The Beatles in Richard Lester's <i>A Hard Day's Night</i>
2011; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 4; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/thr.2011.0089
ISSN1939-9774
Autores Tópico(s)Theater, Performance, and Music History
ResumoThe Beatles in Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night R. L. Friedman (bio) Hard to believe but rock 'n' roll was once dangerous. Parents groaned in fear of its pernicious effects. When it swerved from teenage twisting into an angry tirade against materialism and constraints, parents feared the widening chasm between their generation and their children's. Then rock merged into the mainstream. Parents could tap their feet to it under the [End Page 594] formica table at TGIFs. Rock 'n' roll became a product—or was it always?, painful as that may feel to those whose rebellious ways are an integral part of their self-image—and like any commodity, it is aimed at a market segment. But fans don't care. They don't care if the Rolling Stones record their raunchy blues on a mega-yacht in the Aegean. The lifestyle may not suit the lyrics but it still sparks the fantasy of rebellion cohabiting with fiscal plentitude in mindless but pleasurable contradiction. Rock 'n' roll on film traveled a truer mercantile path than did the music alone—those early movies were blatant attempts to milk cash. They were products without disguise. The financial demands of film production were too pressing to allow for carefree rebellion. On celluloid Bill Haley's forelock appeared less dangerous than Lil' Abner's. Elvis the King owned the rock 'n' roll movie and was unmade in the process. Hollywood crafted his films like updated versions of MGM musicals: trite plots, gorgeous babes, and unimaginative acting. Presley's dynamic presence occasionally exceeded these limitations—his magnetism came through whether playing a racecar driver or travelling singer. He might have harbored a great screen talent, but his movies have aged less well than Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals. So how is it that out of this insipid genre a movie was made in 1964 that passes every test for quality and staying power: after half a century, the music is exhilarating, the humor is still playful, the cinematography is beautiful (and still widely imitated), and the sheer joy of those ninety minutes remains a memory that's far more than nostalgic. The film in question is A Hard Day's Night, and it lives because of the happy presence of two qualities as rare in films today as blue diamonds: charm and wit. Music genealogists trace the Beatles' music to American rhythm 'n' blues, rockabilly, and early rock 'n' roll. They're one-third correct. Another third is the pop ballads of prior decades (forever improved by songs like "If I Fell"), and a final third, British radio comedy send-ups like The Goon Show with its loony performances by Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and the show's father, Spike Milligan. This influence is more than just the shared love of absurdity and non-sequiturs running through John Lennon's two books of dotty poetry. There's a causal relation. In the early 1960s a Philadelphia-born filmmaker, Richard Lester, moved to England and filmed an improvisational program aired on the BBC at an hour when no one was watching. Yet a few days later Lester's phone rang. Peter Sellers was calling to offer his opinion: the film was either a unique piece of art or the worst piece of crap ever. Lester suggested the first, and the two collaborated on an offbeat (and still beloved) short film titled The Running, Jumping, Standing Still Film. A few years later when the Beatles had conquered the British cultural scene and were offered a film deal, they were happy to work with the man behind that Sellers flick. This was the second time in their career as a band that the Goons steered them towards quality and away from corporate overkill. Two years before filming A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles were an [End Page 595] unknown (and unrecorded) act from Liverpool, subject to rejection from every major record label in the UK. What happened next is what everyone knows: the dejected band was offered a meeting with a producer known for classical music recordings and comedy albums. George Martin's very presence that eventful day was a disappointment. Who are...
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