Bye Bye Birdie (1963): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Bye Bye Birdie is a 1963 music comedy directed by George Sidney, starring Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie, Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh. It runs 1 hour 52 minutes and earned $94 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 52m (112 min)
- Director
- George Sidney
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Kohlmar-Sidney Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Bye Bye Birdie About?
The premise of Bye Bye Birdie without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The Most WONDERFUL Entertainment EVER! EVER! A singer goes to a small town for a performance before he is drafted.
Bye Bye Birdie Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- picture in a newspaper
- newspaper headline
- sheet music
- protest
- on the scene reporter
- extreme close up
- close up of mouth
- camera shot of a man's hips
- pigeon on a window ledge
- framed diploma
- cameo appearance
- publicity stunt
+38 more Show fewer
- birds on a high line wire
- woodpecker
- bare chested male
- riding a motorcycle down stairs
- hanging out a window
- camera shot of feet
- pipe smoking
- placard
- close up of eyes
- reciting a pledge of allegiance
- key to the city
- electric guitar
- pet turtle
- streamer
- confetti
- model rocket
- chemistry set
- making a promise you can't keep
- electric oven
- hair dyed blonde
- bitten by a dog
- reference to barry goldwater
- reference to vladimir lenin
- nightclub
- gavel
- cigar smoking
- club meeting
- stepped on
- looking through a keyhole
- photograph of nikita khruschev
- drinking a glass of milk
- close up of ear
- reference to pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky
- dollar bill
- playing harp
- soviet flag
- photograph of john f kennedy
- the white house washington d.c.
Bye Bye Birdie Cast & Characters
Jesse Pearson leads the cast as Conrad Birdie, with Dick Van Dyke as Albert F. Peterson and Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon. Directed by George Sidney; 35 actors are credited in all.
- Director George Sidney
- Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie
-
Dick Van Dyke as Albert F. Peterson -
Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon - Ed Sullivan as themselves
Also Starring in Bye Bye Birdie
· 31 more- Maureen Stapleton Mama Mae Peterson
- Ann-Margret Kim McAfee
- Bobby Rydell Hugo Peabody
- Yvonne White Telephone Operator
- Mary LaRoche Doris McAfee
- Paul Lynde Harry McAfee
- Bryan Russell Randolph McAfee
- Milton Frome Mr. Maude
- Donald Lawton Russian Consul
- Jerry Orbach Bob (Ed Sullivan Show Producer) (uncredited)
- Harold Miller Production Crew Member (uncredited)
- Cosmo Sardo Production Crew Member (uncredited)
- Frank Sully Bartender
- Frank Albertson Mayor
- Robert Paige Bob Precht
- Michael Evans Claude Paisley
Show all 35 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Gil Lamb Lanky Shriner
- Lee Aaker Student Leader
- Ben Astar Ballet Manager
- Michael Smith Teenager (uncredited)
- Gregory Morton Maestro Borov
- Richard Adams Assistant Director (uncredited)
- Evelyn Rudie Teenager (uncredited)
- Lynn Fields Teenager (uncredited)
- Trudi Ames Ursula
- Bo Peep Karlin Ursula's Mother
- Melinda Marx Teenager
- Beverly Yates Mayor's Wife
- Mell Turner Shriner
- Karel Shimoff Prima Ballerina
- Sherry Granato Nancy (uncredited)
More from George Sidney
More films directed by George Sidney, best-rated first: The Harvey Girls, Viva Las Vegas, Anchors Aweigh and Annie Get Your Gun (re-release).
Bye Bye Birdie Plot Summary
What happens in Bye Bye Birdie from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Conrad Birdie, Jesse Pearson, a popular rock and roll superstar, receives an Army draft notice in 1962, shocking his teenage fans across the country. Despite his doctorate in biochemistry, Albert F. Peterson, Dick Van Dyke, a down-on-his-luck songwriter, teams up with his secretary and long-suffering girlfriend Rosie DeLeon, Janet Leigh, to stage a plan that could change their lives. They aim to have Conrad perform a song Albert writes, One Last Kiss, on The Ed Sullivan Show and then kiss a randomly chosen high school girl goodbye before joining the Army. The whole scheme is meant to set Albert free to marry Rosie, while his widowed, meddlesome mother Mama Mae Peterson, Maureen Stapleton, keeps a watchful eye on the family’s dynamics.
Full summary
The whole story of Bye Bye Birdie, scene by scene
Bye Bye Birdie Box Office
Bye Bye Birdie grossed $94 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$94
Bye Bye Birdie Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Joe Dante on BYE BYE BIRDIE
How Well Do You Know Bye Bye Birdie?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which character is a rock‑and‑roll star drafted into the Army?
Cars in Bye Bye Birdie
8 cars on screen, including the 1957 Chevrolet 3100 and the 1962 Ford Country Squire.
-
1957 Chevrolet 3100 Minor role -
1962 Ford Country Squire Minor role -
1962 Norton Atlas Minor role -
1962 Norton Atlas Minor role
Bye Bye Birdie Also Known As
9 alternative titles, including “再见伯迪” and “Adeus”.
- Also known as
-
- 再见伯迪
- Adeus
- Amor
- Ciao ciao Birdie
- Un beso para Birdie
- 欢乐今宵
- Adiós, ídolo mío
- Пока, пташка
- 바이 바이 버디
Seen Bye Bye Birdie?
Movies Like Bye Bye Birdie
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Bye Bye Birdie, Bye Bye Blackbird and Something to Sing About.
Bye Bye Birdie FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Bye Bye Birdie, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Bye Bye Birdie?
Bye Bye Birdie runs 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes).
When was Bye Bye Birdie released?
Bye Bye Birdie was released on April 4, 1963.
Who directed Bye Bye Birdie?
Bye Bye Birdie was directed by George Sidney.
More films by George Sidney Who is in the cast of Bye Bye Birdie?
Bye Bye Birdie stars Jesse Pearson as Conrad Birdie, Dick Van Dyke as Albert F. Peterson and Janet Leigh as Rosie DeLeon, among 35 credited actors.
How much did Bye Bye Birdie make at the box office?
Bye Bye Birdie grossed $94 worldwide.
Does Bye Bye Birdie have a post-credit scene?
No. Bye Bye Birdie has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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