@@anthonycastaldi4745 I absolutely love this! Jesse Pearson put this over perfectly. His facial expressions, his dancing, and the way he said "sincere-ah" were hilarious! Of course, the mayor had to keep his wife's knees together when she fainted, and that made the scene even funnier! Jesse Pearson really faded into obscurity after this spot on take of Elvis, and I could never understand why. He was since-a-ly brilliant in the role of Conrad Birdy!
i really love how the mayor's wife always faints with her legs open. it's a minor detail, but totally relates to how birdie (elvis) affected women of this time.
Many thanks to Family Guy for introducing me to this film, The Music Man and Sound of Music. They have a habit of referencing some cool if obscure stuff.
Ricky Spanish that's cool that Family Guy introduced you to older classics, but I wouldn't call any of those titles obscure. You're right that they reference older movies regularly though, especially The Sound of Music. In fact, I made a list once of all the SoM references because I kept noticing them, and there were like eight. Seth MacFarlane must love musicals!
good memories. Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Tx. Class of '78 Spring Musical. I was "Rosie". RIP Richard Martinez who played Conrad. -jaimecole
That guitar should be in the SMITHSONIAN!! i wonder who's playing that killer bass line, probably someone from the Wrecking Crew studio band in hollywood.
+roughtake Kenny Burrell is on the red fender bass behind Jesse Pearson when the bassline begins, but I don't know if he played the bass in the actual song. Wrecking Crew guys Howard Roberts and Tommy Tedesco were on guitars in the movie soundtrack.
I remember back in 6th grade we did this musical. I played the Mayor's wife (the old woman who faints). During one rehearsal the dude playing the mayor didn't realize we started and he didn't catch me.
Got see this in my Jr high school play acting theater in 1978. One greatest hit song. Awesome film movie. Have this film movie. Back my jr high school have Booklet. Back then. In IA. Do have film movie. So sad he past away. One Greatest Song. Do have soundtrack album
This is one of the best parts of this movie. I understand there were two Fender Jaguar guitars made for the movie. Jesse Pearson died of cancer in December, 1979.
@ 35 m in the movie,"URSULA" is seen strumming this guitar! Her mother asks, 'URSULA!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT GUITAR??"" I gotta have that segment....Meanwhile,this song is so bad it's GOOD....as well as "One Last Kiss"....
Thanks TbirdsOf1965 for posting the best scene in the film and for adding the excellent audio track. This was a highlight of my youth, fun to re-live it.
I've always LOVED Birdie's BEAUTIFUL Guitar, sounds great and the "C O L O R S" black and "G O L D" ! If there were any Guitars like those, after the Movie, I'd think they would SELL OUT (with Birdie's name) !
@@TbirdsOf1965 When Elvis did his 1968 Comeback Special; the sit down part in a black leather out fit; "I thought that guitar (SORRY) sounded like the Conrad Birdie Guitar from Bye, Bye Birdie" :) I liked the RIFF Elvis kept playing and playing on that guitar :) I checked the internet and the 68 Comeback Special guitar was a Flaming Red 1968 Hagstrom Viking II; was Auctioned Off; March 2021; by Kruse GWS Auctions. I SURE LIKE THE SOUND OF THOSE GUITARS. (joking here) Now! "IF"? That Flaming Red 68 Hagstrom Viking II was the COLORS; GOLD and BLACK, Birdie's Guitar. . .Would Ann-Margret's Fans and Elvis' Fans have went WILD and bought those guitars? ? ? :) :) :)
@@crystalhanson1483 Well, those two guitars were just regular production guitars available at the time - the sit down one was a 1963 Gibson Super 400 CES that Scotty Moore bought new in Oct. 1963 for $472. They sell for well over $10,000 today used. The Red 68 Hagstrom Viking II was actually owned by Al Casey who was in the backing band that day of the special. Its worth about $1300 today. Both are hollow body guitars. The one Birdie uses in the film was a solid body custom Fender Jaguar, made specifically for the movie. They only made 2 of 'em for the movie. Its not even the guitar being played in the song, as its studio musicians actually played the song, with Jesse Pearson singing. One is owned by the Hard Rock Cafe, today. :)
I noticed a little detail - Kim's Conrad Birdie pin is on her right, whilst her steady pin from Hugo is on her left. That means that Kim has a fan girl crush on Conrad ( like many girls in Sweet Apple ), yet she actually truly loves Hugo. Her being torn between her fan girl crush on Conrad and her love for Hugo is a central theme for her arc in Bye Bye Birdie. In the end, after many melodramas and of course after Hugo infamously punched Conrad ON LIVE TV NEAR THE END - Kim got rid of her Conrad badge and chooses to stay devoted to Hugo, leaving her fan girl days behind her 🤯🤯🥺🌌🤯🤯🤯🤯🌌
I mean I really love this movie and Jesse Pearson and Ann Margret even though it was made in 1963 and I was born in 2000 I really love this its a good movie
Love this movie, I grew up watching this. They actually wanted Elvis to play the part of Conrad Birdie, But Colonel Parker refused to let him. So Jesse Pearson who was already doing the part on Broadway got the movie role, Sadly Jesse Pearson passed away from cancer in 1975.
It's Dick Gautier in the original Broadway recording on CBS Records. He was absolutely great, he originated the part and got a Tony nomination for it in 1960. Hilariously fantastic also as Hymie the Robot on Get Smart
I wonder where the Guitar is now. I am a guitar teacher and have always wondered what they did with the guitars. Most likely in some prop room. Jesse Pearson is playing Conrad Birdie. He died at 49 of cancer
I loved this movie. Though Im happy Birdie wasnt exactly like Elvis, for instance the incident Elvis had with a stuffed animal. I wouldve never guessed Elvis was a furry
This reminds me of the line in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" song "The Time Warp" when they sing "the pelvic thrusts really drives you insane"! You can tell that the censorship in the early 60s when this movie was made, that the closeups of Conrad doing his "pelvic thrusts" went into a short zoom to hide it from view. Imagine the closeup of Conrad's bulge thrusting across the wide theater screen! SHOCKING!
Wow, I just did tech for this show... and I have to say that the guy in our show sang this song MUCH better than they did in the movie... (maybe because he sounded just like Elvis XD)
