Help! (1965)

Ringo finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult and the band must try to protect him from it.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Marc Behm (screenplay), Charles Wood (screenplay),

Stars:

George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
The Beatles	...	Themselves
Leo McKern	...	Clang
Eleanor Bron	...	Ahme
Victor Spinetti	...	Foot
Roy Kinnear	...	Algernon
Patrick Cargill	...	Superintendent
John Bluthal	...	Bhuta
Alfie Bass	...	Doorman
Warren Mitchell	...	Abdul
Peter Copley	...	Jeweller
Bruce Lacey	...	Lawnmower

Storyline

An Eastern cult discovers that the sacrificial ring is missing. Ringo, drummer of The Beatles band has it; sent by the girl (who's to be sacrificed) as a gift. Clang, Ahme, Bhuta and several cult members leave for London to retrieve the ring. After several failed attempts to steal the ring, they confront him in an Indian restaurant. Ringo learns that if he does not return the ring soon, he will become the next sacrifice. Ringo then discovers that the ring is stuck on his finger. Its a race against time; John, Paul, and George try to protect their friend while they're all being chased not only by Clang and his minions, but also by two mad scientists and the chief inspector of Scotland yard. Will Ringo be saved, or will he be sacrificed?

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Plot Keywords:

ring | mad scientist | human sacrifice | the beatles | restaurant | 

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Taglines:

Stop Worrying! HELP! Is On The Way!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aiuto!

Filming Locations:

Ailsa Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 4,831,000 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walter Shenson Films, Subafilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital (re-release)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When John and Ringo are walking along the sidewalk right before Ringo "posts his letter" they are reciting the first stanza of John's poem, "I Sat Belonely" from John's "In His Own Write".

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Goofs

When Prof Foot and Algernon kidnap Ringo in The Bahamas, they wrap him in a blanket before throwing him in the trunk of their car. A bit of the blanket gets caught when the lid closes, but when George jumps onto the trunk as car drives away, the bit of blanket is gone.

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Quotes

Professor Foot: MIT was after me, you know. Wanted me to rule the world for them.

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Crazy Credits

While the music is playing at the end (Overture from "Il bariere di Siviglia"), the Beatles are jokingly singing along with it and occasionally reading the credits.

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Connections

Featured in The Beatles Revolution (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Help!"
(1965) (uncredited)
Written by John Lennon with Paul McCartney
Performed by The Beatles
Published by Capitol Records

User Reviews

that Ringo is something else

Okay, so "Help!" isn't quite as creative as "A Hard Day's Night", but the Beatles always were able to do something good. In this case, Ringo happens to have a sacrificial ring belonging to a religious cult. So, the cult sets about trying to get it back. When they fail, they decide to sacrifice Ringo. Meanwhile, a scientist (Victor Spinetti) wants the ring for his own purposes. And of course, there's plenty of great music along the way.

In a way, the whole movie is sort of an excuse to be wacky. Whether it's the seemingly separate apartments that turn out to be one big room, the trap door activated by a glass, the skiing tournament, or the whole Bahamas sequence, they've got something neat every step of the way. Leo McKern, as cult leader Clang, and Eleanor Bron, as cultist Ahme who tries to protect Ringo, provide cool supporting roles.

I guess that if I ever get a woman to watch "Help!" with me, I'll never "Lose That Girl".