Bye Bye Birdie
Director George Sidney was so taken with the talent of Ann-Margret that when the film was edited he went to Columbia's executives and proposed the opening and closing bumpers that would showcase her. They refused to pay for any additional filming, so Sidney rented the studio and crew at his own expense. He then asked the composer and lyricist to come up with a title song. He filmed Ann-Margret's skirt-flipping, hair-tossing rendition of that song six months after principal photography was completed -- at a cost of $60,000, which was repaid to Sidney after the movie. And Ann-Margret became a sensation.,After Rosie pulls the McAfee family out of the audience at The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), two different shots of the Russian conductor show the McAfees still sitting in the audience.,Rose DeLeon: I must be the prized dope of all-time... thinking I could pry you away from your mama's ever-lovin' tentacles.,There is no "The End" credit or cast list at the end of the film. Ann-Margret simply sings an on-screen reprise of the song "Bye Bye Birdie" at the end, and then says " 'Bye, now!".,Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1994),Bye Bye Birdie
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Lee Adams
Performed by Ann-Margret before the title credits, with Johnny Green and the Columbia Studio Orchestra and Chorus
Reprised by Ann-Margret in the finale,The vitriol below from fans of the Broadway original is absurd. Yes, this is not a filmed version of the stage play - GET OVER IT! What we have is a funny, smart, classic film musical that gets virtually everything right. Dick Van Dyke reprises his Broadway role while at the peak of his career, Paul Lynde gives his best film performance, Maureen Stapleton milks her part for all it's worth, and Ann-Margret is simply astounding! The only casting error is Janet Leigh - but they needed a name, since everyone else in the cast was unknown at the time. While Leigh gives a solid performance, songs had to be cut since she could sing only with difficulty. But this is a minor flaw - everything else about this film is spot on, as demonstrated by the sad effort to redo it for TV in 1995. It captures the era perfectly - of course, it's dated: it's about America in the early 60s! If it wasn't dated, it wouldn't work! So if you haven't seen it, get it - I just watched in in NYC's Bryant Park with thousands of jaded New Yorkers, and it won over that audience completely. Enjoy!,