After an all night session at the studio, The Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr said, “that was a hard day’s night”. From that nonchalant remark came the title for The Beatles debut movie. The fab four play themselves over a “typical” 2 day period. They are constantly evading intense frenzied fans, granddad-sitting, soul searching and all while preparing for a live performance. This raucous musical comedy is set during the tumultuous 1960’s where music had the power to influence and change the world.  By the early 60’s, color film was being received more favorably by younger audiences (the target audience of this film). A Hard Day’s Night was filmed entirely in black and white. It is suggested this was due to the restrictive budget but another consideration is that it was an artistic version of “a day in the life of The Beatles”.  This was a time where news and documentaries were still broadcast in black and white, the film is in keeping with the style of that era, making it realistic and natural.But why was a film with an unknown director, a reluctant cast and limited technology, still be nominated for two Academy Awards and frequently top the list of most influential movie? Are musicals the secret recipe for box office success? 

A Hard Day’s Night falls into both the conventional and unconventional film criteria. It is conventional as the most popular band of all time are the main protagonists and it was very inoffensive, steering clear of any social or political stance. It made millions of fans extremely happy and was enjoyed by a wide audience. It is unconventional as it followed no previous novels, plays or musicals, in fact had no real plot. It had a very modest budget and a relatively unknown director. 

When approached to take part in a film based on themselves, The Beatles initially rejected the idea. They had just enjoyed huge success on the Ed Sullivan Show and appeared to be uncomfortable at being catapulted into the limelight. They did not see themselves as actors and had no desire to “conquer Hollywood”. I think this adds to the success of the film as the fab four were just being themselves; they are relaxed and natural and even showcased some of their vulnerabilities and awkwardness at their stardom.

Their manager, Brian Epstein, had already recruited a relatively unknown director, Richard “Dick” Lester. The Beatles were reluctant at first and only agreed to do the movie if Lester adhered to a strict budget of $200,000 and for it to be as “natural” as possible. With no real script in mind and a penchant for the unusual, Lester observed the fab four on tour in Paris. He realized the brilliance of their interactions with one another and his “mockumentary” was born. The bands interactions with one another such as the constant pranks, poking fun at each other and never taking anything too seriously allow viewers an insight to the personalities of each band member. In the film, the boys are being quizzed by the press. Lennon is asked “How do you find America?”, he replies, “ Turn left at Greenland”. McCartney is asked, “What do you call your hairstyle?” He jokes, “Arthur”. The use of dry wit and sarcasm and considering a large portion of the script is ad-libbed made the film watchable, relatable and enjoyable to a wide audience. This definitely contributes to the films success.

New to his craft, director In the documentary film, A Hard Day’s Night, several people involved in the making of the film, discuss their own accounts of what it was like being on the set of the movie. Gilbert Taylor, the director of photography, reveals how Lester gave the camera crew free rein. Dick Lester requested six cameramen and employed a multi-camera shooting technique. There was no video assist, just a zoom lense. Instructions were to capture whatever they could whilst the Beatles were playing, from whatever angle or shots possible. The result was extraordinary. Random angles, cut aways to the crowd, close ups of the musicians, all captured the essence of the moment. Filmed during the early 1960s when music was artistically experimental, the workmanship of the camera crew invented the idea of a “music video” where they played the films feature songs over the action. This is particularly evident during the final performance of the movie where they play to an excitable crowd. You can see the crowds emotion, the enjoyment of performing from the band and how the whole room is charged with an electric energy from The Beatles sound, performance and presence.

In the film, they showcase multiple songs such as “If I fell”, “All My Loving” and “I Wanna Be Your Man”. According to the interview with crew members on the set of “A Hard Day’s Night”, after the title was decided upon, the producer asked John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney to write a song with the same title. He didn’t think that it would work as a musical movie, if the title did not feature in the film itself. Within 24hrs, the two men had written the hit song, “A Hard Day’s Night”. That kind of talent and expertise is unheard of. How many people can write a hit song, on demand, within 24 hrs? 

In conclusion, A Hard Day’s Night owes its success largely to director Richard Lester’s free spirited style of directing coupled with the raw, musical talent of the The Beatles. Lester became of pioneer of the film industry due to his revolutionary film techniques and his casual approach of letting things happen naturally rather than conforming to the restraints of strict script. The musical talents of the fab four and their unique blend of rock and roll, ballads and pop also led to the success of the film. As viewers, you can appreciate how four lads from Liverpool enjoy being together as a band, how they love making music and the joy it brings to people. It is so easy to watch and follow. Their music is uplifting, the comedy is enlightening and insight given to fans is heart-warming. This is clearly the recipe to success and deservingly earned its Oscar nominations.