Glad I went to page 2 on here this morning to see this post. I don't remember too much of the details but I totally adored this movie. I can remember when it first came out, if my memory is correct (likely but not definite) - I went to see this with my family at Radio City. In those days, big movies were often shown in more major theatres and I think we even got tickets in advance kind of like seeing a show Not sure about that part.

Anyway what a great movie with such terrific music. And I had no recollection at all about the invention. I do remember his mother's squeaky shoes though!

Oh my Elmer what school was that filmed at?

Another fan here. I have the VHS movie (and a player!) and the music DVD too. Love it!

How strange.... I posted this a month ago and it just didn't show up! Stuck in the ether?

I was just commenting on the drug subplot, in 1963, being so funny and innocent, then within just 5 years, drugs were a whole 'nuther story.

But it was fun and fluffy.

A lot of middle/upper-middle class people were taking prescription 'speed' in the early 60s; there was a drug problem, it just wan't recognized as such.

The Stones' "Mother's Little Helper", which I think referred more to tranquilizers like Miltown, was a big hit in 1966, and it wasn't describing a new phenomenon, just pointing out the hypocrisy of parents being upset over their children's drug use.

I have little recollection of the film other than in elementary school we were promised an end of the year movie which was to be some movie we were looking forward to. However there was some problem (maybe they didn't receive one of the reels of the movie) so instead they switched at the last moment and showed "Bye Bye Birdie" and I was deeply and gravely disappointed. Maybe that incident has something to do with my dislike of musicals. :-)

Similarly the musical Oklahoma is not politically correct in the current environment, with an opium induced dream sequence and an unsavory Persian peddler. Oh, but the songs are still wonderful.

But back in the day, there were also those nightmare-inducing so-called children's stories and movies.

The outdoor "school scenes" were filmed at Le Conte Jr High (now called Middle School) in Hollywood, CA. Other movies filmed scenes there too, I think Music Man was one.

LA was movie and TV ground zero in the 50s and 60s. Running into filming crews on any random street or at any random public place was a normal, everyday thing. Angelenos were accustomed to seeing familiar places on TV and in movies even if it wasn't known in advance what locations had been used. It's still the case, a lot of filming still happens at outdoor LA locations, but not at all to the same extent as decades ago.

Similarly the musical Oklahoma is not politically correct in the current environment,

A new production just opened on Broadway, and got a rave in the NYTimes; the dream sequence is apparently very much altered: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/07/theater/oklahoma-review.html

We have a it of a tendency to alter history, too, I've heard ...

... will "fake history" be coming soon?

o j

Huh?

My high school did it back in 1977, I was on the costume sewing committee, and the community theater did it here back about 12 years or more and no the chemist thing/ballet/orchestra is not in it. Often the stage production and movie have differences. I would not say the Oklahoma scene is against PCness. It's pretty true to history. Real life is messy!!

I watched most of the OK dream sequence, and I'm not sure how it is unPC, but I might be missing something. Evidently friendly (non-sexual) affection is now not PC, and I hope this trend reverses itself. Americans are already cold and unfeeling to each other, and I was taught in 1969-1970 (through sensitivity sessions as well as psychotherapy) that physical affection is important. I think Italians today are still more affectionate than Americans and that Americans are still having to deal with the horrors brought in by the Puritans, who wanted religious freedom for themselves but not for anyone else. I would move to Italy if I could. We watched Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice last week-end, which was filmed partly at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. I've also been watching Escape from Polygamy recently, and that is just scary, but all the episodes are very similar, and so I'm not watching it anymore.

The Bye Bye Birdie reference reminds me of the Flubber movies. In 1955, my mother was taking Benzedrine that was prescribed by her doctor for weight loss, even when she was pregnant with my brother Mike.

BTW, I also used to make stage costumes when I lived in San Francisco, for a couple of different (radical) theater groups.

I was 12 when that movie came out. I still think it is a great movie. All the girls wanted to be Ann Margaret and all the boys wants to have her for a girl friend. LOL

My almost 7 year old DGD has always loved tween/teen musicals, past or present. She insisted on having a Teen Beach Party movie theme for her 3rd birthday. I have to introduce this one.

We were watching an old Clint Eastwood movie, I guess from the 70's a while back...it was NOT PC! HAHAHA! Oh goodness, I think they'd be arrested or completely be banned from Hollywood if they did some of the things they did in that movie...it was quite hilarious to think about! We have become a ridiculous bunch of offended fools! UGH!

I did not like Bye-Bye Birdie when I saw it in a theatre as a young teen. I thought it was boring and the plot was silly. I could not wait for it to over. I never watched it again.

I think that was the 1st movie I ever went to.