Bye-bye, "Bye Bye Birdie"

I have fond memories of the 1963 movie "Bye Bye Birdie".  

I can remember seeing it at the time it was released.  Thought it was cool to see Dick Van Dyke, who was so funny on that new TV series at the time.  There were some great songs..."Put On A Happy Face"...."The Telephone Hour"...."One Boy"...."Kids".  Paul Lynde was just great singing about "these kids today", and what twelve year old boy didn't love seeing a young Ann-Margret up there on the big screen in all her glory?

Well, "Bye Bye Birdie" was on TCM last night, and I gave up after about forty minutes.  Maybe it was the staging, maybe it was the direction, but we both thought that the movie version was incredibly dated and stiff (especially Van Dyke's performance).   Not sure I'll ever give it another look-see when the opportunity arises.

Funny thing, though.  Over the years, I have seen two stage productions of this show.  One was a professional touring company that starred Tommy Tune, and the other a few years ago when it was North Allegheny's Spring Musical.  Both of those productions showed that "Bye Bye Birdie" can be a fun and energetic musical STAGE comedy.  It is a staple on the high school musical circuit, so it will no doubt continue to be performed forever.  Go see it on stage if you ever get the chance.

Just take a pass on the 1963 film version.

Oh, and come to think of it, Ann-Margret is STILL pretty damn special, as I wrote back in 2017.....

https://grandstander.blogspot.com/2017/04/ann-margret.html

Ann-Margret

I have seen the trailer for the movie "Going In Style" many times over the past few months, and realized that it starred three old pro actors, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, and Morgan Freeman, but it wasn't until I read the review on Friday that I knew that another old pro, Ann-Margret also co-starred in this new comedy caper flick.  I have long been a fan of Ann-Margret's, and, of course, I made the requisite piggish comments about how she is still "gettin' it done" at the age of 75, as the picture just to the left will verify.

Anyway, it prompted me to visit the Google Machine to do a bit of research on Miss Olsson, and, yes, this "research" did start out as looking for sexy pictures of her, but it did lead to more interesting information.  For example....

• Next month, she and her husband, actor Roger Smith, will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary.  It is Ann-Margret's only marriage.  How about that?
• She has won five Golden Globe Awards.
• She has won an Emmy Award.
• She has been nominated for a Grammy.
• She has twice been nominated for a Motion Picture Academy Award.
• I can also say that I once saw her perform live and in person in Pittsburgh when she played the lead in touring production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".

She will turn 76 later this month, and while her stunning beauty today may be largely attributable to Beverly Hills' finest plastic surgeons, I say, So what?  She looks fabulous after a show biz career now in it's sixth decade and, apparently, still going strong.

All in all, when it comes to Ann-Margret, what's not to like?

As "Annie" in "Going In Style"

With Elvis in "Viva Las Vegas"

Who can forget Ann-Margrock 

in "The Flintstones"?

In her younger days.