.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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