Bye Bye Birdie (film)

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Movie
German title Bye bye birdie
Original title Bye bye birdie
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1963
length 105 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director George Sidney
script Irving Brecher
Michael Stewart (template)
production Fred Kohlmar
music Charles Strouse
Johnny Green
camera Joseph F. Biroc
cut Charles Nelson
occupation

Bye Bye Birdie is an American film musical from 1963 based on the musical of the same name . The film has been rewritten from the original and specifically geared towards Ann-Margret , who received two new songs that both introduce and close the story.

action

The music star Conrad Birdie was drafted and now has to serve his country. This not only upsets all of his female fans, but also his songwriter Albert Peterson, who is facing ruin. All he wanted was to earn enough money to build a life of his own with his assistant and lover Rosie DeLeon. She, on the other hand, sees hope in when Peterson writes a song for Birdie that is performed on the Ed Sullivan Show and then becomes a hit. It's supposed to be One Last Kiss , where Birdie kisses a beautiful young woman after singing. This woman is also quickly found with Kim McAfee from Sweet Apple, Ohio . Although her actual boyfriend Hugo is full of jealousy, Kim is happy to kiss her crush and favorite star Birdie in front of an audience of millions. Hugo can be convinced by Kim that this is a good thing, but after he sees how exuberantly and ecstatically Birdie is received in his city, he becomes more jealous.

Kim's father Harry doesn't want her to be kissed by Birdie anymore, which is why he forbids it. Albert and Rosie quickly intervene to prevent this. They can convince him, but now Hugo wants to prevent it. But she also assures him that no matter what happens he is always the only boy for him. And now that everything has worked out in the rehearsal, there is still bad news that Birdie is not allowed to perform because the "Moscow Ballet" had the opportunity to perform. After Albert tried unsuccessfully to get his minute and a half for Birdie's performance, he is so depressed that all he knows is alcohol. But Rosie does not want to give up and hatches a plan with Albert how to mix a drug with his biochemical knowledge that the conductor of the Russian orchestra plays so quickly and thus reduces the time of the ballet. The plan works and Birdie is allowed to play the rest of the time. The possible hit and all the money is within your grasp. But Hugo's jealousy grabs him, so he runs onto the stage and KO Birdie . This makes the recording a disaster. But Albert and Rosie are still optimistic about the future, since he has found his love in her and with his biochemical skills enough talent to earn his money elsewhere.

Music and dance numbers

  1. Bye Bye Birdie - Kim
  2. Opening Credits - Columbia Studio Orchestra, Johnny Green
  3. The Telephone Hour - teenagers
  4. How Lovely to Be a Woman - Kim
  5. We Love You Conrad (film version)
  6. Honestly Sincere - Conrad
  7. Hymn for a Sunday Evening - Kim, Doris, Harry, Randolph
  8. One Boy - Kim, Rosie, Hugo
  9. Put On a Happy Face - Rosie, Albert
  10. Kids - Harry, Randolph, Mae, Albert
  11. One Last Kiss (Gym Rehearsal Outtake) - Conrad
  12. A Lot of Livin 'to Do - Conrad, Kim, Hugo
  13. Shriner's Ballet - Columbia Studio Orchestra, Johnny Green
  14. One Last Kiss - Conrad
  15. Everything is Rosie - Albert, Rosie, Kim, Hugo
  16. Bye Bye Birdie (reprise) - Kim

background

Differences between musical and film

Several significant changes were made to the plot and characters in the film. In particular, the character of Kim was emphasized in order to conceive the film as a star vehicle for Ann-Margret . Two new songs were written for her, which both introduce and conclude the film. Other songs were left out for it.

The character of Rosie Alvarez has been renamed Rosie DeLeon. Although the character continued to be portrayed as a good Latina , a song where Alvarez / DeLeon sang exaggerated Spanish in front of Albert's mother was omitted. In the film, Albert isn't Birdie's agent or an English teacher either, but a talented chemist whom Birdie owes a favor, since he became a star through him.

Allusions in other representations

  • In the television series Mad Men , the intro with Ann Margret was shown and parodied in both the second and fourth episodes of the third season.
  • The song One Last Kiss was actually performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967 by Gary Lewis & the Playboys , with Lewis then having to serve in the United States Army . As in the film, a girl was selected from the audience that Lewis finally kissed.
  • The animated series Family Guy also referred to the series with three different parodies, both in the episode Petarded (season 4, episode 6) and We Love You Conrad (season 7, episode 14) as well as in New Kidney in Town (season 9, Episode 8).

publication

The film had its world premiere on April 4, 1963 and opened in German cinemas on March 13, 1964. Since there was no German VHS release , the film has been available on German DVD since January 10, 2006.

Reviews

“Unfortunately, Mr. Sidney and his screenwriter, Irving Brecher, allowed themselves to move away from the original, the spirited musical by Michael Stewart. In doing so, they not only lose Conrad Birdie in the laybrinth of their new plot, but also the essential idea of ​​satire, the speed and the glamor of the original show. "

- Bosley Crowther , The New York Times

"Not always exciting, often silly parody of the American music business with clear swipes at Elvis Presley."

- Lexicon of international film

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bosley Crowther : Bye Bye Birdie (1963) . In: The New York Times , April 5, 1963, accessed January 21, 2012.
  2. ^ Bye Bye Birdie. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used