A Hard Day's Night

1964 "The Beatles, starring in their first full-length, hilarious, action-packed film!"
7.5| 1h28m| G| en| More Info
Released: 11 August 1964 Released
Producted By: United Artists
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, 'A Hard Day's Night' is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.

Genre

Comedy, Music

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Director

Richard Lester

Production Companies

United Artists

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A Hard Day's Night Audience Reviews

Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.
Develiker terrible... so disappointed.
Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
charlesem I am the same age as Ringo Starr and was born only a little over a week before John Lennon, so I watch A Hard Day's Night with more than ordinary nostalgia, the kind that might make me say with Wordsworth, "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, / But to be young was very heaven!" except that I'd be lying. Still, if there was bliss to be had in that post-Kennedy-assassination, Goldwater- haunted, Cold War summer of '64, it was to be found in watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo larking about at the movies. It was a breath of optimism, a statement that youth could conquer the world. It didn't quite turn out that way, but it didn't for Wordsworth either: He was talking about the French Revolution, which proved not to be so heavenly. This is, of course, one of the great film musicals, packed with engaging songs. They may be more lightweight than the Beatles' later oeuvre, lifting the heart rather than stirring the imagination, but they're impossible to resist. It also slyly, cheekily makes its point about the generation the Beatles are trying to leave behind: the ineptly bullying managers (Norman Rossington and John Junkin), the fussy TV director (Victor Spinetti), the marketing executive (Kenneth Haigh) sure that he has a handle on What the Kids Want, the Blimpish man on the train (Richard Vernon) who tells Ringo, "I fought the war for your sort." Ringo's reply: "I bet you're sorry you won." Celebrity is closing in on them, epitomized by the wonderfully elliptical dialogue in John's encounter with a woman (Anna Quayle) who is sure that she recognizes him but then puts on her glasses and proclaims, "You don't look like him at all." John mutters, "She looks more like him than I do." Alun Owen's screenplay, written after hanging out with the Beatles, absorbing and borrowing their own jokes, was one of the two Oscar nominations the film received, along with George Martin's scoring. None of the songs, of course, were nominated. Neither were Richard Lester's direction, Gilbert Taylor's cinematography, or John Jympson's editing, all of which kept the film buoyant and fleet. (charlesmatthews.blogspot.com)
calvinnme ...but they were great entertainers, and this film is great entertainment. This is the best of all of the rock and roll films that feature the actual performers. This picture demonstrates The Beatles at the peak of their popularity in the Summer of 1964- wandering about London- with the ultimate soundtrack in the background. A fascinating homage to Beatlemania when viewed now- over half a century later. The inventive boys from Liverpool are displayed at their sarcastic and witty best in this natural setting. A Hard Day's Night is a great example of the early Beatles musical ability, and work product, being that the title tune was written in about 20min between finishing an American tour, a European tour, a plethora of television specials, recording an LP in Paris in German for the Deutschland market, writing and recording the Hard Day's Night LP as well as making this film all within the same year, and before May of that year. After which, they all went on a month long vacation, recorded another album and began work on the next film. These guys were driven workaholics at this time, and their collective creative synergy has never been seen again.There wasn't anywhere The Beatles could go without being mobbed, thus they spent years boxed up in hotel rooms together to the point where they knew each other so well they often finished each others sentences during interviews. As a group of young men going through that type of stress day in and day out, they had to develop coping skills in order to keep it together, it seems they chose humor as their main tool. This movie shows us a little bit of that. Genius casting is evident in Hard Days Night with the inclusion of Irishman Wilfred Brambell as Paul McCartney's incorrigible Grandfather. Brambell was only 52 at the time but looked 82. At the time Brambell was very well known to British audiences due to the popularity of his television character named Albert Steptoe in a show called Steptoe and Son. Brambell's 1960s character Steptoe was the basis for the Fred Sanford character played by Redd Foxx on the 1970s American TV show "Sanford and Son". Look fast for a 13 year old Phil Collins in the audience as a screaming fan and look even faster for 20 year old Pattie Boyd as a schoolgirl on the train ride.
TxMike I watched this on the HULU channel via my ROKU stick. Great fun to see the Beatles in their very early days.I was a teenager in 1963 to 1965, the years when the Beatles made their big splash here in the States. I remember their splash very well although I never became a big fan. Their music is pleasant with nice harmonies but nothing I ever got excited over. This was likely filmed in 1963, or maybe very early 1964, when Lennon was maybe 22, McCartney was maybe 21, Harrison was maybe 20, and Starr was maybe 23. When you see them in this movie they look quite young indeed and they act like kids. It is very refreshing to see them before they were as big as they ultimately became.They are all from Liverpool and, except for Lennon, from Merseyside. I recall back then hearing "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Gerry and the Pacemakers and I had no idea what it was about. Now I know it is about the River Mersey, the lifeblood of Liverpool. In a similar manner Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever", my personal favorite Beatles recording, was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of Strawberry Field, a Salvation Army children's home near where he grew up in Liverpool. Point being as a kid growing up in the States I heard the lyrics but had no idea what their connections were, later in life and with great use of Google searches I know a lot more!This little movie is a contrived, humorous story about their journey by train from Liverpool to London for a recording session and a performance. There are lots of hijinks but magically everyone arrives just in the nick of time. Nice little movie to understand how much fun these kids were able to have on the cusp of turning into an international sensation.The Beatles are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
bbickley13-921-58664 Or rather, in a time when music videos didn't exist the Beatles make a feature film that does exactly what a music video was made to do.I'm not a huge Beatles fan but am familiar with the music the Fab four made when they went their separate ways, so it was interesting to see them together when they were babies.The movie was fun, playful and humorous, which makes them feel so down to earth (which I'm guessing is the point). their humor may have been all scripted but listening to John delivering puns, jokes and one-liners did the trick, and it was cool to see Ringo taking jabs at himself as the least talented Beatle.Even as one who grew up in the MTV generation, I was still impressed by the format of this movie. Watching the Beatles performing their songs was a treat and then there some music video like clips on certain songs that caught my eye. If you're not already into the Beatles I would give this a recommend, it can change your mind on them.