The 1960s’ ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is Everywhere Now
If you’re a fan of the amazing Mad Men series on AMC, you know that one of the latest story lines involves a scene featuring Ann-Margret from the 1963 film Bye Bye Birdie (you can watch the original Ann-Margret scene here). As it happens, Bye Bye Birdie is everywhere these days because a Broadway revival is set to open Oct. 15 at the Henry Miller Theatre.
The Bye Bye Birdie story is set in the year of my birth — 1958 — and was inspired by the 1950s drafting into the Army of popular singer Elvis Presley. The story became a Broadway production in 1960 (which won a Tony Award), then a film, a TV movie, a few other things, and now, in 2009, a Broadway revival starring Gina Gershon and John Stamos.
I watched the movie as a kid and when I started looking for video clips for this post I was amazed at how many great songs were in the show: The Telephone Hour, How Lovely To Be A Woman, Put On A Happy Face, One Boy, One Last Kiss, Lot Of Livin’ To Do, and Kids. The screenplay was written by Michael Stewart and Irving Brecher, with music by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams.
Starring in the film were some of the biggest names of the era: Dick Van Dyke, Paul Lynde, Janet Leigh, Maureen Stapleton, Ed Sullivan, Chita Rivera, Bobby Rydell and Charles Nelson Reilly. I think I see a re-viewing of Bye Bye Birdie in my near future.
October 6th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Ah yes, and where I first began to fall in love with Ann-Margaret.
October 6th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I loved that movie and I think everyone fell in love with Ann-Margret in this movie. What a talent!!
October 6th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Talent? She had talent? I was a teenage boy. She was simply gorgeous. And I blame her for my fixation with redheads.
October 6th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I’ve never seen the movie maybe I can watch it free on Netflix! I love the “Kids” song. So apropos….
October 6th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Emily, do watch it. It’s campy.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Right. Totally campy.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Irving Brecher, who wrote “Bye Bye Birdie,” was the last of the great Golden Age comedy screenwriters. He started out writing jokes for Milton Berle as a teenager, then came to Hollywood and wrote for (and became friends with) his idols, the Marx Brothers.
You’ll love reading all Irv’s juicy stories in his book, “THE WICKED WIT OF THE WEST,” written with journalist Hank Rosenfeld. It was published last January, two months to the day after Brecher died at age 94.
Brecher also wrote “Meet Me in St. Louis” (and talked Judy Garland into doing the film) and several other MGM musicals. He created, produced and wrote “The Life of Riley” and “The People’s Choice” with Cleo the Bassett hound.
He was a wonderful guy with an outstanding sense of humor.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Thank you for the information on Irving Brecher. The writers often don’t get recognition.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Paul Lynde- I always associate him with Hollywood Squares and Bewitched.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Yes, thank you for the Irv Brecher lead, Flo.
The upcoming remake of BBB onstage will be very interesting to see, since Brecher changed the Michael Stewart script ending (”the third reel” is that what they say?) when it made it to the screen.
Bye the way, Rhea, the movie version was set later than 1958. JFK’s face is in it and I think a member of his cabinet, too.
FYI re writers:
Any movie released after 1960 writers (WGA members) get residuals from (as in Netflix sales etc). Irv Brecher wrote about a dozen movies before 1960 and only two after, BYE BYE BIRDIE and Ernie Kovacs’ last flick: SAIL A CROOKED SHIP.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Got tix for next weekend. Taking the whole family and their respective SO’s.
Got a lot of living to do! Live!
October 8th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Morrison, you must let me know how the show is!!
October 12th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Rhea,
Saw Bye Bye Birdie last night.
Here’s my review:
http://alldoorsconsidered.blogspot.com/2009/10/bye-bye-birdie-beccos-restaurant.html
The show was enjoyable, had a few stoppers (like the telephone song) but Ann-Margaret was terribly missed. The new Kim Macafee was only 14 and she looked (and acted) it. Sigh. The guy who played Birdie (Funk) just had his tonsils out a few days ago (kids!) but managed to come back to the stage and give a limp performance. Mediocre for the whole show is my review in a word. The costumes were fantastic. But I am glad I went to see it. The place was sold out and got a semi standing ovation. It’s not a def must-see but a must see nonetheless if you love anything Bye Bye Birdie.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Morrison, I appreciate hearing your review. There is no one like Ann-Margret.
October 16th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
[...] For background, “Birdie” refers to Conrad Birdie, an Elvis-type, that is leaving for the Army. His publicist decides he should have “one last kiss” before he leaves. Bye Bye Birdie is the story behind the kiss. [...]