Bye Bye Birdie

Director: George Sidney George Sidney

Overview

"From the opening menu, featuring star Ann-Margret's famous phone-pose set against a bubbly 1960s backdrop, this DVD presentation of Bye Bye Birdie is a colorful treat. The film comes in both widescreen and full-screen versions (each on a different side of the disc) and can be played with either English 2.0 Dolby Surround, English 5.0 Dolby Digital, or its original English three-channel theatrical presentation. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai. Special features include the theatrical trailer and detailed talent files for director George Sidney and stars Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Maureen Stapleton, and Paul Lynde. Also included is a booklet detailing a history of the musical's Broadway run, as well as production notes on the film."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/27/1999
UPC:	0043396015098
Original Release:	1963
Rating:	G
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:52:00
Sales rank:	5,219

Special Features

Closed Caption;Interactive menus; Languages: English 5.0 [Dolby Digital] and two-channel [Dolby Surround]; Original English three-channel theatrical presentation; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; Talent and filmographies; Scene selections; Full-screen and widescreen formats; Theatrical trailer; Anamorphic transfer; Production notes; Digitally remastered video and audio

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dick Van Dyke	Albert Peterson
Janet Leigh	Rosie DeLeon
Ann-Margret	Kim McAfee
Maureen Stapleton	Mrs. Peterson
Bobby Rydell	Hugo Peabody
Jesse Pearson	Conrad Birdie
Ed Sullivan	Ed Sullivan
Paul Lynde	Mr. McAfee
Mary LaRoche	Mrs. McAfee
Michael Evans	Claude Paisley
Robert Paige	Bob Precht
Gregory Morton	Borov
Bryan Russell	Randolph
Milton Frome	Mr. Maude
Ben Astar	Ballet Manager
Trudi Ames	Ursula
Cyril Delevanti	Mr. Nebbitt
Frank Albertson	Mayor
Beverly Yates	Mayor's Wife
Frank Sully	Bartender
Bo Peep Karlin	Ursula's Mother
Kim Darby	Actor
Linda Henning	Uncredited
Laura Lamb	Actor
Johnny Green	Composer

Technical Credits

Irving Brecher

Fred Kohlmar	Producer
George Sidney	Director
Irving Brecher	Screenwriter
Marvin Willens	Stunts
Charles Rice	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

On-stage, Bye Bye Birdie played like a champion. Though it was hardly a great musical, it was deceivingly well crafted. Unfortunately, the changes wrought by screenwriter Irving Brecher and director George Sidney damage the piece's structure and ultimately make the film entertaining but little more. Greater emphasis is placed on the secondary characters played by Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell, the Spanish ethnicity of Janet Leigh's Rosie (vital to the conflict between her and Maureen Stapleton's character) is essentially eliminated, and two ridiculous and pointless subplots -- one involving a drug that speeds up metabolism and one about the Moscow Ballet's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show -- are added to no positive effect. Director Sidney takes an overly cartoonish approach (exemplified by silly animated chalk drawings during "Put on a Happy Face") that takes the reality out of the movie. Fortunately, the cast and the score make up for a lot of the flaws. Ann-Margret is a wonderful mixture of kittenish innocence and sensuality, and Dick van Dyke is engaging and amiable. Janet Leigh is merely adequate, but Paul Lynde and Maureen Stapleton are quite amusing. Onna White's choreography is lively, and such numbers as "The Telephone Hour" and "A Lot of Livin' to Do" sparkle. The 1995 TV remake was more faithful to the source material, although it has its own shortcomings.