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:

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:

Help yourself to seven great new Beatle hits! (Poster).

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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

Due to time constraints, the film was edited while it was being shot. So by day Richard Lester would shoot the film, and by night he would edit any scenes that had been completed.

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Goofs

When the boys are out in the field protected by security, you can see through the whole first song, that Ringo does not have the ring on his finger, but during the next song before the ground explodes, he does have it on.

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Quotes

George: Hey, you're all red again.
Ringo: I know, I'm beginning to like it!

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, the sacrificial high priest and his followers are throwing darts at the Beatles on the projection screen. Each dart begins a new credit.

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Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

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Soundtracks

Overture from the Barber of Seville
(1816) (uncredited)
Written by Gioachino Rossini
Played over the end credits

User Reviews

Another Crazy Beatles Outing.

God Bless the Beatles. They're one of the few musical groups that still remain as fresh and entertaining even today. And that applies to their films as well. "Help!" is a lot of fun. Take the fab four with a goofy plot of Ringo being the target of religious sacrificial cult, add a handful of great songs, and that's the movie. The one-liners in this film are still very funny, with plenty of "groaners" and the typical quick British wit. Really nice camera work, great sets (the Beatles' apartment showcases clever diversity for each member's personality) and just wild sub-plots throughout the film. (Paul's tiny adventure and the tank chase comes to mind.) As I said before, the film's main asset is the music, and one can't help but find themselves caught up in the songs.

The strangest thing in the film is when it abruptly veers away from the cult chase to numerous songs and the Beatles just playing around. Even with a few more attempts on poor Ringo's finger, it seems like everyone takes a break from the chase. It really doesn't matter, however. The Beatles seem to be having a good time, and you can't help but join in.

"Help!" is a great showcase of Beatles music, fun writing and clever visuals. While not as great as "A Hard Day's Night", those who enjoyed that movie will be hard-pressed to find anything wrong here.