Starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr), Wilfred Brambell, Norman Rossington, and John Junkin
Directed by Richard Lester
Music and Lyrics by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison
We stay in England, but jump back a few decades to honor the 60th anniversary of the Beatles making their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles' phenomenal success couldn't be contained within mere live performances. United Artists was thrilled to get them, but they weren't interested in the movie itself. They thought the soundtrack would make a lot more money.
As it turned out, they were both gold mines. The film was shot in sixteen weeks for less than $500,000 and would make three times that. It proved to be a landmark in film musicals and continues to be influential to this day. Does it deserve that praise, or should it be mobbed by the crowd? Let's begin with the Beatles (themselves) barely evading a platoon of screaming fans at a train station and find out...
The Story: On the train to London, they're joined by Paul's grandfather John (Brambell), who, despite the guys insisting he's a "clean" old man, is constantly making trouble. He first sets their manager Norm (Rossington) and road manager Shake (Junkin) against each other, then gets into a gambling club using an invitation sent to Ringo while the Beatles sneak off to a party. A comment from Grandfather also rattles the director of the TV show they're supposed to be appearing in (Victor Spinetti). Ringo ends up being assigned to keep an eye on Grandfather, but the wily old man insists Ringo go and see life instead. This just lands Ringo and Grandfather in jail. The Beatles have to get them out quickly, just in time for their big TV performance to go on.
The Song and Dance: The quick-cut, cinema verite style still looks darn good to this day. All four of the Beatles shine in a very funny script that was deservedly nominated for Best Screenplay. John has my favorite scenes, goofing off in the bath and with comedienne fan Anna Quayle at the TV studios. George gets the single best line in the film when a reporter asks him about his haircut, along with the sequence where he's cornered by a group who thinks he's an actor and want him to be in a commercial. Ringo gets the most dramatic sequences during his afternoon on the town, including his attempt to help a lady over a hole.
The real-life filming gives us London in all it's swinging 60's glory. That's a real train station the Beatles arrive at, with real screaming fans. Ringo has drinks in a real pub, and the quartet romp in an actual playing field. It gives you a real "you are there" feeling and adds to the intimacy that makes it feel like you really are eavesdropping on these four successful and very funny rock stars.
Favorite Number: We open with the title song and one of the most famous chords of all time as the Beatles' fans chase them across Marleybone Station. "I Should Have Known Better" is their number on the train as we see them interact with their fans. "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," and George's "Don't Bother Me" are heard briefly at the party.
"If I Fell" is John's number at the TV studio when they do their first rehearsal. The first version of "Can't Buy Me Love" has the quartet jumping and running around on that playing field as a crane follows their puppyish movements. "And I Love Her" and "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You" bring them back to the TV studio. "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" is a montage of Ringo wandering around London, dodging a tire rolled by a child and trying to help a lady across puddles by putting down his coat.
"Can't Buy Me Love" pops up again as the background for half the cops in London chasing the Beatles back to the TV studio after they manage to break Ringo out of prison. The boys finally get to their smashing TV performances of "Tell Me Why" and "She Loves You," along with reprises of "Should Have Known Better" and "If I Fell." The movie ends with a reprise of the title song as they head off in a helicopter and toss Grandpa's final attempt to profit off their fame - photos with forged signatures - to their fans below.
Trivia: Three songs, "I'll Cry Instead," "You Can't Do That," and "I Call Your Name," were cut from the final film. "Cry Instead" was used in a 1982 prologue that was supposed to honor John Lennon. It was removed during the film's restoration in 2000.
Brambell was best known at that point as the title character of the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son, who was often referred to as a "dirty old man." That's why they constantly call him a "clean old man" in the film. (And yes, Steptoe and Son would later be remade in the US as the even-more-successful Sanford and Son.)
Oddly, the group's name is never referred to in the film.
The film's jump cuts and cross-cutting would later inspire everything from The Monkees TV show to MTV music videos to commercials.
The title was apparently inspired by an off-the-cuff comment of Ringo's.
What I Don't Like: Once again, story is not the film's main concern. If you want to learn more about the real Beatles. you'd be better off looking for one of the many documentaries released on them. This movie is strictly to capture how it was during the early days of Beatlemania. Paul seems to be slightly underused compared to the other three. He mainly seems to be there to scold his grandfather. And it probably does help to be a fan of theirs to understand their personalities and why they're so popular.
The Big Finale: Honestly, if you want to know what the Beatles were about and why they were so huge in the mid-60's, this and the film's soundtrack album are probably the best places to start. Great way to learn more about the film styles of the swinging mid-60's, too. Highly recommended, especially for Beatles and British Invasion fans.
Home Media: Easily found on streaming and on disc, the latter from The Criterion Collection.
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