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"Bye Bye Birdie" Blu-ray ....Put on a Happy Face (1 Viewer)

GMpasqua

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Just a wild rumor,


Last year the Motion Picture Acadmey screened a new digital print of the Columbia Pitures (SONY) film musical "Tommy" (May 15?) ...................starring Ann-Margret.

The blu-ray was announced the week before and arrived in Sept 2010


This year the Motion Picture Acadmey screening a new digital print of the Columbia Pictures (SONY) film musical "Bye Bye Birdie" (April 27) ........starring Ann-Margret.

Can a blu ray announcement be far behind?????


I for one am looking forward to a Sept release...we shall see.....



4 track stereo/Digital print
 

Matt Hough

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Not my favorite screen musical by a long shot (the stage version is far superior), but at this point I'll gladly take anything any of the studios want to release in the musical genre.
 

ahollis

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I'm game for this. This is one of my guilty pleasures, which I think I have too many. Come on Sony, let's do it.
 

MatthewA

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They've done a digital restoration. I assume they will be doing something with it. And I can't wait to see the results.
 

Charles Smith

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A guilty pleasure here, too, although I don't know why we feel the need for guilt. I find it an entertaining, colorful, and satisfying musical. And what a cast. Okay, even with Janet Leigh playing the very Hispanic Rosie (following immediately in Natalie Wood's footsteps!). Granted, I never knew the stage version before seeing it on film (in my tender teen years, the perfect time for it to have been released), so this is what I got used to first. But I've also enjoyed it subsequently on stage, and have no problems going from one to the other.


If I recall correctly, great soundtrack on the Pioneer laserdisc, too.
 

Ronald Epstein

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My sources are telling me that this title is currently not

in the Blu-ray pipeline from Sony.


Edit: A letter writing campaign to Sony could very well

result in this title being put towards release consideration.
 

GMpasqua

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Well the print was spectacular last night. Apparently the screening sold out in less than 3 hours the morning it was announced. Ann-Margret was there (looking great by the way) as was Bobby Rydell and from SONY Grover Crisp. The sound was the best I've ever heard and the film was a digital print without a spec of dirt or dust and the color really popped


All this looks like a blu-ray is coming but there was no mention of it. Some screen tests were show and there was mention that maybe they would be inculded on a future DVD release. Never got to speak to Mr Crisp but there was spectualtion a blu-ray would becoming from people in attendance. Guess we will have to wait and see, since SONY has not announced anything coming
 

Garysb

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Originally Posted by Chas in CT

A guilty pleasure here, too, although I don't know why we feel the need for guilt. I find it an entertaining, colorful, and satisfying musical. And what a cast. Okay, even with Janet Leigh playing the very Hispanic Rosie (following immediately in Natalie Wood's footsteps!). Granted, I never knew the stage version before seeing it on film (in my tender teen years, the perfect time for it to have been released), so this is what I got used to first. But I've also enjoyed it subsequently on stage, and have no problems going from one to the other.


If I recall correctly, great soundtrack on the Pioneer laserdisc, too.

Though Rosie was Hispanic in the stage version and in the TV remake with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams, in the movie she was not. They removed any racist references made by Albert's mother, Mae in regards to Rosie. The movie was actually quite different from the stage version.
 

Ethan Riley

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Originally Posted by Garysb

Though Rosie was Hispanic in the stage version and in the TV remake with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams, in the movie she was not. They removed any racist references made by Albert's mother, Mae in regards to Rosie. The movie was actually quite different from the stage version.


It's different in the details, not the general flow of the storyline. The major changes:


1.) Rosie was actually racially ambiguous in the film. I always thought Janet wore the black wig because she was supposed to be Latina, but they don't really bring it up. Too bad Chita didn't do the film, if for no more reason than they would have shot "Spanish Rose," probably my favorite solo from the play.


2.) Hugo has way more to do in the movie. That's simply because they had cute lil' Bobby Rydell in there. I guess he was the Zac Efron of his day or something; otherwise I swear I've never even heard of him! In the play, Hugo has absolutely no singing to do whatsoever. He doesn't form one-half of "One Boy," and he certainly doesn't participate in "Lot of Livin' to do." If you ask me, I think the character is a lot stronger when he's a singing participant. In the play, Hugo is reduced to a series of short walk-on parts; he just enters the scene, says something stupid and then walks off. It's no wonder that Hugo didn't sing in the play; awkward Michael J. Pollard played the part originally. Hugo's character is much more well-rounded in the movie.


3.) Kim is way sexier in the movie, I suppose owing to Ann-Margret's status as the goddess of her day. There's no way the Broadway Kim could pull off all that pulchritude...


4.) The "Ice House" is a soda shop in the movie, while it's literally an abandoned ice house in the play.


5.) "Put on a Happy Face" is sung by Albert to a teen girl in the train station; in the movie it's a duet with Rosie. I think it's stronger and much more personal in the movie, and adds to the relationship between Albert and Rosie.


6.) The boys' parody of "We Love You Conrad" is original to the movie. Would have been mighty funny in the play...


7.) Only "The Telephone Hour," "How Lovely to be a Woman," "Sincere," "Hymn for a Sunday Evening," and the "Shriner's Ballet" play out onscreen more or less the way they do in the play. The other numbers were greatly retooled. Arguably, "The Telephone Hour" was increased in scope, but the others are pretty much what you see in the play.


8.) "One Last Kiss" and the Ed Sullivan show scene were originally the end of Act One. I believe it was used as the ending of the movie to add suspense and have something major to build up to. Additionally, need I add that the kid is not running a meth lab in the McAfee living room in the play, nor is there any mention of the Russian ballet or Albert being a chemist. These were needless additions for the movie, and they slow down the pace and get too far away from the lead characters. But the ballet is kinda funny...


9.) Five major numbers were cut for the movie, adding only the title song.


And after all this, the film still feels like a pretty good adaptation of the play! Some of the changes were, IMO, improvements, some changes were not. It's one of the movie musicals where--if you could somehow marry the film with the play, you'd meet somewhere in the middle and really have something special. The play itself has some shortcomings and irritating moments; some of those were changed for the movie. And the movie is certainly obnoxious in parts (ugh--the human eye behind that turtle shell, and the dumb animation during "Happy Face") but it also streamlines some of the action and makes better use of the principals. The 90s tv version tried to get closer to the play, but also added a bunch of crummy musicals numbers in order to serve its all-star cast. In doing so, it got too far away from the story and proper moods of the play version. I don't know...somewhere in all this mess there's a really big show to be seen (with apologies to Ed Sullivan).
 

JohnMor

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Not a great stage musical, but the film really was abysmal. Ann-Margret being one of its two bright spots, along with the bigger arrangement of "The Telephone Hour." At least Dick Van Dyke had the good taste and sense to make his friends and co-workers swear they would never go see the film. But I certainly hope a spectacular blu-ray is on the way for its fans. And some other great Sony catalogue films to boot.
 

Robert Harris

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Originally Posted by JohnMor

Not a great stage musical, but the film really was abysmal. Ann-Margret being one of its two bright spots, along with the bigger arrangement of "The Telephone Hour." At least Dick Van Dyke had the good taste and sense to make his friends and co-workers swear they would never go see the film. But I certainly hope a spectacular blu-ray is on the way for its fans. And some other great Sony catalogue films to boot.


BBB was a fun stage musical, with some terrific music and fine performances. To see telephone hour performed on stage is something that one does not easily forget.

To attempt to equate it with the best of classic R & H or L & L would be an error.


RAH
 

JohnMor

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Originally Posted by Robert Harris





BBB was a fun stage musical, with some terrific music and fine performances. To see telephone hour performed on stage is something that one does not easily forget.

To attempt to equate it with the best of classic R & H or L & L would be an error.


RAH


I've seen a national touring company production, and it was very enjoyable. It's a pefectly serviceable, workman-like show (like Annie and many, many others) which is nothing to be ashamed of, or to sneeze at. The theater has more of them than the cream of R&H and L&L or Sondheim. But I think they missed the mark with the theatrical film version.
 

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