Bye, Bye Birdie (1963)

Plot: Based on the Broadway play,  "Birdie" (an Elvis-like Rock & Roller) is about to be drafted into the Army - to the dismay of Ann Margret.
Pros: Ann Margret (who definitely has "it"), some good songs, Paul Lynde, Dick Van Dyke**.
Cons: Overlong and mediocre script, sluggish, unimaginative direction, Various subplots that belonged in a sitcom.  Uneven score with too many mediocre songs.
Best Songs: Bye Bye Birdie, Kids, Put on a Happy Face

 An almost plot-less movie or rather a movie with so many subplots the main theme, satirizing Elvis and the Rock and Roll "fad" -gets lost. Most of this movie was dull, unfocused, and difficult to watch.  The story is simply awful.  And why Janet Leigh wears a black wig, and Dick Van Dyke's Mom is Jewish (without being Jewish) is anyone's guess. Too bad, because the cast is excellent.

Summary:  Except for a few songs and Ann Margret - completely forgettable.

** = Amazingly, Dick Van Dyke was going to be fired from Bye, Bye Birdie (the Play) during the out-of-town tuneup .  However, Gower Champion demanded he be kept, and the rest, they say, is history.