Help! (1965)

Ringo Starr finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult, and his fellow members of The Beatles must try to protect him from it.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Marc Behm (screenplay), Charles Wood (screenplay)

Stars:

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
The Beatles	...	The Beatles
Leo McKern	...	Clang
Eleanor Bron	...	Ahme
Victor Spinetti	...	Foot
Roy Kinnear	...	Algernon
John Bluthal	...	Bhuta
Patrick Cargill	...	Superintendent
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 | drummer | 

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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:

¡Socorro!

Filming Locations:

Ailsa Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

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

Judy Cornwell says in her memoirs she was asked to appear in this project but had to pass because she was very pregnant.

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Goofs

When Bhuta jumps out of the Good Year blimp to lay the plan to trap the Beatles, there is a wide shot of the stuntman playing Bhuta jumping out of the blimp. Watch the bottom of the screen, and you'll see the stuntman's head bounce back into the frame after landing on an obvious crash mat. So, the blimp wasn't as high in the sky as the filmmakers were trying to make it appear. Afterwards, there is a shot of a horribly fabricated dummy hanging where Bhuta is supposed to be hanging (too skinny, and the arms are too long).

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Quotes

Professor Foot: He's an idiot. Degree in woodwork. I ask you!

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, you can see Paul McCartney take a bong hit, then proceed to blow smoke into the camera.

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Alternate Versions

Paul Rutan, Jr. single-handedly restored this movie within four years. The master negative had over 15 tears, imbedded dirt, and faded color. This restored version also features over-dubbed music for musical sequences because of the age of the existing soundtracks. The restored version of Help! (1965) premiered on American Movie Classics in 1995 and is the current version availible on video and DVD.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Shrinking Scenes in Movies (2016)

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Soundtracks

James Bond Theme
(uncredited)
Music by Monty Norman
Arrangement by John Barry

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".