JohnHowardReid This film is inclined to wear out its welcome halfway through. Nevertheless, it certainly opens in splendid fashion when Ann-Margret croons the title tune with admirably non-heroic nuance as she is propelled into the camera on a concealed trolley. This is followed by an elaborate spoof of Busby Berkeley "business" which had Bosley Crowther of The New York Times cheering in the aisle. (Bosley is a foundation member of The Society To Suppress Busby Berkeley, established back in 1937 by another New York Times staffer, Frank Nugent). All goes well until the initial appearance of Birdie himself in an extravaganza concluding in a riotous send-up of Victor Fleming's famous crane shot in Gone With The Wind. But when we are introduced to Paul Lynde, the screenplay takes a nose dive. Even attempts to guy "Hernando's Hideaway" and A Night at the Opera do not come off – despite two delicious cracks at the expenses of Lenin and Senator Goldwater respectively.

Prismark10 Bye Bye Birdie is an adaptation of a stage musical into a bright, colourful lit film but some bland songs and rather off acting especially by Jesse Pearson who plays the Elvis like Conrad Birdie.Conrad Birdie is a heartthrob rock n roll singer who is drafted to the army. However he ends up coming to a small Ohio town for a farewell television performance, singing a song written by a local chemistry teacher and aspiring songwriter and kiss a female fan. However his arrival causes a stir with locals and some of the young men are not happy especially the boyfriend of the fan due to kiss Conrad.The film is bouncy, bright and colourful but looks rather quaint now. A bubblegum version of early 1960s teen culture and small town America before the counter culture emerged. The songs rather reflect this and lack a hard edge although there is some subversiveness in the lyrics here and there.There is a talented cast with Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh but the standout is Ann Margret showing early promise.

MartinHafer When "Bye Bye Birdie" began, I cringed. The director paid out of his own pocket to add a singing sequence at the beginning and end of the film to showcase the gorgeous Ann-Margret....but the song was just terrible. While he has a lovely voice, you'd never know it with this song--it just sounds off-key and dreadful. Well, apparently folks weren't paying attention to her singing, as the film helped to launch her career into overdrive--but I almost turned the movie off because the song was THAT bad.What follows is a film very much inspired by Elvis Presley's induction into the army. Girl across America are apparently in hysterics because the new singing sensation, Conrad Birdie, has been drafted. However, as a publicity stunt, he is to sing a song and give a symbolic last kiss to some lucky lady (Ann-Margret). A struggling songwriter (Dick Van Dyke) is hoping that this will revive his career, as they've gotten Birdie to agree to sing his new song. Much of the film is set in the small Ohio town where the girl, her family and her screwball boyfriend live.Compared to most musicals, this one seems to have a few more songs than usual. Some later went on to be quite famous and many are quite good. However, many are pretty annoying (other than the intro and closing songs). I really think dropping a couple of the lesser songs would have made the film flow a bit better and quickened the pace. Overall, a mildly diverting and occasionally fun film.

tforbes-2 So many people seem to know actress Janet Leigh from her role in "Psycho" (1960).How unfortunate! Two years later, she got to leave her comfort zone and perform as Rosie DeLeon in "Bye, Bye Birdie." It has been said this movie is an Ann-Margret movie, and she does indeed give a fine performance, as she would in years to come.Janet Leigh is no Chita Rivera. For that matter, Ms. Rivera is no Ms. Leigh. And the 1960 stage show is not the 1963 film. You take the performers and the productions on their own terms. They all work well. Janet Leigh was never lovelier than she was here!!!! She may not be the best singer, but she was fantastic, getting out of a "comfort zone" in terms of performing, and giving it her own all in this film!! I can understand the disappointment both Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynde felt with this production. I imagine they deserved more time, given what they contributed. But they, and the other supporting cast members do well.From my perspective, I first saw this in spring 1974 in junior high, and the movie looked so hokey, given its Kennedy administration background. Watergate loomed very, very large, with its cynicism, and I could not appreciate this as a 14-year-old. But as time goes by, I have gotten to love this movie very much.And since I grew up in the Southern Tier of New York, the song "One Last Kiss" has a special meaning. When Gary Lewis and the Playboys performed this song on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on 4 December 1966, before Mr. Lewis went to the Army, the girl who got the kiss was from Endicott, just 5 miles from where I was writing this!! Whatever the case, this movie remains as enjoyable today as it was when it was released nearly 50 years ago!!