The Beatles‘ A Hard Day’s Night came out the same year as an iconic Elvis Presley movie. Elvis’ vehicle was the bigger hit. Subsequently, Paul McCartney revealed what he thought about A Hard Day’s Night.
The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ didn’t end Elvis Presley’s time in the limelight
The 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night has a lot to offer: decent comedy, interesting locations, and some of the best pop songs ever written. Elvis’ Viva Las Vegas has a lot of the same things. Apparently, the latter connected more with audiences at the time.
The 2019 book The Mighty Elvis: A Graphic Biography reports Viva Las Vegas outranked A Hard Day’s Night at the box office. The usual narrative surrounding Elvis’ career is that it went downhill once The Beatles broke through in the United States. Viva Las Vegas proves he was still relevant after the Fab Four made...
The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ didn’t end Elvis Presley’s time in the limelight
The 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night has a lot to offer: decent comedy, interesting locations, and some of the best pop songs ever written. Elvis’ Viva Las Vegas has a lot of the same things. Apparently, the latter connected more with audiences at the time.
The 2019 book The Mighty Elvis: A Graphic Biography reports Viva Las Vegas outranked A Hard Day’s Night at the box office. The usual narrative surrounding Elvis’ career is that it went downhill once The Beatles broke through in the United States. Viva Las Vegas proves he was still relevant after the Fab Four made...
- 8/12/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles exist in a stratosphere all their own decades after they broke up. The music still resonates, and the band members — living and dead — are still celebrated. So are the group’s other projects, such as The Beatles’ first movie A Hard Day’s Night. It cost $500,000 to make, which was well worth it beyond the box office receipts. Paul McCartney said filming the movie was nerve-wracking, but it came with a huge payoff.
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Underwood Archives/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ more than recouped its $500,000 budget
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) was like many other movies. A screenwriter (Alun Owen) penned the script. A director (Richard Lester) helmed the shoot. And actors (many of them anonymous in the U.S. aside from The Beatles) performed in it.
Yet it comes off as a quasi-documentary with Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison,...
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Underwood Archives/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ more than recouped its $500,000 budget
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) was like many other movies. A screenwriter (Alun Owen) penned the script. A director (Richard Lester) helmed the shoot. And actors (many of them anonymous in the U.S. aside from The Beatles) performed in it.
Yet it comes off as a quasi-documentary with Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles became actors in the comedy music film A Hard Day’s Night. In 1964, these artists appeared in a press conference, discussing their latest project and the changes they made to the final script.
The Beatles released ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964 ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ poster, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr | Lmpc via Getty Images
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are known as chart-topping musicians behind the Beatles. They’re also full-time songwriters — and amateur actors.
The Beatles released their full-length album A Hard Day’s Night — and its song of the same title. This track earned over 170 million Spotify plays and was even featured in a music film, created by and starring the Beatles.
The IMDb description reads, “over two ‘typical’ days in the life of The Beatles, the boys struggle to keep themselves and Sir Paul McCartney’s mischievous grandfather...
The Beatles released ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964 ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ poster, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr | Lmpc via Getty Images
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are known as chart-topping musicians behind the Beatles. They’re also full-time songwriters — and amateur actors.
The Beatles released their full-length album A Hard Day’s Night — and its song of the same title. This track earned over 170 million Spotify plays and was even featured in a music film, created by and starring the Beatles.
The IMDb description reads, “over two ‘typical’ days in the life of The Beatles, the boys struggle to keep themselves and Sir Paul McCartney’s mischievous grandfather...
- 2/10/2023
- by Julia Dzurillay
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Fab Four’s first and biggest movie hit comes to 4K Ultra HD! The Beatles brought something new and exciting to 1964 and the world embraced it. This United Artists release was a major event in the first wave of Beatlemania, setting the standard for Swinging London cool; thanks to Richard Lester’s flip approach and the Beatles’ positive energy little in the movie has dated. George Martin’s input for the musical end of things didn’t hurt either. The movie itself never gets old: new generations still respond with enthusiasm. It always looked super on home video, so what does the format boost add to the mix?
A Hard Day’s Night 4K
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 711
1964 / B&w / 1:75 widescreen / 87 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 18, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr,
Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti,...
A Hard Day’s Night 4K
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 711
1964 / B&w / 1:75 widescreen / 87 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 18, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr,
Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti,...
- 1/18/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s The Beatles on TV Special Collector’s Edition, available for order online now at BeatlesonTV.com and for purchase on newsstands nationwide. The Fab Four’s energy was never higher than on their three beloved films. Ahead of the release of Disney+’s docuseries The Beatles: Get Back, we’re reflecting on the musical group’s trips to the big screen. A Hard Day’s Night (1964) (Credit: The Everett Collection) Directed By Richard Lester, Written By Alun Owen Starring: The Beatles, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, and Victor Spinetti The Setup: With the first wave of Beatlemania hitting its crest, the Fab Four look for a respite as they prep for a big television appearance. The Plot: Taking a day-in-the-life approach with Marx Brothers–level anarchy, the movie breathlessly captures the moment the Liverpool lads became generational idols. It’s...
- 11/2/2021
- TV Insider
Gangland London, 1960: Expatriate director Joseph Losey gives the Brit crime film a boost with a brutal gangster tale starring the ultra-tough Stanley Baker — and seemingly every up & coming male actor on the casting books. A committed thief returns to his craft the moment he’s freed from prison, but the emphasis is on the nasty betrayals and squeeze-plays of the criminal underworld, that conspire to foil Baker’s plans.
The Criminal
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1960 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 98 min. / Street Date February 18, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, Neil McCarthy, Nigel Green, Tom Gerard, Edward Judd.
Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: John Dankworth
Written by Alun Owen and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Jack Greenwood...
The Criminal
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1960 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 98 min. / Street Date February 18, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, Neil McCarthy, Nigel Green, Tom Gerard, Edward Judd.
Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: John Dankworth
Written by Alun Owen and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Jack Greenwood...
- 2/8/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Mark Allison Apr 13, 2017
From A Hard Day's Night to Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine and Help!, we revisit the original Beatles films...
Of all the art that the Beatles brought into the world, their cinematic misadventures are probably less fondly remembered than their music. But in addition to 12 studio albums, 13 EPs, and 22 singles, the Fab Four also released five films in their comparatively few years together. These efforts comprised two feature films, a TV movie, a cartoon, and a documentary, all of admittedly inconsistent quality. Looking back now, these films provide a fascinating insight into the phenomenon of Beatlemania.
See related Bill Condon interview: Mr Holmes, Beauty & The Beast Bill Condon interview: Beauty And The Beast, Twilight, fandom
For Beatles fanatics such as myself, the music alone makes them a joy to watch and re-watch, but as pieces of cinema in their own right there’s plenty to still be enjoyed and appreciated.
From A Hard Day's Night to Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine and Help!, we revisit the original Beatles films...
Of all the art that the Beatles brought into the world, their cinematic misadventures are probably less fondly remembered than their music. But in addition to 12 studio albums, 13 EPs, and 22 singles, the Fab Four also released five films in their comparatively few years together. These efforts comprised two feature films, a TV movie, a cartoon, and a documentary, all of admittedly inconsistent quality. Looking back now, these films provide a fascinating insight into the phenomenon of Beatlemania.
See related Bill Condon interview: Mr Holmes, Beauty & The Beast Bill Condon interview: Beauty And The Beast, Twilight, fandom
For Beatles fanatics such as myself, the music alone makes them a joy to watch and re-watch, but as pieces of cinema in their own right there’s plenty to still be enjoyed and appreciated.
- 4/3/2017
- Den of Geek
Chicago – If you are lucky enough to have the 50th Anniversary edition of “A Hard Day’s Night” playing in your area, drop everything and go see it, especially if you’ve never seen it before. The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – are ageless and timeless in a new print restoration and sound remastering of their 1964 debut film.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
There is no way to describe the luck and timing of the music phenomenon called “The Beatles.” They were four guys in a rock band, but they virtually influenced everything the 1960s had to offer, due to the perfect moment they entered the arena and fired their creativity into the mass production era of record albums and baby boomers. Their first film was a coming together of the right screenwriter (Alan Owun) and the perfect director (Richard Lester), who captured a zeitgeist as it was happening...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
There is no way to describe the luck and timing of the music phenomenon called “The Beatles.” They were four guys in a rock band, but they virtually influenced everything the 1960s had to offer, due to the perfect moment they entered the arena and fired their creativity into the mass production era of record albums and baby boomers. Their first film was a coming together of the right screenwriter (Alan Owun) and the perfect director (Richard Lester), who captured a zeitgeist as it was happening...
- 7/5/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Stars: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Wilfrid Brambell | Written by Alun Owen | Directed by Richard Lester
It’s been fifty years since United Artists wanted a Beatles movie to make money off its soundtrack, but what a decision it was. A Hard Day’s Night is a film that focused on the life of the Beatles but in turn became one of the best comedies to come out of the UK. With a new 4k restoration in cinemas this weekend and a DVD/Blu-ray release coming July 21st, is the movie showing its age or does it still stand up as a comedy?
A Hard Day’s Night looks to show what a day in the life of the Beatles is like. Travelling down from Liverpool to London to perform a concert with Paul’s grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) tagging along for the ride chaos soon ensues.
It’s been fifty years since United Artists wanted a Beatles movie to make money off its soundtrack, but what a decision it was. A Hard Day’s Night is a film that focused on the life of the Beatles but in turn became one of the best comedies to come out of the UK. With a new 4k restoration in cinemas this weekend and a DVD/Blu-ray release coming July 21st, is the movie showing its age or does it still stand up as a comedy?
A Hard Day’s Night looks to show what a day in the life of the Beatles is like. Travelling down from Liverpool to London to perform a concert with Paul’s grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) tagging along for the ride chaos soon ensues.
- 7/5/2014
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
The year is 1964 and Beatlemania is in full swing. The biggest band on the planet are about to make their big screen debut. The film is A Hard Day’s Night, a seminal piece of filmmaking that shows The Beatles as they’ve never been seen before.
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary the film will be presented in a new 4k digital restoration approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options - a monoaural soundtrack in addition to newly created stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. The film will be in cinemas, on-demand and available to download from 4 July, followed by a special edition Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 21 July 2014, courtesy of Second Sight Films.
A Hard Day’s Night will have an Extended Run at BFI Southbank...
The year is 1964 and Beatlemania is in full swing. The biggest band on the planet are about to make their big screen debut. The film is A Hard Day’s Night, a seminal piece of filmmaking that shows The Beatles as they’ve never been seen before.
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary the film will be presented in a new 4k digital restoration approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options - a monoaural soundtrack in addition to newly created stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. The film will be in cinemas, on-demand and available to download from 4 July, followed by a special edition Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 21 July 2014, courtesy of Second Sight Films.
A Hard Day’s Night will have an Extended Run at BFI Southbank...
- 7/2/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
50th Anniversary Release of “The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night”
Dir. Richard Lester • U.K. 1964 • Black & White • 1.75:1 • 87 minutes
New 4K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative
New 5.1 Surround Mix Produced by Giles Martin
Opening in theaters on July 4, 2014 in almost 100 cities
(Scroll to the end of the article for the locations and theaters).
Courtesy of Janus Films
This is a Cheeky, Raucous, Irreverent film that will make most warm-blooded mammals laugh from the first scene, until the last! It is brilliant for a summer night out!
If you are a film or music fan, you most likely have already seen “A Hard Day’s Night” before, however, make a summertime date with the famous Fab Four, and see it again on the big screen, with the new restoration, at an art house cinema, and you really can’t go wrong.
It is necessary to give accolades to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, because, “if it weren’t for Elvis, there would never have been any Beatles.” John Lennon had admitted, that from the moment he first learned about Elvis and saw all the attention that he was receiving, he wanted to be just like him.
So although, there is no denying that the Beatles changed music forever, it was really Elvis who was the King of their inspiration.
For those who have not seen “A Hard Day’s Night” before, the Beatles had already been a popular recording act, with several Top 20 hits in the U.K., when they arrived in NYC to perform on the Ed Sullivan show on February 7, 1964. A record breaking 73 million viewers tuned in, and the British invasion began.
One month later, across the pond, the film was in the works. The music lover and film producer, Walter Shenson, was brought on by United Artists. Shenson, who had previously worked with Director, Richard Lester, on “The Mouse on the Moon,” mentioned the gist of the project, and Richard jumped at the opportunity.
However, to receive the final green light, the film had to be true to the way the Beatles actually lived, and scriptwriter, Alun Owen, who wrote the television play, “No Trams to Lime Street,” which depicted Liverpool, was chosen.
The film begins with the song “A Hard Day’s Night” playing while the Fab Four are running through town trying to make it to the train station on time before their train departs. Once on board, they start a conversation with an older gentleman, who Paul comments, is his grandfather. John is cheekily trying to snort a Coke (Coca-Cola) bottle up his nose in the background, and a business man wants the train car his way demanding that the windows be closed shut. The laughs just continue from there on out, when the boys are flirting with girls, and the grandfather cunningly tells the young women that the boys are really prisoners. An acoustic version of “I Should Have Known Better” is being played on the train.
Film director, Richard Lester, “relied on improvisation rather than rehearsal, creating a freshness that was clear on-screen.” “Before we started, we knew that it would be unlikely that they could (a) learn, (b) remember, or (c) deliver with any accuracy a long speech. So the structure of the script had to be a series of one-liners,” Lester later stated, “This enabled me, in many of the scenes, to turn a camera on them and say a line to them, and they would say it back to me.”
The result, the bandmates play brilliant, clever, crafty, and smart-alicky versions of themselves.
Lester’s visual style mixed techniques from narrative films, documentary, the French New Wave, and live television to create something that felt, and was, spontaneous. “I have seen directors who write down a list of scenes for the day, and then sit back in a chair while everything is filmed according to plan. I can’t do that. I know that good films can be made this way, but it’s not for me. I have to react on the spot. There was very little structure that was planned except that we knew that we had to punctuate the film with a certain number of songs.”
Recorded at Emi Studios in Abbey Road, London, they cut “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Tell Me Why,” “If I Fell,” and “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You,” in only three days.
Must See!
Summer Screenings
Alabama
Montgomery – Capri Theatre
Alaska
Anchorage – Bear Tooth Cinema
Arizona
Tucson – The Loft Cinema
Arkansas
Little Rock – Colonel Glenn 18
British Columbia
Vancouver – Pacific Cinematheque
California
Bakersfield – Valley Plaza
Berkeley – Rialto Elmwood
Eureka – Eureka Theater
La Mesa – Grossmont Center
Los Angeles – Cinefamily
Malibu – The Malibu Film Society
Modesto – State Theater
Monterey – Osio Cinemas
Mountain View – Century Cinemas 16
Murrieta – Reading Cinemas Cal Oaks
Oxnard – Century RiverPark
Palm Springs – Camelot Theatres
Pasadena – Laemmle Playhouse 7
Sacramento – Tower Theater
San Diego – Gaslamp
San Francisco – Castro Theatre
San Luis Obispo – Palm Theatre
San Rafael – Smith Rafael Film Center
Santa Cruz – Del Mar Theatre
Colorado
Fort Collins – Lyric Cinema Cafe
Littleton – Alamo Drafthouse
Connecticut
Hartford – Cinestudio
Milford – Connecticut Post 14
Delaware
Wilmington – Theatre N
Florida
Coral Gables – Coral Gables Art Cinema
Jacksonville – Sun-Ray Cinema
Key West – Tropic Cinema
Maitland – Enzian Theatre
Tallahassee – Tallahassee Film Festival
Georgia
Athens – Ciné
Atlanta – Plaza Theater
Sandy Springs – LeFont Theaters
Hawaii
Honolulu – Kahala 8
Maui – Kaahumanu 6
Illinois
Champaign – The Art Theater
Chicago – Music Box Theater
Downer’s Grove – Tivoli at Downer’s Grove
Normal – Normal Theater
Peoria – Landmark Cinemas
Indiana
Fort Wayne – Cinema Center
Iowa
Des Moines – Fleur Cinema
Iowa City – FilmScene
Kansas
Lawrence – Liberty Hall
Kentucky
Lexington – Kentucky Theater
Louisville – Baxter 8
Louisiana
Baton Rouge – Cinemark Perkins Rowe
New Orleans – The Prytania Theatre
Maine
Waterville – Maine Film Festival
Maryland
Baltimore – The Senator
Hanover – Cinemark Egyptian 24
Massachusetts
Amherst – Amherst Cinema
Brookline – Coolidge Corner Theatre
Cape Cod – Cape Cinema
Danvers – Hollywood Hits
Gloucester – Cape Ann Community Cinema
Martha’s Vineyard – Martha’s Vineyard Film Center
Williamstown – Images Cinema
Michigan
Ann Arbor – Michigan Theater
City of Detroit Outdoor Screenings
Detroit – Cinema Detroit
Kalamazoo – Alamo Drafthouse
Manistee – The Vogue Theatre
Traverse City – State Theatre
Minnesota
Duluth – Zinema 2
Minneapolis – St. Anthony Main Theatre
Missouri
Columbia – Ragtag Cinema
Kansas City – Tivoli Cinemas
Springfield – Moxie Cinema
St. Louis – Chase Park Plaza
Montana
Missoula – The Roxy Theater
Nebraska
Kearney – The World Theatre
Lincoln – Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center
Omaha – Film Streams
Wayne – The Majestic
Nevada
Sparks – Century Sparks
New Hampshire
Concord – Red River Theatre
Wilton – Town Hall Theatre
New Jersey
Asbury Park – The ShowRoom
Manville – Reading Cinemas Manville
New Mexico
Albuquerque – The Guild Cinema
New York
Amherst – Screening Room Cinemas
Binghamton – The Art Mission & Theater
New York City – Film Forum
Pelham – The Picture House
Pleasantville – Jacob Burns Film Center
Rochester – George Eastman House
Rosendale – Rosendale Theatre
West Hampton – Performing Arts Center
North Carolina
Asheville – Carolina Cinemas
Cornelius – Studio C Cinema
Raleigh – Raleigh Grande
Winston-Salem – A/perture Cinema
Ohio
Akron – The Nightlight Cinema
Cleveland – Cleveland Museum of Art
Columbus – Wexner Center for the Arts
Dayton – The Neon
Toledo – Franklin Park 16
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City – Museum of Art
Tulsa – Circle Cinema
Ontario
Kingston – The Screening Room
Toronto – Cineplex Cinemas Yonge & Dundas
Waterloo – Princess Cinemas
Oregon
Portland – Hollywood Theater
Pennsylvania
Bethlehem – ArtsQuest
Bryn Mawr – Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Erie – Film at the Erie Art Museum
Lewisburg – Campus Theatre
Milford – Black Bear Film Festival
Philadelphia – International House
Phoenixville – The Colonial Theatre
Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Quebec
Montreal – Cinema Cineplex Forum
Rhode Island
Newport – Jane Pickens
Providence – Cable Car Cinema
South Carolina
Charleston – Terrace Theater
South Dakota
Sioux Falls – Century East at Dawley Farm
Tennessee
Memphis – indieMemphis
Nashville – Belcourt Theatre
Texas
Austin – Alamo Drafthouse
Dallas – Angelika Film Center
El Paso – Plaza Classic Film Festival
Fort Worth – Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Houston – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
New Braunfels – Alamo Marketplace
Plano – Angelika Plano
San Antonio – Alamo Westlake
Utah
Salt Lake City – Tower Cinema
Virginia
Ashburn – Alamo One Loudoun
Fairfax – Angelika Mosaic
Norfolk – Naro Cinema
Williamsburg – Kimball Theatre
Winchester – Alamo Drafthouse
Washington
Bellevue – Lincoln Square Cinemas
Bellingham – Pickford Film Center
Camas – Liberty Theater
Langley – The Clyde Theatre
Olympia – Capitol Theater
Port Townsend – Rose Theatre
Seattle – Siff Cinema
Tacoma – Grand Cinema
Spokane – Bing Crosby Cinema>
Vancouver – Kiggins Theatre
Washington, D.C.
West End Cinema...
Dir. Richard Lester • U.K. 1964 • Black & White • 1.75:1 • 87 minutes
New 4K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative
New 5.1 Surround Mix Produced by Giles Martin
Opening in theaters on July 4, 2014 in almost 100 cities
(Scroll to the end of the article for the locations and theaters).
Courtesy of Janus Films
This is a Cheeky, Raucous, Irreverent film that will make most warm-blooded mammals laugh from the first scene, until the last! It is brilliant for a summer night out!
If you are a film or music fan, you most likely have already seen “A Hard Day’s Night” before, however, make a summertime date with the famous Fab Four, and see it again on the big screen, with the new restoration, at an art house cinema, and you really can’t go wrong.
It is necessary to give accolades to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, because, “if it weren’t for Elvis, there would never have been any Beatles.” John Lennon had admitted, that from the moment he first learned about Elvis and saw all the attention that he was receiving, he wanted to be just like him.
So although, there is no denying that the Beatles changed music forever, it was really Elvis who was the King of their inspiration.
For those who have not seen “A Hard Day’s Night” before, the Beatles had already been a popular recording act, with several Top 20 hits in the U.K., when they arrived in NYC to perform on the Ed Sullivan show on February 7, 1964. A record breaking 73 million viewers tuned in, and the British invasion began.
One month later, across the pond, the film was in the works. The music lover and film producer, Walter Shenson, was brought on by United Artists. Shenson, who had previously worked with Director, Richard Lester, on “The Mouse on the Moon,” mentioned the gist of the project, and Richard jumped at the opportunity.
However, to receive the final green light, the film had to be true to the way the Beatles actually lived, and scriptwriter, Alun Owen, who wrote the television play, “No Trams to Lime Street,” which depicted Liverpool, was chosen.
The film begins with the song “A Hard Day’s Night” playing while the Fab Four are running through town trying to make it to the train station on time before their train departs. Once on board, they start a conversation with an older gentleman, who Paul comments, is his grandfather. John is cheekily trying to snort a Coke (Coca-Cola) bottle up his nose in the background, and a business man wants the train car his way demanding that the windows be closed shut. The laughs just continue from there on out, when the boys are flirting with girls, and the grandfather cunningly tells the young women that the boys are really prisoners. An acoustic version of “I Should Have Known Better” is being played on the train.
Film director, Richard Lester, “relied on improvisation rather than rehearsal, creating a freshness that was clear on-screen.” “Before we started, we knew that it would be unlikely that they could (a) learn, (b) remember, or (c) deliver with any accuracy a long speech. So the structure of the script had to be a series of one-liners,” Lester later stated, “This enabled me, in many of the scenes, to turn a camera on them and say a line to them, and they would say it back to me.”
The result, the bandmates play brilliant, clever, crafty, and smart-alicky versions of themselves.
Lester’s visual style mixed techniques from narrative films, documentary, the French New Wave, and live television to create something that felt, and was, spontaneous. “I have seen directors who write down a list of scenes for the day, and then sit back in a chair while everything is filmed according to plan. I can’t do that. I know that good films can be made this way, but it’s not for me. I have to react on the spot. There was very little structure that was planned except that we knew that we had to punctuate the film with a certain number of songs.”
Recorded at Emi Studios in Abbey Road, London, they cut “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “Tell Me Why,” “If I Fell,” and “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You,” in only three days.
Must See!
Summer Screenings
Alabama
Montgomery – Capri Theatre
Alaska
Anchorage – Bear Tooth Cinema
Arizona
Tucson – The Loft Cinema
Arkansas
Little Rock – Colonel Glenn 18
British Columbia
Vancouver – Pacific Cinematheque
California
Bakersfield – Valley Plaza
Berkeley – Rialto Elmwood
Eureka – Eureka Theater
La Mesa – Grossmont Center
Los Angeles – Cinefamily
Malibu – The Malibu Film Society
Modesto – State Theater
Monterey – Osio Cinemas
Mountain View – Century Cinemas 16
Murrieta – Reading Cinemas Cal Oaks
Oxnard – Century RiverPark
Palm Springs – Camelot Theatres
Pasadena – Laemmle Playhouse 7
Sacramento – Tower Theater
San Diego – Gaslamp
San Francisco – Castro Theatre
San Luis Obispo – Palm Theatre
San Rafael – Smith Rafael Film Center
Santa Cruz – Del Mar Theatre
Colorado
Fort Collins – Lyric Cinema Cafe
Littleton – Alamo Drafthouse
Connecticut
Hartford – Cinestudio
Milford – Connecticut Post 14
Delaware
Wilmington – Theatre N
Florida
Coral Gables – Coral Gables Art Cinema
Jacksonville – Sun-Ray Cinema
Key West – Tropic Cinema
Maitland – Enzian Theatre
Tallahassee – Tallahassee Film Festival
Georgia
Athens – Ciné
Atlanta – Plaza Theater
Sandy Springs – LeFont Theaters
Hawaii
Honolulu – Kahala 8
Maui – Kaahumanu 6
Illinois
Champaign – The Art Theater
Chicago – Music Box Theater
Downer’s Grove – Tivoli at Downer’s Grove
Normal – Normal Theater
Peoria – Landmark Cinemas
Indiana
Fort Wayne – Cinema Center
Iowa
Des Moines – Fleur Cinema
Iowa City – FilmScene
Kansas
Lawrence – Liberty Hall
Kentucky
Lexington – Kentucky Theater
Louisville – Baxter 8
Louisiana
Baton Rouge – Cinemark Perkins Rowe
New Orleans – The Prytania Theatre
Maine
Waterville – Maine Film Festival
Maryland
Baltimore – The Senator
Hanover – Cinemark Egyptian 24
Massachusetts
Amherst – Amherst Cinema
Brookline – Coolidge Corner Theatre
Cape Cod – Cape Cinema
Danvers – Hollywood Hits
Gloucester – Cape Ann Community Cinema
Martha’s Vineyard – Martha’s Vineyard Film Center
Williamstown – Images Cinema
Michigan
Ann Arbor – Michigan Theater
City of Detroit Outdoor Screenings
Detroit – Cinema Detroit
Kalamazoo – Alamo Drafthouse
Manistee – The Vogue Theatre
Traverse City – State Theatre
Minnesota
Duluth – Zinema 2
Minneapolis – St. Anthony Main Theatre
Missouri
Columbia – Ragtag Cinema
Kansas City – Tivoli Cinemas
Springfield – Moxie Cinema
St. Louis – Chase Park Plaza
Montana
Missoula – The Roxy Theater
Nebraska
Kearney – The World Theatre
Lincoln – Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center
Omaha – Film Streams
Wayne – The Majestic
Nevada
Sparks – Century Sparks
New Hampshire
Concord – Red River Theatre
Wilton – Town Hall Theatre
New Jersey
Asbury Park – The ShowRoom
Manville – Reading Cinemas Manville
New Mexico
Albuquerque – The Guild Cinema
New York
Amherst – Screening Room Cinemas
Binghamton – The Art Mission & Theater
New York City – Film Forum
Pelham – The Picture House
Pleasantville – Jacob Burns Film Center
Rochester – George Eastman House
Rosendale – Rosendale Theatre
West Hampton – Performing Arts Center
North Carolina
Asheville – Carolina Cinemas
Cornelius – Studio C Cinema
Raleigh – Raleigh Grande
Winston-Salem – A/perture Cinema
Ohio
Akron – The Nightlight Cinema
Cleveland – Cleveland Museum of Art
Columbus – Wexner Center for the Arts
Dayton – The Neon
Toledo – Franklin Park 16
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City – Museum of Art
Tulsa – Circle Cinema
Ontario
Kingston – The Screening Room
Toronto – Cineplex Cinemas Yonge & Dundas
Waterloo – Princess Cinemas
Oregon
Portland – Hollywood Theater
Pennsylvania
Bethlehem – ArtsQuest
Bryn Mawr – Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Erie – Film at the Erie Art Museum
Lewisburg – Campus Theatre
Milford – Black Bear Film Festival
Philadelphia – International House
Phoenixville – The Colonial Theatre
Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Quebec
Montreal – Cinema Cineplex Forum
Rhode Island
Newport – Jane Pickens
Providence – Cable Car Cinema
South Carolina
Charleston – Terrace Theater
South Dakota
Sioux Falls – Century East at Dawley Farm
Tennessee
Memphis – indieMemphis
Nashville – Belcourt Theatre
Texas
Austin – Alamo Drafthouse
Dallas – Angelika Film Center
El Paso – Plaza Classic Film Festival
Fort Worth – Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Houston – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
New Braunfels – Alamo Marketplace
Plano – Angelika Plano
San Antonio – Alamo Westlake
Utah
Salt Lake City – Tower Cinema
Virginia
Ashburn – Alamo One Loudoun
Fairfax – Angelika Mosaic
Norfolk – Naro Cinema
Williamsburg – Kimball Theatre
Winchester – Alamo Drafthouse
Washington
Bellevue – Lincoln Square Cinemas
Bellingham – Pickford Film Center
Camas – Liberty Theater
Langley – The Clyde Theatre
Olympia – Capitol Theater
Port Townsend – Rose Theatre
Seattle – Siff Cinema
Tacoma – Grand Cinema
Spokane – Bing Crosby Cinema>
Vancouver – Kiggins Theatre
Washington, D.C.
West End Cinema...
- 7/1/2014
- by Sharon Abella
- Sydney's Buzz
By Mark Cerulli
After a meticulous 4K restoration by none other than the Criterion Collection, the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Days Night, was unveiled at La’s Raleigh Studios. Yes, the image was crisp and clean, not a smudge or scratch in sight. (No surprise there as the film’s director Richard Lester personally approved the restoration.) And yes, the music sounded glorious in a new 5.1 mix. In fact, George Harrison’s iconic opening riff on the title track just about knocked this Cinema Retro scribe off his seat! But what was really special about this whimsical film was watching it through the prism of fifty years. From frame 1, we know how we lost both John Lennon and George Harrison. We are living with climate change, al-Qaeda, overpopulation and deforestation, so this movie is a welcome relief, capturing a simpler time in a quainter London which was then still...
After a meticulous 4K restoration by none other than the Criterion Collection, the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Days Night, was unveiled at La’s Raleigh Studios. Yes, the image was crisp and clean, not a smudge or scratch in sight. (No surprise there as the film’s director Richard Lester personally approved the restoration.) And yes, the music sounded glorious in a new 5.1 mix. In fact, George Harrison’s iconic opening riff on the title track just about knocked this Cinema Retro scribe off his seat! But what was really special about this whimsical film was watching it through the prism of fifty years. From frame 1, we know how we lost both John Lennon and George Harrison. We are living with climate change, al-Qaeda, overpopulation and deforestation, so this movie is a welcome relief, capturing a simpler time in a quainter London which was then still...
- 7/1/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Enemy What would make this a more interesting release would be an audio commentary, but there isn't one. As interesting as this film is and as likely as I am to watch it again, in this day and age, if you aren't going to give me any added incentive to buy a DVD/Blu-ray that I'm only likely to watch once or twice ever again... why would I buy itc
Blood Ties I did not enjoy this movie when I saw it in Cannes last year, but it has been edited down since, by about 15 minutes or so I believe, which could make it a more interesting watch as it was a film that either needed to be about 15 minutes shorter or two hours longer. You can read my original review right here, though do know the movie I reviewed is not the one on this disc.
Winter's Tale This...
Blood Ties I did not enjoy this movie when I saw it in Cannes last year, but it has been edited down since, by about 15 minutes or so I believe, which could make it a more interesting watch as it was a film that either needed to be about 15 minutes shorter or two hours longer. You can read my original review right here, though do know the movie I reviewed is not the one on this disc.
Winter's Tale This...
- 6/24/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
They Bought Us Love
By Raymond Benson
Released in the summer of 1964, A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles and directed by Richard Lester, is arguably the second most influential British film of that decade (the first being Goldfinger, coincidentally released the same year.). Why? For one thing, it brought The Beatles to a worldwide audience that was just getting to know them through their music. Secondly, it spawned imitations and knock-offs (The Monkees, anyone?) and is arguably the genesis of music videos—where would MTV have been without it? Thirdly, the film itself was innovative, fresh, and surprisingly funny (those long-haired boys from Liverpool could actually act!).
One of the best things about the Criterion Collection’s new deluxe box set of the film (dual Blu-ray and DVD, three discs) is the short extra, On the Road to “A Hard Day’s Night,” an interview with author Mark Lewisohn,...
By Raymond Benson
Released in the summer of 1964, A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles and directed by Richard Lester, is arguably the second most influential British film of that decade (the first being Goldfinger, coincidentally released the same year.). Why? For one thing, it brought The Beatles to a worldwide audience that was just getting to know them through their music. Secondly, it spawned imitations and knock-offs (The Monkees, anyone?) and is arguably the genesis of music videos—where would MTV have been without it? Thirdly, the film itself was innovative, fresh, and surprisingly funny (those long-haired boys from Liverpool could actually act!).
One of the best things about the Criterion Collection’s new deluxe box set of the film (dual Blu-ray and DVD, three discs) is the short extra, On the Road to “A Hard Day’s Night,” an interview with author Mark Lewisohn,...
- 6/16/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Price: DVD $19.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, The Beatles began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen – the 1964 comedy musical classic A Hard Day’s Night.
The movie, in which John, Paul, George and Ringo play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever.
Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester (How I Won the War) and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night, which re-conceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of...
Price: DVD $19.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, The Beatles began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen – the 1964 comedy musical classic A Hard Day’s Night.
The movie, in which John, Paul, George and Ringo play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever.
Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester (How I Won the War) and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night, which re-conceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of...
- 3/18/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has added an exciting roster of screen legends and beloved titles to the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival, including appearances by Maureen O’Hara, Mel Brooks and Margaret O’Brien, plus a two-film tribute to Academy Award®-winner Richard Dreyfuss. Marking its fifth year, the TCM Classic Film Festival will take place April 10-13, 2014, in Hollywood. The gathering will coincide with TCM’s 20th anniversary as a leading authority in classic film.
O’Hara will present the world premiere restoration of John Ford’s Oscar®-winning Best Picture How Green Was My Valley (1941), while Brooks will appear at a screening of his western comedy Blazing Saddles (1974). O’Brien will be on-hand for Vincente Minnelli’s perennial musical favorite Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland. The tribute to Dreyfuss will consist of a double feature of two of his most popular roles: his Oscar®-winning performance...
O’Hara will present the world premiere restoration of John Ford’s Oscar®-winning Best Picture How Green Was My Valley (1941), while Brooks will appear at a screening of his western comedy Blazing Saddles (1974). O’Brien will be on-hand for Vincente Minnelli’s perennial musical favorite Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland. The tribute to Dreyfuss will consist of a double feature of two of his most popular roles: his Oscar®-winning performance...
- 2/5/2014
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Gustave Field, who has died aged 95, was a Hollywood screenwriter who in 1958 was lured to London by the fledgling television company ABC to help aspiring TV dramatists build in motivation, suspense and other Hollywood virtues. His successes included Alun Owen, Ray Rigby, and Harold Pinter, whose A Night Out was primarily written for radio but its TV version, starring Tom Bell, topped audience ratings.
Mutual friends in America urged us to meet. We were both recently married, both living in Pimlico, central London. Instant but lasting friendships were formed. Gustave's wife, Daphne, was English. As a teenager she had gone to America with a theatre group and been trapped there by the outbreak of the second world war.
Gustave was born into an immigrant family, originally called Hirchfeld, in Lower Manhattan, New York. He was a press photographer by the age of 17, and already an innovator. Instead of the bulky...
Mutual friends in America urged us to meet. We were both recently married, both living in Pimlico, central London. Instant but lasting friendships were formed. Gustave's wife, Daphne, was English. As a teenager she had gone to America with a theatre group and been trapped there by the outbreak of the second world war.
Gustave was born into an immigrant family, originally called Hirchfeld, in Lower Manhattan, New York. He was a press photographer by the age of 17, and already an innovator. Instead of the bulky...
- 8/23/2012
- by Philip Purser
- The Guardian - Film News
Comic actor Victor Spinetti, best known for his appearances in three Beatles movies, died on Tuesday morning. He was 82. The Welsh performer had been fighting pancreatic cancer in recent years, according to his agent, Barry Burnett. Born in the village of Cwm in south Wales, Spinetti studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before launching his acting career in England. His big break came after John Lennon and George Harrison, with "A Hard Day's Night" director Walter Shenson and screenwriter Alun Owen, caught his performance in 1968, in the...
- 6/19/2012
- by Kasia Anderson
- The Wrap
Veteran actor Victor Spinetti, whose notable roles included appearances in three Beatles films, has died at the age of 82.
The Welsh star, who appeared in a string of acclaimed movies as well as taking roles in the West End and on Broadway, died in a Monmouth hospice following a fight with pancreatic cancer, his agent said.
The versatile actor was able to easily turn his hand from serious classical roles to comedy performances and roles in sitcoms. He has also been a successful stage director, wrote poetry and became known for his appearances in a Jaffa Cake ad campaign.
Cwm-born Spinetti - who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff - had worked as a waiter before finding his feet as an actor.
Victor Spinetti (left) with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
He landed his role in the first of the Beatles' films following the...
The Welsh star, who appeared in a string of acclaimed movies as well as taking roles in the West End and on Broadway, died in a Monmouth hospice following a fight with pancreatic cancer, his agent said.
The versatile actor was able to easily turn his hand from serious classical roles to comedy performances and roles in sitcoms. He has also been a successful stage director, wrote poetry and became known for his appearances in a Jaffa Cake ad campaign.
Cwm-born Spinetti - who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff - had worked as a waiter before finding his feet as an actor.
Victor Spinetti (left) with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
He landed his role in the first of the Beatles' films following the...
- 6/19/2012
- by PA
- Huffington Post
I was looking forward to seeing Juggernaut on TCM not too long ago when I saw it show up on the classics channel’s schedule. Even in this cable/download/Netflix age of constant program recycling, the movie rarely shows up on TV, maybe because it had been such an instant and complete flop when released theatrically in 1974. Still, this UK-produced film has always been one of my pet favorites, a flick I have long felt died an undeserved death, and I was psyched at the chance to see it again.
In synopsis, I admit the movie doesn’t sound like much. Or perhaps I should say it sounds way too familiar. A nutcase has put seven bombs on an ocean liner and threatens to sink the ship unless he’s given a ransom of £500,000. The ship is far from land, no other vessels are close enough to render assistance,...
In synopsis, I admit the movie doesn’t sound like much. Or perhaps I should say it sounds way too familiar. A nutcase has put seven bombs on an ocean liner and threatens to sink the ship unless he’s given a ransom of £500,000. The ship is far from land, no other vessels are close enough to render assistance,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Sometimes in this series of articles, we’re going to focus on specific filmmakers who deserve a spot within the Criterion Collection. Especially those the public might not even be that aware of or the impact they’ve had in the art of cinema in general. Alan Clarke is one such filmmaker. Most people when you mention the name Alan Clarke, they will wonder who you’re speaking about. When you mention the actors they helped usher in and a fraction of the future filmmakers they influenced, you’d start to really want to know who this man was.
Alan Clarke primarily worked in television in England, primarily adaptations of plays (such as George’s Room by Alun Owen and Which of These Two Ladies is He Married To? by Edna O’Brien) and various television shows via Itp productions. It wasn’t until he combined his skill and vision...
Alan Clarke primarily worked in television in England, primarily adaptations of plays (such as George’s Room by Alun Owen and Which of These Two Ladies is He Married To? by Edna O’Brien) and various television shows via Itp productions. It wasn’t until he combined his skill and vision...
- 3/7/2011
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
British-born director known for Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, Queen of Scots
The film and television director Charles Jarrott, who has died of cancer aged 83, began his career during a golden period of British TV drama, working on Armchair Theatre and The Wednesday Play in the 1960s alongside writers and directors such as Ken Loach, Dennis Potter and David Mercer. Both series were presided over by the Canadian producer Sydney Newman, who encouraged original work – what he called "agitational contemporaneity" – and had an astonishing impact. But in 1969 Jarrott's career took a different turn when he left for Hollywood, thereby increasing his income a hundredfold, while having to contend with far less adventurous material. His best films were his first, two Elizabethan costume dramas, Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, Queen of Scots, enlivened by the Oscar-nominated performances of Richard Burton (Henry VIII), Geneviève Bujold (Anne Boleyn) and...
The film and television director Charles Jarrott, who has died of cancer aged 83, began his career during a golden period of British TV drama, working on Armchair Theatre and The Wednesday Play in the 1960s alongside writers and directors such as Ken Loach, Dennis Potter and David Mercer. Both series were presided over by the Canadian producer Sydney Newman, who encouraged original work – what he called "agitational contemporaneity" – and had an astonishing impact. But in 1969 Jarrott's career took a different turn when he left for Hollywood, thereby increasing his income a hundredfold, while having to contend with far less adventurous material. His best films were his first, two Elizabethan costume dramas, Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, Queen of Scots, enlivened by the Oscar-nominated performances of Richard Burton (Henry VIII), Geneviève Bujold (Anne Boleyn) and...
- 3/7/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Miramax rereleases "A Hard Day's Night" -- with a restored picture and soundtrack -- in New York and Los Angeles today. This review originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter on July 21, 1964.
In their first feature, "A Hard Day's Night", the Beatles display a flair for knockabout comedy and slapstick when they're not beating out some dozen of their tunes, including six new ones. The film is mad, mad and crazy, shrewdly designed for the teenage and calculated also to attract the curious and the oldsters who enjoy this sort of thing.
The shrieking, screaming teenage reaction was evident at a packed invitational afternoon screening at an upper Broadway theater. The mere appearance of a Beatle set off a chain reaction of screeching. When this mingled with the screams of pursuing teenagers on the screen, the result was pandemonium.
The Liverpool string quartet collectively achieves stardom in their maiden cinematic effort, and the film may be expected to be the first in a series.
Produced by Walter Shenson, directed by Richard Lester and written by Alun Owen, the team that delivered "The Mouse on the Moon", the film purports to chronicle 36 hours in the life of the moptops, hours that are normal because they're hectic. The riot starts as they take off for their next engagement, continues with their arrival in the provincial city and rehearsal and staging of a TV show. Always there are mobs of young girls in hot pursuit.
The script cleverly makes use of the Beatles' individual personalities, and while Norman Rossington as the harassed manager, Wilfrid Brambell (of TV's "Steptoe & Son") as a fictional grandfather and Victor Spinetti as a neurotic director have their moments in counter-plot, it's the Beatles' show all the way. Ringo Starr in a solo sequence displays potential as a mime.
While imaginative and often offbeat, the photography is lacking by top standards in on-the-spot location shooting, and editing is not as fluent as it might be in integrating the fast-moving scenes. The sound at times doesn't help American audiences to understand the quaint dialect and slang expressions.
But only the experts and the finicky will cavil at these deficiencies. There's a host of young American females waiting for this picture like the world is waiting for the sunrise.
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
United Artists
Producer: Walter Shenson
Director: Richard Lester
Screenwriter: Alun Owen
Director of photography: Gilbert Taylor
Art director: Ray Simm
Music director: George Martin
Songs by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Sound: H.L. Bird, Stephen Dalby
Editor: John Jympson
Associate producer: Dennis O'Dell
Assistant director: John D. Merriman
Cast: The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr), Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, Victor Spinetti, John Junkin, Deryck Guyler, Anna Quayle.
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
In their first feature, "A Hard Day's Night", the Beatles display a flair for knockabout comedy and slapstick when they're not beating out some dozen of their tunes, including six new ones. The film is mad, mad and crazy, shrewdly designed for the teenage and calculated also to attract the curious and the oldsters who enjoy this sort of thing.
The shrieking, screaming teenage reaction was evident at a packed invitational afternoon screening at an upper Broadway theater. The mere appearance of a Beatle set off a chain reaction of screeching. When this mingled with the screams of pursuing teenagers on the screen, the result was pandemonium.
The Liverpool string quartet collectively achieves stardom in their maiden cinematic effort, and the film may be expected to be the first in a series.
Produced by Walter Shenson, directed by Richard Lester and written by Alun Owen, the team that delivered "The Mouse on the Moon", the film purports to chronicle 36 hours in the life of the moptops, hours that are normal because they're hectic. The riot starts as they take off for their next engagement, continues with their arrival in the provincial city and rehearsal and staging of a TV show. Always there are mobs of young girls in hot pursuit.
The script cleverly makes use of the Beatles' individual personalities, and while Norman Rossington as the harassed manager, Wilfrid Brambell (of TV's "Steptoe & Son") as a fictional grandfather and Victor Spinetti as a neurotic director have their moments in counter-plot, it's the Beatles' show all the way. Ringo Starr in a solo sequence displays potential as a mime.
While imaginative and often offbeat, the photography is lacking by top standards in on-the-spot location shooting, and editing is not as fluent as it might be in integrating the fast-moving scenes. The sound at times doesn't help American audiences to understand the quaint dialect and slang expressions.
But only the experts and the finicky will cavil at these deficiencies. There's a host of young American females waiting for this picture like the world is waiting for the sunrise.
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
United Artists
Producer: Walter Shenson
Director: Richard Lester
Screenwriter: Alun Owen
Director of photography: Gilbert Taylor
Art director: Ray Simm
Music director: George Martin
Songs by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Sound: H.L. Bird, Stephen Dalby
Editor: John Jympson
Associate producer: Dennis O'Dell
Assistant director: John D. Merriman
Cast: The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr), Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, Victor Spinetti, John Junkin, Deryck Guyler, Anna Quayle.
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 12/1/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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