The original Kim McAfee on Broadway was a typical small town girl, not a big-breasted pin-up. As charismatic as Ann-Margret was in this, her presence is a major distraction and by having her belt the newly written title song over both the opening and closing credits shows where the focus will be. She's certainly soft, and sells "How Lovely to Be a Woman" very well, changing from teen glam to jeans, sweat shirt and baseball cap, and for this, she can be forgiven the excesses given to her by the film's producers. She certainly gives her all, singing tenderly with Bobby Rydell the film's major love song "One Boy", and it isn't her fault that she was shapelier than most teens of the era. Like Marilyn in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", this changes the mood of the film and results in a different "Bye Bye Birdie" than what was seen on stage.
The stars on Broadway were Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera, and while Van Dyke returns for this, his film debut, Rivera has been replaced by the non-Latina Janet Leigh. Unlike Rita Moreno, who was an extremely appropriate recast for the film version of "West Side Story", Leigh's obvious American looks sneak through the short black wig, even if the character of Rose is obviously American born. Still, Leigh puts forth her best effort, appearing only a little embarrassed at times for taking over a part she knew deep inside she wasn't quite right for and should be praised for her bravery in possible public backlash. Rivera would prove her screen mettle only once, as Shirley MacLaine's sidekick in "Sweet Charity", and even if producers felt she didn't have the box office appeal for this film, Ms. Moreno would have fit the part better.
Van Dyke, however, is outstanding, but this is barely even close to what he had done on stage. Yes, he is the songwriter and rock star agent for Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson) and takes Sweet Apple Ohio by storm by getting him to kiss Kim before he goes off to the army, with the Ed Sullivan Show present to record it for posterity. Kim's parents are aghast by the invading of their home by Birdie and company, none more than Harry McAfee (Paul Lynde) who isn't happy until he finds out that his hero ("Ed, I Love You!") will be recording his daughter being kissed on National Television.
In the Broadway versions, Van Dyke sings his big number, "Put on a Happy Face", to a group of teens at the train station to cheer them up over Birdie's drafting. But here, it's changed to a duet between Van Dyke and Leigh's happy conscience as she sits there in a grumpy mood watching. Disney might as well have produced this by the presence of some silly animation. Still, this is one of the great standards of Broadway, so it is great to hear in any shape or form. More successful is Birdie's "Honestly Sincere" in which all the women of the town (and a few young men) pass out at the swiveling of his hips.
After years of fame on Broadway, Maureen Stapleton was now famous enough on screen to garner the role of Van Dyke's harpy mother, clad in mink coat and rubbers covering sensible shoes. The stage version was much more comical than what is written here, Stapleton directed to overplay the bossy condescension towards Leigh and as a result, her character is much more characterature than flesh and blood. She's really hard to take, especially when she pushes her way between Lynde and his wife as they sit alone in the school auditorium.
Everything comes together for two late musical sequences, "Gotta Lot of Living to Do!" and Leigh's "Shriner Ballet" in which her grave miscasting is all of a sudden forgiven. Columbia obviously had no faith in the success of the original Broadway version, adding in a Russian ballet that is somehow speeded up thanks to medication in the conductor's milk, resulting in a silly sequence that slows down the action and really serves no purpose than to add tension if Birdie will have time to sing his final song and get to kiss Kim.
What is more heartbreaking about this movie is the fact that it was directed by George Sidney, responsible for many of MGM's great musicals of their golden era. But Van Dyke and Lynde, both then becoming very famous thanks to their television appearances, save the day, Van Dyke's rubber face and legs prominent yet never hiding his handsome looks, and Lynde's cynical line delivery perfect for his big show-stopper, "Kids" ("What's wrong with Sammy Kaye?") and of course his declaration of affection towards the undisputed king of the variety show, Ed Sullivan, who is amusing in his few scenes in this film, as he was in the first big nun musical, "The Singing Nun", several years later.
The stars on Broadway were Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera, and while Van Dyke returns for this, his film debut, Rivera has been replaced by the non-Latina Janet Leigh. Unlike Rita Moreno, who was an extremely appropriate recast for the film version of "West Side Story", Leigh's obvious American looks sneak through the short black wig, even if the character of Rose is obviously American born. Still, Leigh puts forth her best effort, appearing only a little embarrassed at times for taking over a part she knew deep inside she wasn't quite right for and should be praised for her bravery in possible public backlash. Rivera would prove her screen mettle only once, as Shirley MacLaine's sidekick in "Sweet Charity", and even if producers felt she didn't have the box office appeal for this film, Ms. Moreno would have fit the part better.
Van Dyke, however, is outstanding, but this is barely even close to what he had done on stage. Yes, he is the songwriter and rock star agent for Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson) and takes Sweet Apple Ohio by storm by getting him to kiss Kim before he goes off to the army, with the Ed Sullivan Show present to record it for posterity. Kim's parents are aghast by the invading of their home by Birdie and company, none more than Harry McAfee (Paul Lynde) who isn't happy until he finds out that his hero ("Ed, I Love You!") will be recording his daughter being kissed on National Television.
In the Broadway versions, Van Dyke sings his big number, "Put on a Happy Face", to a group of teens at the train station to cheer them up over Birdie's drafting. But here, it's changed to a duet between Van Dyke and Leigh's happy conscience as she sits there in a grumpy mood watching. Disney might as well have produced this by the presence of some silly animation. Still, this is one of the great standards of Broadway, so it is great to hear in any shape or form. More successful is Birdie's "Honestly Sincere" in which all the women of the town (and a few young men) pass out at the swiveling of his hips.
After years of fame on Broadway, Maureen Stapleton was now famous enough on screen to garner the role of Van Dyke's harpy mother, clad in mink coat and rubbers covering sensible shoes. The stage version was much more comical than what is written here, Stapleton directed to overplay the bossy condescension towards Leigh and as a result, her character is much more characterature than flesh and blood. She's really hard to take, especially when she pushes her way between Lynde and his wife as they sit alone in the school auditorium.
Everything comes together for two late musical sequences, "Gotta Lot of Living to Do!" and Leigh's "Shriner Ballet" in which her grave miscasting is all of a sudden forgiven. Columbia obviously had no faith in the success of the original Broadway version, adding in a Russian ballet that is somehow speeded up thanks to medication in the conductor's milk, resulting in a silly sequence that slows down the action and really serves no purpose than to add tension if Birdie will have time to sing his final song and get to kiss Kim.
What is more heartbreaking about this movie is the fact that it was directed by George Sidney, responsible for many of MGM's great musicals of their golden era. But Van Dyke and Lynde, both then becoming very famous thanks to their television appearances, save the day, Van Dyke's rubber face and legs prominent yet never hiding his handsome looks, and Lynde's cynical line delivery perfect for his big show-stopper, "Kids" ("What's wrong with Sammy Kaye?") and of course his declaration of affection towards the undisputed king of the variety show, Ed Sullivan, who is amusing in his few scenes in this film, as he was in the first big nun musical, "The Singing Nun", several years later.