Bye Bye Birdie, 1963

1. Director: George Sydney

Choreography: Onna White

Stars: Ann-Margaret, Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Paul Lynde

Songwriter Albert Peterson (Van Dyke) and his fiancee Rosie (Leigh) must figure out a way to get famous teen sensation singer Conrad Birdie to sing a song written by Albert before he leaves for the Army. This will finally make Albert a success when his song becomes famous as the last song Conrad Birdie sang before he go drafted.

Rosie decides to choose a member of the Conrad Birdie fan club and give her the opportunity to kiss Conrad Birdie goodbye after his last performance. Kim McAfee (Ann-Margaret) is the lucky fan chosen, and everybody travels to her hometown for the big performance.

I can't believe it took me until this year to finally see this musical. I LOVE IT! For one thing, there's a "Rosie" in it, which is awesome! And also, everything else about it is just delightful. Ridiculous- yes. But very enjoyable.

And the outfits! I love the clothes, especially Janet Leigh's! I was inspired. I wish those dresses could come back in style.

The Glass Bottom Boat, 1966

Director: Frank Tashlin

Stars: Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Dom DeLuise, Paul Lynde

Okay, this film had almost nothing to do with glass-bottom boats! It was more about the space program. Bruce (an extremely dreamy Rod Taylor--- um, WOW!) develops a formula for a gravity-simulating machine, and everybody is out to get it!

Bruce meets Jenny (Day) one day when she's playing a mermaid for her father's glass-bottom boat tour business. He's intrigued, to say the least, and is completely shocked to find she works in his office! He does his homework, fidns that she has writing experience, and hires her to write his biography. Of course, this assignment means they must spend a lot of time together, and they fall for each other, of course!

But there's trouble in paradise when the CIA suspects Jenny of being the spy who's out to steal the formula. Jenny finds out about this mix-up, and, furious, she decides to have a little fun at their expense.

This is a cute enough movie, I just don't like comedies that are just TOO ridiculous. Jenny is so clumsy. And anyway, it's a comedy, and I seriously have to remember that things are supposed to go wrong in comedies.

NOTE: Paul Lynde is the guy who played Uncle Arthur in Bewitched! And he was also the voice of Templeton in Charlotte's Web. I still can't hear his voice without thinking of a rat dreaming and singing about a "smorgasbord"! Love him!