The Beatles are one of the most iconic bands of all time, as they are still one of the most popular artists listened to on Spotify.  The movie, “A Hard Day’s Night,” directed by Richard Lester, follows a few days in the band’s life as they head to London to perform live on television, and deal with Paul McCartney’s witty grandfather. The film invites the audience to really appreciate the Beatles by connecting them to the band through their music, personalities, and friendship.  Throughout the movie, we are reminded of these 3 things especially the cold opening, where we see an iconic scene of the Beatles running in unison from a large crowd of fans, with the song “A Hard Days Night” playing in the background.To me, the cold opening is perfect representation of the group. Four friends living the dream of making music, having the time of their life.  However, according to a post interview with Paul McCartney, none of the Beatles enjoyed the movie when the first saw it.  “None of us were you know very excited until we saw it with the audience,” (YouTube). However, the reason may have been that they felt like this movie may not excite crowds, which could hurt their career. They were a band, they may have had no aspirations of becoming movie stars, especially early in their musical career. The audience, full of fans both big and small, is what excites them.  The Beatles know that if the fans enjoy the film, then they will increase the amount of people listening to their music. “Better with all the people laughing and booing John,” (YouTube). This statement from the audio recording with Paul McCartney points out at their ability to laugh at themselves and enjoy the hokey comedy that they made. This may have caused them to find a little bit of a future in the film industry. They made four feature films including A Hard Day’s Night, Yellow Submarine, Help!, and Let It Be.  I had only seen Yellow Submarine that movie is one of the reasons I am a Beatles fan today.  The Beatles may have known that by showing scenes of their lives to their fans, the connection could bring them closer.

Many artists today use social media and music videos to bring their fans into their lives.  I feel like this movie was a precursor to this style of fame. In the article, Mythology, Remythology, and Demythology: The Beatles on Film, the authors criticize the Beatles for using films to overmarket and create a cult following. “They came to envision the film as an opportunity for blazing trails into new marketing vistas well beyond the teenage demographic. The alacrity with which the Beatles came to perceive themselves as a marketing juggernaut also dovetails precisely with their triumphant visit to the United States in 1964.” Richard Lester created a film that shows inside of the Beatles lives as music stars.  The Beatles were in their young 20s while making the film.  They are still kids just trying to become famous and pursue a career while doing something they love.  The Beatles were simply trying to create a following called Beatlemania like many of the artists we’ve seen since The Beatles, such as the Beliebers for Justin Bieber and The Blue Army for Aerosmith fans.  The Beatles may have created ridiculous merchandise for its time, but today it would be a cool souvenir for any fan.

The Beatles and Richard Lester created a movie that invited people to find comfort in the Beatles by making them seem like relatable people, specifically Ringo Starr’s struggle to accept himself due to his big, crooked nose.  In a Vanity Fair article titled, “Making Beatlemania: A Hard Day’s Night at 50,” the author, Sam Kashner, makes a valid point.  “When A Hard Day’s Night opened, it was unlike any other pop-music movie that had come before. Here were the Beatles as we first knew them, on black-and-white television, arriving on tarmacs and interviewed in press receptions, before their drug busts, the Maharishi, and their divorces.” A Hard Day’s Night show us the true innocence behind the Beatles and their dreams.  They were a band of friends who loved music and the people whom enjoyed it.  They were kids, with dreams and weaknesses just like everyone else.

A Hard Day’s Night is a great pop culture film that I believe it has paved the way for many other artists that bring their fans into their lives to feel relatable.  Through songs such as “And I Love her,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “Tell Me Why,” The Beatles narrated a few days in their lives through their music and comedy.  This quick glimpse into their lives was enough to make us feel like we were apart of them.

Resources

Vanity Fair -https://www.evernote.com/pub/edwardoneill/harddaysnightdossier#st=p&n=c94ce30d-4cf9-495d-a830-7c631d06dffc

Mytholgy, Remythology, and Demythology – https://www.evernote.com/pub/edwardoneill/harddaysnightdossier#st=p&n=689472ce-9614-4bab-9fe3-9272decd4fd9

Audio Interview on Youtube – https://www.evernote.com/pub/edwardoneill/harddaysnightdossier#st=p&n=11aae82a-de82-465b-ba3d-c2d4fc939d1a