Bye Bye Birdie is a 1963 American musical romantic comedy film directed by George Sidney from a screenplay by Irving Brecher, based on Michael Stewart's book of the 1960 musical of the same name. It also features songs by composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams and a score by Johnny Green. Produced by Fred Kohlmar, the film stars Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Maureen Stapleton, Paul Lynde, Bobby Rydell, Jesse Pearson and Ed Sullivan. Van Dyke and Lynde reprised their roles from the original Broadway production.
The story was inspired by Elvis Presley's enlistment into the U.S. Army in 1958. Pearson plays the role of teen idol Conrad Birdie, a name that is a based on that of country singer Conway Twitty.
The film is Van Dyke's feature-film debut and helped make Ann-Margret a superstar during the mid-1960s. Her performance earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress and her next role was with Presley in Viva Las Vegas.
In 2006, the film was ranked number 38 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.
Popular rock and roll superstar Conrad Birdie receives an Army draft notice, devastating his teenage fans nationwide. Despite his doctorate in biochemistry, unsuccessful songwriter Albert Peterson schemes with his secretary and long-suffering girlfriend Rosie DeLeon to have Conrad sing a song that Albert will write. Rosie convinces Ed Sullivan to have Conrad perform Albert's song "One Last Kiss" on The Ed Sullivan Show and then kiss a randomly chosen high-school girl goodbye before joining the Army. After this succeeds, Albert will feel free to marry Rosie, despite his widowed, meddlesome mother Mae's long history of interfering with his life.
The town of Sweet Apple, Ohio is chosen as the location for Conrad's farewell performance. The random lucky girl chosen, Kim MacAfee, is thrilled, but her high-school sweetheart Hugo Peabody is jealous. Over the telephone, the teenagers of the town discuss the latest gossip: Kim and Hugo have just gotten pinned.
Upon Conrad's arrival, the teenage girls sing their anthem, "We Love You Conrad", while the boys reply with a song of hate. Sweet Apple becomes very popular, but some townspeople are unhappy with the sudden celebrity, especially after Conrad's song "Honestly Sincere" and his hip-thrusting moves cause every woman, including the mayor's wife, to faint. Pressured by the town's leading citizens, Kim's father Harry declines to allow her to kiss Conrad on television, but Albert placates him by promising that he can appear on Sullivan's show. Albert reveals to Harry that he is actually a biochemist who has developed a miracle supplement that can revolutionize farming,
Hugo feels threatened by Conrad, but Kim reassures him that she only loves him. Rosie feels unappreciated by Albert, and his mother Mae appears, distressed to find him with Rosie. Harry is also agitated about Conrad's monopoly of his house and Kim's behavioral changes. During a rehearsal for the broadcast, Conrad kisses Kim, who swoons. Hugo is hurt and Kim dumps him.
After being informed that a Russian ballet troupe has switched to a different dance requiring extra time, therefore eliminating Conrad's song and farewell kiss to Kim, Albert unsuccessfully attempts to convince the ballet's manager to shorten its performance. Albert dejectedly drowns his sorrows at a bar, where he finds Mae playing canasta with the owner Mr. Maude, also a widower. Rosie, exasperated with Albert and his mother, goes to a room where a Shriners convention is taking place. She starts dancing and flirting with the men, but when the scene becomes too wild, Albert rescues her from the crazed Shriners.
The next day, Rosie devises a plan to reinstate Conrad's spot on The Ed Sullivan Show that evening. She slips one of Albert's miracle pills into the orchestra conductor's milk, which speeds the ballet, amusing the audience, offending the Russians and placing Conrad back on the show to sing "One Last Kiss". However, just as Conrad is about to kiss Kim, Hugo runs onto the stage and punches Conrad, shocking Albert and Rosie.
Kim and Hugo reunite. Albert is free to marry Rosie and his mother reveals her own marriage to Mr. Maude.
Two CBS personalities have cameo roles as themselves: newsman and game-show host John Daly and The Ed Sullivan Show orchestra leader Ray Bloch.
"The Telephone Hour" – Ursula and Sweet Apple Kids
"How Lovely to Be a Woman" – Kim
"We Love/Hate You Conrad" - Kim, Ursula, Hugo and Sweet Apple Kids
"Hymn for a Sunday Evening" – Harry, Doris, Kim and Randolph
"One Boy" – Kim, Hugo and Rosie
"Put on a Happy Face" – Albert and Rosie