WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains’ annual film series will open at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, with the showing of the musical classic “Bye Bye Birdie” at the West Plains Civic Center theater.

This year’s series is celebrating Missouri State-West Plains 50th anniversary by featuring films from 1963, the year the campus was established, organizers said.  Admission is free.

Considered one of the most captivating musical shows of the 1960s, “Bye Bye Birdie” features Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret in one of her first feature roles.  It tells the story of an Elvis Presley-style rock singer who is drafted into the U.S. Army, which causes panic among his legions of female teenage fans as well as songwriter Albert Peterson (Van Dyke), who had written the title song for Birdie’s next movie.

To give him a proper send off, plans are made for him to travel to a small Ohio town to make his “farewell” television performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” singing one of Albert’s songs and to kiss his biggest fan (Ann-Margret).  But when Birdie and his entourage descend on Sweet Apple, Ohio, chaos ensues and laughter begins.

This film, rated G, launched the career of Van Dyke, who was born in West Plains Dec. 13, 1925.  Van Dyke won a Tony Award for this same role during its Broadway run.

Carol Morgan, coordinator of the university’s Interdisciplinary Studies program and a former drama teacher at West Plains High School, will facilitate discussion following the film’s showing.

This is the 14th year for the film series, hosted by the University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department.  Movies will be shown at 6 p.m. every Thursday night in February.

For more information about the annual film series, call the U/CP Department office at 417-255-7966.