A Hard Day's Night (Film): Train scene.

The Beatles Film: A Hard Day’s Night (1964): Introduction

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) is the first Beatles film. Indeed, it is a musical comedy in black-and-white format. However, the lack of colour doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. On the contrary, it takes you back to when the Fab Four were young and laid back, and it all adds atmosphere. After all, this is The Beatles, and those were the days of Beatlemania!

The film is a must-see, of course, and has some great music. Moreover, we see The Beatles enjoying their new roles while acting naturally. In the UK, the British Film Institute says “A Hard Day’s Night” is the 88th greatest British film of the 20th century. Also, Time Magazine says it is one of the “all-time great 100 films.” That really is an achievement!

A Hard Day's Night Film: Poster.
  • Director: Richard Lester
  • Producer: Walter Shenson
  • Screenplay: Alun Owen
  • Music by Musical Director: George Martin
  • Songs: Lennon-McCartney
  • Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor
  • Editor: John Jympson
  • Production Company: Walter Shenson Films, Proscenium Films, Subafilms Ltd.
  • Distributor: United Artists
  • Release Date: July 6, 1964 (UK) and August 11, 1964 (US)
  • Running time: 87 minutes
  • Country: United Kingdom

Starring:

Also Starring:

Obviously, when you get a movie starring The Beatles, you stand up and take notice. However, the Fab Four only appeared in five movies and “A Hard Day’s Night Film” is their first.

Filmed entirely in the UK, The Beatles excelled here while having fun. Indeed, this was in the early stages of Beatlemania, and the film captures that beautifully. This was actually a low-budget film, costing just £200,000 at the time. Be that as it may, filming took place over 7 weeks and has a good plot.

Recently, the film underwent restoration, remixing, and remastering. Now we can enjoy it in all its glory. Here is the trailer for the film.

The Beatles are leaving Liverpool on a train bound for London to do a show. But first, they need to escape from their fans. While on the train, there are many distractions which test their patience. Firstly, they have to contend with Paul McCartney’s grandfather. He is constantly getting into trouble throughout the film.

The Fab Four eventually get to London after entertaining some schoolgirls with a song in the guard’s van. Pattie Boyd plays the part of one of those schoolgirls. Obviously, she met George Harrison this way. Eventually, they married, of course.

Once in London, they feel a little trapped. While in their hotel, they must reply to fan mail, which they also escape from. In this case, they go to a party instead. However, they quickly return when the manager, Norm, finds them. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney’s grandfather goes missing, and they all look for him at the casino.

Then, while waiting for the rehearsals, Ringo Starr gets the job of looking after Paul’s grandfather. But Starr wanders off on a journey on his own after the granddad says he should experience life rather than read books. Eventually, the planned concert goes ahead, but The Beatles must escape again from the hordes of fans. They do this by using a helicopter after the show finishes.

Of course, The Beatles were promoting their music while making the movie. Indeed, the film was secondary to the release of a soundtrack album. That also had the name “A Hard Day’s Night.” Moreover, there was an EP release called “Extracts from the Film A Hard Day’s Night.”

With this in mind, here is a list of the songs in the film.

So, what is your favourite moment from the film? Indeed, what memories does this movie bring back?

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