Help! (1965)

Sir 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. Sir Ringo Starr, drummer of The Beatles 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 Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, and George Harrison 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:

The colorful adventures of the Beatles are more colorful than ever...in color! (Poster).

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

While filming the "Another Girl" scene, Sir Paul McCartney is playing a girl as if she's a bass guitar. At one point he throws his arm in the air and when he resumes "strumming" he accidentally brushes the girl. His face afterwards is a picture.

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Goofs

When the boys are at the piano in the Alps at the end of the "Ticket to Ride" sequence, a hand appears on Ringo's right shoulder which obviously was a crew member giving the signal for the guys to leave. As the boys turn to leave and ride away, the hand is resting on the top corner of the piano.

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Quotes

Ahme: [Pulls out a shot] I have here.
[George faints]

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Crazy Credits

This film is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Mr. Elias Howe, who, in 1846, invented the sewing machine.

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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

Referenced in Svengoolie: The Curse of the Werewolf (2011)

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Soundtracks

A Hard Day's Night
(1964) (uncredited)
Written by John Lennon with Paul McCartney
Played by an Indian band as an instrumental

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.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1965 (UK)

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