A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Director:

Richard Lester

Writer:

Alun Owen (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 August 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

The Beatles starring in their first full-length, hilarious action-packed film !

Plot:

A 'typical' day in the life of the Beatles, including many of their famous songs. |

Plot Keywords:

The Beatles | Rehearsal | Pub | Police Chase | Screaming

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

John Lennon	...	John
Paul McCartney	...	Paul
George Harrison	...	George
Ringo Starr	...	Ringo
Wilfrid Brambell	...	John McCartney - Paul's Grandfather
Norman Rossington	...	Norm
John Junkin	...	Shake
Victor Spinetti	...	Richard - T.V. Director
Anna Quayle	...	Millie
Deryck Guyler	...	Police Inspector
Richard Vernon	...	Man on Train
Edward Malin	...	Hotel Waiter (as Eddie Malin)
Robin Ray	...	T.V. Floor Manager
Lionel Blair	...	T.V. Choreographer
Alison Seebohm	...	Dolly - Simon's Secretary

Also Known As:

Beatles No. 1 (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (1982 re-release) | Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G (original rating) | Canada:F (Ontario) (re-rating) (1982) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) (1982) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1979) | USA:TV-14 (cable rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | France:U (2001 re-release) | Peru:PT | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:6 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, England, UK

Company:

Proscenium Films

Trivia:

While Paul McCartney is singing "And I Love Her," the camera panning around him picks up an arc light that flashes straight into the lens. United Artists executives, reviewing the dailies and certain the shot had to be a mistake, asked producer Walter Shenson if he was aware of it; Shenson replied it had taken them all morning to get it like that.

Goofs:

Continuity: George Harrison draws a beard on an old man on the monitor in the control room. His marker marks on this monitor disappear in subsequent scenes.

Quotes:

Grandfather: Hey, Paulie, they're trying to fob you off with this musical charlatan. But I gave him the test.
T.V. Director: I'm quite happy to be replaced.
Grandfather: He's a typical buck-passer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kuutamolla (2002)

Soundtrack:

I'm Happy Just to Dance with You

fun movie

Directed by Richard Lester and written by Alun Owen, this is the least pretentious of the Beatles' movies, more or less mirroring their own story and featuring many of their most popular songs – along with the title track (even if it does bring back memories of the crazy send-up by Peter Sellers), there is ‘I Should Have Known Better', ‘All My Loving', ‘Can't Buy Me Love', and ‘She Loves You'.

Alongside the mop-tops playing themselves, this energetic movie also features Wilfred Brambell (Albert Steptoe) as Paul's grandad, as well as John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Deryck Guyler, and – eek – Lionel Blair. The boys themselves can't really act but can at least play themselves – getting fan mail, giving performances, dealing with kooky fans, a typical ‘day in the life'.

‘A Hard Day's Night' is fun and perhaps the most accessible of their films to non-Beatles fans. I still can't say I rate Paul McCartney though – all eyebrows and enormous ego – the others come out of this movie better.