The Top Things You Never Knew About Bye Bye Birdie

Bye Bye Birdie was a huge smash success, both on film and on Broadway. The 1963 musical is a lifelong classic and is one of Broadway’s fan favorites, launching the careers of many actors, including actress Ann Margret, much to the dismay of the rest of the cast. Read on to find out why much of the cast hated her!

A Film About Elvis Bore His Female Counterpart

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The lead character of Bye Bye Birdie was inspired by Elvis, whose being drafted into the United States Army inspired the story. But because they didn’t want to insult the musician by directly naming their lead character after him, they went in another direction. Bye Bye Birdie’s lead character was thusly named Conrad Birdie, which was a play on the name Conway Twitty, a pop singer from the days of yore. The breakout star from Bye Bye Birdie coincidentally would become known as a “female Elvis” herself. Actress Ann-Margret, who played Kim McAfee, would later in her career record duets with the King himself for the film Viva Las Vegas.

Ann-Margret Was The Real Star Of The Show

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Ann-Margret made small film appearances in Pocketful of Miracles and State Fair, for which she played the “bad girl” role of Emily Porter since the studio executives thought she was too seductive to play the “good girl” role she had originally tried out. But Ann-Margret’s career breakthrough certainly came with her portrayal of Kim McAfee in Bye Bye Birdie. The role shot her into stardom as she was featured on the cover of Life twice and was even asked to sing “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home” for President John F. Kennedy. By this time, Ann-Margret already had a recording contract with RCA.