Bye Bye Birdie : Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
1
2
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
If I did the math correctly Ann-Margaret would have been 22 when she did this movie, I just recently watched this movie & thought she could pass for a 16 y/o.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
yeah that's not a big stretch at all. We see all the time people in their late 20's or early 30's playing high school kids. Look at Grease
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
also lets not forget WEST SIDE STORY
http://www.moola.com:80/moopubs/b2b/exc/join.jsp?sid=4d6a55744d7a45794e544d3d-2
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Yep that's true. Another one of my all time favorite musicals
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Matter of fact back in the days of the double feature (for the younger among you thats two movies on one pgm) One of our locals the STARR had both WSS & BBB
Whats more there were movie houses that would have three and sometime four features at a time, often based on a theme i.e. FOUR Hammer horror flicks.
Now Ben Hur is a four hr film yet they also had a Mr MaGoo Film.
http://www.moola.com:80/moopubs/b2b/exc/join.jsp?sid=4d6a55744d7a45794e544d3d-2
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Agreed. Jennifer Grey was 27 when she played "Baby" in "Dirty Dancing," and Stockard Channing was a long-in-the-tooth 34 (!!!) when she played "teenager" Betty Rizzo in the movie production of "Grease." Show me a bonafide teenager who has the talent, skill and poise to pull off a Broadway-style production number? It ain't happening, folks!
"You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."
"You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
I'm almost 48. Now if I get the stray white hairs colored back to the original brown, got my hair cut just so, concealed all the facial imperfects, I could easily pass as a senior in high school (or at the very least junior college).
Seriously people, I don't think (and no disrespect for those of you who have performed respective roles in high school productions), REAL high school-age students could handle a making a big time musical movie. Oh, I'm sure it has been done, but at what cost?
Seriously people, I don't think (and no disrespect for those of you who have performed respective roles in high school productions), REAL high school-age students could handle a making a big time musical movie. Oh, I'm sure it has been done, but at what cost?
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
You are off a little on your math. The movie was released in the US on April 4, 1963. Ann-Margret turned 22 later that month. http://www.imdb.com/board/10056891/releaseinfo
At any rate, she was quite slim in the movie with not even the hint of a wrinkle on her face. She said she had a 23 inch waist in 1965.
At any rate, she was quite slim in the movie with not even the hint of a wrinkle on her face. She said she had a 23 inch waist in 1965.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
dude just a year later in viva las vegas she looked 25 years old so no she was too old to be a teenager when she was in this movie.
lukejbarnett
lukejbarnett
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
While Ms Margaret did a good job I do feel she was a bit too old to be playing a high school girl.
Trust me. Very few guys who first saw that film when it was new were thinking that she was too old for it!
cinefreak
Trust me. Very few guys who first saw that film when it was new were thinking that she was too old for it!
cinefreak
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
You had a 30-year-old woman playing a 16-year-old girl on the original 90210. Given a 1985 DeLorean with free, unlimited plutonium and no chance of the Libyans or anyone else killing me for it, I'll take the 1963 Ann-Margret over the 1991 Gabrielle Carteris any day. (No offense to Ms. Carteris intended, just my own personal taste.)
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
I'll take the 1963 Ann-Margret over the 1991 Gabrielle Carteris any day. (No offense to Ms. Carteris intended, just my own personal taste.)
You'll get no argument from me!
cinefreak
You'll get no argument from me!
cinefreak
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Just got another fact. Judy Garland was 16 when playing Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz.
Celebrating 70 years over the rainbow!
Celebrating 70 years over the rainbow!Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
but it's about what ann looked like when she was in this movie and she looked a lot older than 18 in this movie.
lukejbarnett
lukejbarnett
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
While Ms Margaret did a good job I do feel she was a bit too old to be playing a high school girl.
Yeah, but guys could lust after Ann-Margaret without feeling guilty about it!
cinefreak
Yeah, but guys could lust after Ann-Margaret without feeling guilty about it!
cinefreak
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
You are either hopelessly confused or hopelessly jealous. It could be both. God chose to smile upon the male population by bringing us Ann-Margret in this movie. First Vivien Leigh and then Ann-Margret. Yes, it is indeed a man's world.
Remember When Movies Didn't Have To Be Politically Correct?
Remember When Movies Didn't Have To Be Politically Correct?
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Just a note, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was supposed to be 14, and Judy Garland had been performing in Vaudeville her whole life.
Dustin Hoffman was 30 and was playing the 21 year old Benjamin Braddock in the Graduate. Oddly enough Anne Bancroft was 35.
Dustin Hoffman was 30 and was playing the 21 year old Benjamin Braddock in the Graduate. Oddly enough Anne Bancroft was 35.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
And the dude that played Birdie was 32, top draft age then was 29.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
So why did they give her the wardrobe of a 9 year old?
Just a note, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was supposed to be 14.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
'Dustin Hoffman was 30 and was playing the 21 year old Benjamin Braddock in the Graduate. Oddly enough Anne Bancroft was 35.'
Anne was 36, but she looked too young for the role, and Dustin looked too old. Their acting made it work somehow
Anne was 36, but she looked too young for the role, and Dustin looked too old. Their acting made it work somehow
Post deleted
This message has been deleted.
Post deleted
This message has been deleted.
Post deleted
This message has been deleted.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
I didn't really think she looked 16 either, but she did a great job!
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
The only time I really thought she was too old was the scene where they do the "Gotta Lot of Livin to do" dance number. She is in that sexy tight pink halter top with capri pants and acting much more slutty than a wholesome girl of 16 in the 60's would act and look. Nowadays a 16yo could be like that but back then no way.
"So, a thought crossed your mind? Must have been a long and lonely journey"
Post deleted
This message has been deleted.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
IA, the direction for that number was way too provocative, it came across like it was going to end up as a gang bang.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
here you go this goes under the heading too hot for a family movie i mean **** her dancing around in that tight tights outfit with her you know you have to say big tit makes her seem like 25 her big tits flying all over the place she is too hot for this movie. exactly which is why she shouldn't have been in this movie also the fact that she doesnt look 18 she looks 24 in this movie.
lukejbarnett
lukejbarnett
Re: Ann Margret a bit old for the part
Reply |
The main reason Ann-Margret looked too old was the rest of the teen cast actually looked like and were dressed like high school teens. The closest Ann-Margret came to looking teenage-ish was the "How Lovely to Be a Woman" number. As another poster said in the "A Lot of Livin' to Do" number she was dressed like a sex kitten and looked early 20's. Bobby Rydell as Hugo didn't help either. He had a baby face and was so small in stature he look much younger than his actual age of 21 next to Ann-Margret.
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then I could keep Dracula & Superman away.
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then I could keep Dracula & Superman away.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
I always think that teenagers from this era always look older. Maybe it's because their hairstyles and clothes are now associated with older people.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Give it a BREAK. She was fine for the part. It was a movie. They call it acting. Did she look appreciably older? NO. Who would you have used in 1963, who had that beauty, talent, and experience? When you get a job as a casting director, come back and let us know.
And, she's exactly one year older than her co-star, Bobby Rydell no one's complaining about him being too old to be playing a high school student
Really. that's why they call the job "acting" and why the people doing that job are called "ACTORS."
Oh and Maureen Stapleton? Was exactly the same age as Dick Van Dyke and she was PLAYING his mother. Too young to be doing so? you decide.
Again: ACTing.
And, she's exactly one year older than her co-star, Bobby Rydell no one's complaining about him being too old to be playing a high school student
Really. that's why they call the job "acting" and why the people doing that job are called "ACTORS."
Oh and Maureen Stapleton? Was exactly the same age as Dick Van Dyke and she was PLAYING his mother. Too young to be doing so? you decide.
Again: ACTing.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Acting? Why not cast her as Birdie then? I would have like to see her in that outfit
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
really struck a nerve with ya huh?!
suzycreamcheese RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008
suzycreamcheese RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
I agree!!! I like Maureen Stapleton, but I always wondered why they cast her as Dick Van Dyke's mother in this movie. I know they aged her with makeup and gray hair and all, but even at that she didn't look old enough to be Dick Van Dyke's mother, unless she was one of those gals who had her first baby at 13 years oldLOL.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Actually she wasn't too old They usually cast folks in their late teens and early 20s to play teens in movies I think this is because they don't want anyone whose going through that awkward teen phase Have you seen some of Hollywood's finest's HS pics? They always look a hot mess
I ACTUALLY think the problem here is that they hired Ann-Margret to play with ACTUAL teens who were going through their awkward stages Like her close friend Ursula They should have hired folks in their early 20s also to play with her so she didn't stand out as "old" Her boyfriend in the movie was like a year younger than her in real life and I thought they "matched"
You people are the disease, but I've got the cure. ~Morgan on "Chuck"
I ACTUALLY think the problem here is that they hired Ann-Margret to play with ACTUAL teens who were going through their awkward stages Like her close friend Ursula They should have hired folks in their early 20s also to play with her so she didn't stand out as "old" Her boyfriend in the movie was like a year younger than her in real life and I thought they "matched"
You people are the disease, but I've got the cure. ~Morgan on "Chuck"
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Wow, that's an amazingly weird assessment.
There's not line, wrinkle or anything on her to indicate she's older than a teen.
There's not line, wrinkle or anything on her to indicate she's older than a teen.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
How about Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate? He was 30.
I don't feel we need to demand a hyper-reality, where every actor need to be exactly what the character should be. Otherwise we could complain about an Italian-American playing a Jew, or whatever.
She was wonderful in the film, one of my earliest movie crushes.
People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars
I don't feel we need to demand a hyper-reality, where every actor need to be exactly what the character should be. Otherwise we could complain about an Italian-American playing a Jew, or whatever.
She was wonderful in the film, one of my earliest movie crushes.
People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
It's one of the many Hollywood standards to cast young adults as teens. It enables them to work longer hours and perform more adult scenes. It's actually gotten to the point where when they do cast someone who is the correct age, audiences view them as too young.
Another common thing is to cast a teen character with an actor who is considerably shorter than the one playing their parent, even if the character is 17 or 18 and should be much closer in height to their same gender parent.
Another common thing is to cast a teen character with an actor who is considerably shorter than the one playing their parent, even if the character is 17 or 18 and should be much closer in height to their same gender parent.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
crood,
You hit the nail on the head. Far more important than whether the actors look young enough to actually be that age is the studio avoiding long shut-downs caused by child labor laws. Underage actors can work for maybe 4 hours, movie productions film 12 hours a day and longerit would cost horrifically high amounts to shut-down while actors are tutored. Makes no sense. Throwing away $$ that can be better spent on big name salaries or better sets, costumes, director, etc.
You hit the nail on the head. Far more important than whether the actors look young enough to actually be that age is the studio avoiding long shut-downs caused by child labor laws. Underage actors can work for maybe 4 hours, movie productions film 12 hours a day and longerit would cost horrifically high amounts to shut-down while actors are tutored. Makes no sense. Throwing away $$ that can be better spent on big name salaries or better sets, costumes, director, etc.
Yup, she was great in it.
Reply |
I agree with you, lubin-freddy. 
She was great in the part, just like Henry Winkler was great as Fonzie. (He was also about 30 when he started on Happy Days.)
Have you seen her in the Grumpy Old Men series? She was super in those two movies. Very talented lady!
~~
Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
She was great in the part, just like Henry Winkler was great as Fonzie. (He was also about 30 when he started on Happy Days.)
Have you seen her in the Grumpy Old Men series? She was super in those two movies.
Very talented lady!~~
Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
In that case, Henry Winkler was too old to be playing Fonzie, but he did it anyway.
It's common for high school students to be played by older actors. At least, it was common up until a few years ago.
~~
Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
It's common for high school students to be played by older actors. At least, it was common up until a few years ago.
~~
Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
She was 22. She looked just fine. She ACTED, sang and danced like she was a well-worn 30.
In any case, she was sizzling hot here, and it seemed she was ready to inherit the late Miss Monroe's sex-symbol mantle. But too many movies in too short a period of time, too many bad movies, killed her movie career before it really had a chance. When she finally came back in "Carnal Knowledge" (with an Oscar nod) she and her "people" smartly knew to keep in in Vegas, on TV, and in interesting supporting roles. That career planning kept her active for a long time. (I think she doesn't care so much anymore, but I still see an Oscar in her futureshe'll show up for 15 sensational minutes in a great movie. Like Judi Dench in "Shakespeare In Love.")
In any case, she was sizzling hot here, and it seemed she was ready to inherit the late Miss Monroe's sex-symbol mantle. But too many movies in too short a period of time, too many bad movies, killed her movie career before it really had a chance. When she finally came back in "Carnal Knowledge" (with an Oscar nod) she and her "people" smartly knew to keep in in Vegas, on TV, and in interesting supporting roles. That career planning kept her active for a long time. (I think she doesn't care so much anymore, but I still see an Oscar in her futureshe'll show up for 15 sensational minutes in a great movie. Like Judi Dench in "Shakespeare In Love.")
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
A good deal of that was the same reason for the changes in the story. They were looking to make her the next big female star. They staged it so she'd be sexy and seem older because it was less about this film than launching her career as a starlet.
They didn't want her to act a teenager.
They didn't want her to act a teenager.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Also, if she were really 16, it would be far too creepy to have a lecherous older man kissing her until she faints (it was bad enough it happened to her 16-year-old character). Not to mention that they specifically had her behave in a seductive/sexual manner, which, again, would present a big creepiness issue when all the adult males watching find themselves lusting over a young girl and being encouraged to do so. It's inappropriate to sexualize someone who's under 18, and was even more so in 1963.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Norway, good points. For example, Patty Duke who actually was 16 at the time certainly could have played the part but it might have seemed creepy.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Girls mature faster than boys.
No kidding. There were girls in my high school who looked older than Ann Margaret in BBB.
Re: Ann Margaret a bit old for the part
Reply |
Mickey Rooney played Huckleberry Finn when he was 19.Huck was supposed to be 13 or 14.
In a skit on "That's Entertainment" Mad Magazine had a cartoon picture of a group of actors & actresses at a banquet. It had Mickey Rooney saying "Here I am, 30 years old & I am still getting a child's portion!"
In a skit on "That's Entertainment" Mad Magazine had a cartoon picture of a group of actors & actresses at a banquet. It had Mickey Rooney saying "Here I am, 30 years old & I am still getting a child's portion!"
1
2
▲ Top
Ann Margaret a bit old for the part