I watched A Hard Day’s Night last night for the second time. The first was back in 1964 when I saw it at a drive-in with my parents. I imagine I pleaded with Mom & Dad to see the movie when I was only 11 years-old, but I suppose they were curious too. After all, they had witnessed the Beatles rise to superstardom as we all did back then by watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show during their premiere in the U.S. and listening to their many hits on the radio. You could not escape them back then. So I know my parents weren’t just curious – they wanted to know what was going on with me, my generation – and perhaps themselves too.

It’s a fun movie to watch again. You look back and you marvel what was going on in the culture back in our youth. But more than that, how good was this movie? From a story standpoint, it was terrible! But you already knew that. There is no, or little, story. It was a device to allow the Beatles to showcase their music. There is no insight into songwriting inspiration. Even the performances are highly staged. Studio versions of their songs are lip-synched while the lads are involved in zany situations. But it’s fun when viewed through the lens of the early 1960s. There were only a few movies with rock and roll idols. Beach Blanket Bingo and a lot of Elvis movies. So this was relatively new and the culture loved it. And so did I and my boyhood friends.

Three things immediately stood out to me as I viewed the film. Patti Boyd appears early in the movie in a few scenes shot on a train with the Beatles. It is where George Harrison and she first met and of course they later married in 1966. She is the inspiration for the song Something, written by George. She was part of the new British “female look” which included “mini skirts, long straight hair and wide-eyed loveliness” according to The Famous People.com.

(FYI – Patti Boyd has a new book out, Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures: Boyd, Pattie, Wood, Ronnie: 9781909526907: AmazonSmile: Books).

The second thing that quickly became apparent to me is that the movie was the first music video. It was a device to play Beatles songs and hits while we view glimpses of their touring and lifestyle. No wonder it was so different back then. It wasn’t a concert film, it was a bunch of songs strung together with not much plot.

A third surprise watching the film in retrospect is realizing that this film captured the beginnings of the Generation Gap. It is clearly a battle between authority (their management team, elderly people on the train and the Police) and the up-and-coming generation (epitomized by the Beatles and their adoring, frenzied teenage fans). There is a scene where a “proper” executive on the train tries to exert control of the train compartment they are riding in by insisting they close the window and turn their music off. He finally blurts out that he cannot believe he fought in the war and this is the thanks he gets. It is a minor scene but later in the decade, more avant-garde films would expose these struggles between the generations.

One of the characters, the Irish actor, Wilfrid Brambell, played Paul McCartney’s grandfather in the film. I had always remembered the name and his face but I had completely forgotten he played Paul’s grandfather. I guess I thought he was one of the record executives who were always chastising the Beatles throughout the film. I just remembered he was the one who kept popping up on an elevator that raised him onto the stage as the Beatles performed. It was comical back then and even now I still smiled.

I also noticed many references to the Keystone Kops, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other stars from the Silent Era. I’m not surprised since the screenwriter would have been influenced by the zany comedies of the Silent Era. Because I was too: I loved Chaplin, Keaton, the Keystone Kops and many other Mack Sennett comedians and their influence is sprinkled throughout the movie. After all, it was only 35 or so years after the peak of the Silent Comedy Era, so it is not surprising. But it made it a joy for me to rewatch it and see these influences as I watched it now.

I’m not sure about seeing Help! or Yellow Submarine a second time. It won’t have the same impact on me. But it has revived an interest in me to dig out a few of my old Beatles albums and sink into their mastery of dominating rock and pop music during their decade – the 60s. It is amazing how much influence they had on the music and culture; after all, once they came to America in 1964, the group only lasted until 1970 when they broke up and went their separate ways. That’s a lot of impact to have in only six or so years.

A Hard Day’s Night was fun to see again. It’s not a great film. But it captures a band and an age that was very innocent. And soon after, John, George, Paul and Ringo – and the world – would get a whole lot darker as the 60s became more restless and violent.

Chris Ebel
11/13/22

Photo credit: @photodisc