The Quirks of “A Hard Day’s Night”

60 years ago this month, the Beatles began shooting their first film (starting March 6 through April 24, 1964) on a platform at London’s Paddington Station. A Hard Day’s Night was completed and edited for release in record time, the film hit the shores of America with a US premiere in July of 1964.

Writer Alun Owen’s outstanding screenplay is still entertainingly watchable, even for non-Beatles fans. It captured much of what was happening at the time of Beatlemania, although John Lennon would say years later that it was a “glib” reproduction. The film’s release was a watershed event for Rock and Roll productions. Legendary film critic Roger Ebert stated that the movie was one of the top 5 musicals he’d ever seen, “right up there with Singing in the Rain.” Almost universally praised by the critics of the day, (“The Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals”) Owun’s script ended up being nominated for an Academy Award (as did George Martin’s score). A Hard Day’s Night made The Beatles stratospheric.

Much has been written about the no-name extras that later became fixtures in 60’s popular culture. A 20-year-old model and commercial actress named Pattie Boyd played a schoolgirl and later married George Harrison in January 1966. 13-year-old child actor Phil Collins was a paid extra (among 350 others) during the March 31 Scala Theatre sequence in London. By the late 70s, he’d be a household name in rock music.

There are some eccentric appearances as well. Actor Richard Vernon (playing the upper-crust passenger on the train – “Hey mister! Can we have our ball back?”) would achieve the distinction of being the only person to be in a Beatles movie and a James Bond Film (playing Dink, Bond’s masseuse in Goldfinger).

The movie’s director Richard Lester would appear, Hitchcock-like, looking out from the back of the stage at the Scala during the sequence of their television appearance (at the 1 hour:15 min:46 sec point in the film). It’s unknown if this was a planned filming.

Beyond its black & white docu-landscape, there are other quirky elements to A Hard Day’s Night, that make it even more entertaining:

Real Beatlemania Comes Calling

While filming the iconic opening sequence of paid extras chasing the Beatles through Marylebone train station, a group of “real” fans broke through the production’s heavy security. The Beatles, quite aware of the dangers of charging fans, quickly but awkwardly took shelter via an open door to the train. It just so happened that director Dick Lester was holding a hand-held camera at that very moment. His instincts took hold, and he was able to capture the actual shot of the Beatles diving onto the train. Lester’s real-life action was edited into the film and can be seen at the film’s 2 min:33sec point.

Paul’s Missing Scene

The movie was structured for each Beatle to be featured in a separate adventure, designed to develop their persona for the fans. George ventured into a production agency and hilariously challenged their thinking of what young people preferred (describing their shirts as “grotty”). Ringo was an escapee from his show-biz existence, befriending a young boy. John enjoyed a fun sequence with actress Anna Quayle who mistook John to be “him.” John plays along until she realizes John holds no resemblance to “him” at all. But where was Paul’s solo scene?

Director Dick Lester decided he couldn’t get Paul to play his scene on a natural level. He was to be out looking for the “escaped” Ringo when he meets a young woman practicing her lines in a nearby rehearsal hall (played by actress Isla Blair). Despite two days of shooting and several rewrites (including contributions from Paul), Lester deemed the sequence not worthy of the final cut. There’s no known copy of this scene available.

Stepping Out His Old Brown Shoe …. and onto Vincent’s Line

In a scene set in a TV control room, actor Victor Spinetti (the TV director) is lamenting that without the return of the missing Ringo, the Beatles aren’t going to make their deadline to air. George asks if he can comment, and Spinetti begins to answer his rhetorical question. But George steps on Spinetti’s line while using a magic marker to draw a mustache and glasses on the face of a man on a nearby TV monitor. Never edited out, the awkward exchange between the actors can be seen at the film’s 1 hour:19min:34 sec point.

It’s The Three-tles

One of the film’s most endearing scenes (filmed on April 23) is when the Beatles frolic at Thornbury Playing Fields in Isleworth, Middlesex England. They are seen playing tag, dancing about, and falling in slow motion from a step ladder (except Ringo who just jumps in place), while the backing song “Can’t Buy Me Love” chugs along.

As the tune ends, an older man scolds the boys: “I suppose you know this is private property!”  George sarcastically replies:  “Sorry if we hurt your field, mister.” At that point, viewers can quickly note that only three Beatles were moving off the field.  John had left the filming earlier that morning for London. He was due to speak at a literary luncheon held in his honor at the Dorchester Hotel, accepting congratulations for his best-selling book In His Own Write.

Can Buy Me A Drummer

And speaking of “Can’t Buy Me Love,” on March 10, 1964, producer George Martin was busy at Abbey Road studios putting the final touches on the songs to be featured on the soundtrack album. This tune was being addressed on this day and it was determined that it needed some sweetening in its rhythm track. Studio documents reveal that a “drummer” was brought in to do overdub work while Ringo was busy at Twickenham Film Studios; this is why the drumming on this song’s stereo mix differs slightly from the mono treatment. Sixty years on, the world still doesn’t know who the drummer was, but we know how much he was paid (£5 15p).

-Steven Valvano

Photo: Getty Images