Since Beatlemania seems to be going stronger than ever these days, and interest in the films the band made has peaked yet again (the Magical Mystery Tour film joins Yellow Submarine as a new DVD release from the band’s catalog this year), it’s easy for a film-obsessed Beatlefan to to get a little nostalgic regarding the film career of the Fab Four (you know, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr). Although the Beatles only made, or were featured in, four theatrical and one television film during their time as band, that’s a body of work anyone would be hard-pressed to surpass for its pure entertainment value. While, the influence a few of those films had on film history is quite impressive (the guiding hand of A Hard Day’s Night can be seen in most rock films made since and even in spoofs like This Is Spinal Tap), these films are more often fan-oriented than not, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something there for the non-Beatle fan (there most definitely is). So, let’s go down the long and winding road (yeah, I know, couldn’t resist) of film history and take a look back on the films of the Beatles.
After the Beatles hit America, and Beatlemania was in full outbreak, the jump to the silver screen was inevitable. The result is the band’s best film and arguably the best rock and roll film ever made. Like everything they did as a band, the Beatles’ film challenged the construct of the rock film. Until this time, pop stars were relegated to playing the house band or appearing in musicals that often served as vehicles to release singles or soundtrack albums. But, screenwriter Alun Owen (who was nominated for an Oscar based on his work here), crafted the first successful pseudo-documentary and showcased the Beatles as themselves and let their personalities dictate their characters. Whether right or wrong, this is the film that solidified the persona of the band: John the clever one, Paul the cute one, George the quiet one, and Ringo the loveable sad sack. This is the point at which the world truly fell in love with the Beatles as individuals and not just as performers. Director Richard Lester brought a comedic sensibility to the film that frequently approached the absurd but always pulled back just enough to keep things from getting too silly. The day in the life plot is filled with iconic moments of Beatle history such as their witty remarks at press conferences and, of course, the hordes of screaming girls. Then there’s all the music…’nuff said?
Help! (1965)
The Beatles second film saw them reunited with director Lester and featured a departure from the Beatles being Beatles narrative of A Hard Day’s Night. Rather than repeat the quasi-documentary approach of the first film, Help! (which was originally titled Eight Arms to Hold You) made the band characters in a rather complicated and sublimely ridiculous plot involving human sacrifices, mad scientists, Scotland Yard, and shrinking potions. The story begins when Ringo is sent a ruby ring by a fan but, unfortunately, wearing the ring means that he becomes the target of a group of religious zealots determined to offer him up as a sacrifice to their god. Also obsessed with the ring is a mad scientist who believes he can use it to “rule the world.” The film follows the Beatles as they travel the globe keeping poor, defenseless Ringo out of harm’s way. While it isn’t the artistic achievement that A Hard Day’s Night was, it still succeeds as an entertaining romp that can easily be seen as the harbinger of The Monkees television show. Plus, it’s probably the only musical spy spoof ever made.
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
This television film is the result of giving the four most popular men on the planet free reign to make a film and filling their heads with delusions of infallibility. The result is a mixture of surrealism and rather unfocused avant-garde filmmaking that never really hits its stride but is impressive for its sheer audacity and the possibilities it presents. Made shortly after the death of manager Brian Epstein, Magical Mystery Tour originally aired on British television and was shelved indefinitely amidst horrid critical and public response. It has since achieved cult status and, despite its shortcomings (a lack of experienced filmmakers focusing the Beatles creative force as in earlier films is the foremost problem), the film remains an important historical accounting of the Beatles’ psychedelic period as well as the overall Sixties aesthetic. But, other than the music (I mean, where else can you find John Lennon dressed as a walrus singing, well, “I Am the Walrus” or a full Busby Berkeley musical number set to “Your Mother Should Know”?), this is more for die-hard fans of the band than anyone else. But, to be completely honest, I absolutely love the mad zaniness of this film. The scene where John serves shovelfuls of spaghetti to Ringo’s obese Auntie rivals anything Fellini ever shot. And, who knows, had the band pursued filmmaking they might have developed their skills as exponentially as they did their music.
Yellow Submarine (1968)
Having soured on filmmaking after the lambasting Magical Mystery Tour received, the Beatles originally agreed to lend their name and music to this animated film believing that it would complete their three-picture contract with United Artists (it didn’t). Having reportedly hated the Saturday morning cartoon that had been based on them, they were less than enthusiastic about the film and weren’t inclined to provide an abundance of original material for the soundtrack (it’s comprised mostly of songs from their last couple albums and castoffs from the Sgt. Pepper sessions). Once they saw a rough cut of the psychedelic adventure however, they agreed to film a live action coda for the film (which is, incidentally the only scene in which the actual Beatles appear in the film – their characters are voiced by other actors). The film follows the Beatles as they are whisked away to Pepperland to do battle with the Blue Meanies who have taken Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band hostage. They battle the Meanies with the help of Captain Fred and his Yellow Submarine and Jeremy (the “Nowhere Man”) using the power of love. If that all sounds a bit out there, it is. Somehow it all comes together and the film manages to be both charming and entertaining and it may just be the lone Beatle film that can be enjoyed by non-Beatle fans as a good animated feature in its own right.
Let It Be (1970)
The film that finally fulfilled the band’s original three-picture deal with United Artists was also, sadly, the one that chronicled their disintegration. Shot on location at the Twickenham Film Studios, the Abbey Road studios, and atop the Apple offices, the film is the posthumous account of the making of the Let It Be album. Begun as part of the Get Back project the film was put on hold following completion as none of the Beatles (nor did their producer, George Martin) wanted to cull through the hours of tape to produce a viable album. Infamous producer Phil Spector was brought in to construct an album from the recordings and the resulting soundtrack ironically won the Beatles an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and/or Adaptation. While the growing tensions within the band are painfully visible (George and Paul seem to be constantly fighting and the three Beatles not named John are often visibly uncomfortable with Yoko Ono’s continuous presence) there are still some wonderful performances captured here. You can see brief pockets where the band does seem to be having an honestly good time doing exactly what they were born to do. But, overall, the film is both illuminating as you’re allowed inside the recording process and achingly sad as the band’s dynamic dissolves in front of your eyes. Nevertheless, it remains an important piece of the Beatles’ film legacy and is well worth viewing.
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.
