Bye Bye Birdie (1995)

Rock-and-roll icon Conrad Birdie is about to go into the Army, and plans are being made to arrange his final going-away concert.

Director:

Gene Saks

Writer:

Michael Stewart (play)

Stars:

Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams, Chynna Phillips

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Alexander	...	Albert J. Peterson
Vanessa Williams	...	Rose Alvarez
Chynna Phillips	...	Kim MacAfee
Tyne Daly	...	Mae Peterson
Marc Kudisch	...	Conrad Birdie
George Wendt	...	Harry MacAfee
Sally Mayes	...	Doris MacAfee
Jason Gaffney	...	Hugo F. Peabody
Blair Slater	...	Randolph MacAfee
Vicki Lewis	...	Gloria Rasputin
Brigitta Dau	...	Ursula Merkle
Angela Brydon	...	Sad Face Girl
Shelley S. Hunt	...	Alice
Marlowe Gardiner-Heslin	...	Suzie (as Marlowe Windsor-Menard)
Brenna Quan	...	Penelope-Ann

Storyline

Rock-and-roll icon Conrad Birdie is about to go into the Army, and plans are being made to arrange his final going-away concert.

---

Plot Keywords:

lifting female in air | lifting someone into the air | lifting an adult into the air | teenage boy | song | 

---

Taglines:

The all-star comedy event of the year!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tyne Daly was uncomfortable lip-synching to a prerecorded track, so she was allowed to perform her songs live.

---

Goofs

The telephone that Albert J. Peterson (Jason Alexander) uses in Harry MacAfee's (George Wendt) home has a modern plug-in cord, which was not yet in use in the period in which this film is set.

---

Connections

Referenced in All Rise: Bye Bye Bernie (2020)

---

Soundtracks

Rosie
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Lee Adams
Sung by Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams

User Reviews

Decent adaptation, but not a home run.

This TV adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie has a few things going for it. Vanessa Williams is sensational, and Jason Alexander, surprise, surprise, is a good singer and adequate hoofer. It follows the original play far better than the film, although, it also takes liberties with it. And doesn't have to pull its punches to quite the same extent as the movie did (1963 was kind of crossover year, where attitudes and mores were beginning to loosen up, but American movies were still stuck in the fifties.The TV version also gets rid of that horrible sped-up ballet that nearly ruins the movie version (the play had another ballet entirely, which is not in either the film or the TV version).

On the minus side, as good as Jason Alexander is, he wasn't right for the part. I'm not sure Dick Van Dyke was either, but he was better. George Wendt adds nothing to the mix, especially when compared to Paul Lynde. The character of Kim McAfee is pared back down to its original content, which is just as well. Chynna Phillips is woefully miscast as a teenager and really can't compete with Ann-Margert (who could?). Marc Kudisch's Conrad is a good imitation of Conway Twitty, who was the original template for Conrad (not Elvis), although Jesse Pearson (who looked like he was imitating Elvis) was better.

On the balance, worth watching if you're interested in Broadway musicals and their adaptations, but it's not a must-see.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bye Bye Birdie

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

RHI Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1