A Hard Day's Night [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray/DVD] [3 Discs]

Director: Richard Lester Richard Lester

Overview

During the first worldwide flush of Beatlemania in 1964, United Artists wanted to ship out a movie with The Beatles before their vogue was over. Working within a tight $500,000 budget, director Richard Lester turned out A Hard Day's Night in a fast 6 1/2 weeks; the picture was in the theatres three months after shooting commenced. Using a variety of techniques cribbed from Hollywood slapstick comedies, the French "new wave" movement, and his own experiences as a TV-commercial director, Lester, with screenwriter Alun Owen, fashioned an exhilarating study of a "typical" 36 hours in the lives of the Fab Four. Onto a plot about getting to the Big Show on time are hung a series of instant-reaction gags, character vignettes, and musical setpieces. Much of the humor arises from Paul McCartney's efforts to keep his grandfather (Wilfred Brambell), a "clean old man," from getting into mischief. Also good for several laughs is the hookey-playing Ringo Starr, whose mistimed declaration of independence lands him in jail. We are also treated to a war of nerves between the unflappable John Lennon and an uptight TV director (Victor Spinelli), who worries that, should the Beatles not show up at broadcast time, he'll be demoted to "News In Welsh." George Harrison stars in a sequence in which he is mistaken for an auditionee by the producer (Kenneth Haigh) of a superficially trendy, teen-oriented TV weekly. Then there's Norman Rossington and John Junkin as The Beatles' managers, who carry on a battle royale simply because one man is taller than the other. The supporting cast includes comedienne Anna Quayle, cartoonist Bob Godfrey, TV host Robin Ray, dancer Lionel Blair, Harrison's future wife Patti Boyd, and director Lester himself. The songs include "I Should Have Known Better," "And I Love Her," "Tell Me Why," "If I Fell," "Can't Buy Me Love," and the title song.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/24/2014
UPC:	0715515117418
Original Release:	1964
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	8,770

Special Features

New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options - a monaural soundtrack as well as newly created stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin at Abbey Road Studios - presented in uncompressed monaural, uncompressed stereo, and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray; Audio commentary featuring cast and crew; In Their Own Voices, a new piece combining 1964 interviews with the Beatles with behind-the-scenes footage and photos; "You Can't Do That": The Making of "A Hard Day's Night," a 1994 documentary by producer Walter Shenson including an outtake performance by the Beatles; Things They said Today, a 2002 documentary about the film featuring Lester, music producer George Martin, screenwriter Alun Owen, and cinematographer Gilbert Taylor; Picturewise, a new piece about Lester's early work, featuring a new audio interview with the director; The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1960), Lester's Oscar-nominated short; Anatomy of a Style, a new piece on Lester's methods; New interview with Mark Lewisohn; One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats; PLUS: a booklet featuring an essay by critic Howard Hampton and excerpts from a 1970 interview with Lester

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Paul McCartney	Paul,Composer,Composer
John Lennon	John,Composer
Ringo Starr	Ringo
George Harrison	George,Composer
Wilfrid Brambell	Grandfather
John Junkin	Shake
Norman Rossington	Norm
Vincent Spinetti	TV Director,T.V. Director
Deryck Guyler	Police Inspector
Anna Quayle	Millie
Kenneth Haigh	Simon
Richard Vernon	Man on Train
Eddie Malin	Hotel Waiter,Hotel Waiter
Robin Ray	TV Floor Manager
Lionel Blair	TV Choreographer,Actress
Alison Seebohm	Secretary
Marianne Stone	Society Reporter
David Langton	Actor
David Jaxon	Young Boy
Clare Kelly	Barmaid,Barmaid
Michael Trubshawe	Casino Manager
Roger Avon	(uncredited)
John Bluthal	Car Thief
Pattie Boyd	Jean, Schoolgirl on Train
Margaret Nolan	Grandfather's Girl at Casino
Terry Hooper	Casino Croupier
Derek Nimmo	Leslie Jackson
Bridget Armstrong	Lead Makeup Woman
Rosemarie Frankland	Brunette Showgirl
The Beatles	The Beatles
David Janson	Young Boy
Lewis Alexander	Casino Patron
Tony Allen	Sound Man
Sheila Aza	Reporter
Del Baker	Actor in Canteen
Bruce Beeby	Man Talking to Casino Manager
Jack Berg	Pub Patron
Charlie Bird	Groundskeeper
Andrea Brett	Minor Role
Terry Brooks	Urchin
Prudence Bury	Rita - Schoolgirl on Train #2
Roy Beck	Reporter
Anne Clune	Bit Role
Phil Collins	Seated Fan with Necktie
Bob Godfrey	Man in Park
Susan Hampshire	Dancer at Disco
Julian Holloway	Adrian - Simon's Assistant
Ric Hutton	Bit Role
Lavinia Lang	Bit Role
Linda Lewis	Audience Member
Jeremy Lloyd	Tall Dancer at the Disco
Jane Lumb	Actor
George Martin	Composer

Technical Credits

Alun Owen

Richard Lester	Director
Alun Owen	Screenwriter
Walter Shenson	Producer
David V. Picker	Executive Producer,Producer
Denis O'Dell	Producer
Ronnie Wass	Special Effects
Michael Barry	Sound Effects
H L Bird	Sound Effects
Stephen Dalby	Sound Effects
Gordon Daniel	Sound Effects
Michael DiCosimo	Sound Effects

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- A Hard Day's Night
1. "A Hard Day's Night" [2:34]
2. Paul's Grandfather [3:03]
3. The Regular Commuter [2:19]
4. "A King Mixer" [3:47]
5. "I Should Have Known Better" [5:13]
6. A Night Out [9:02]
7. Press Conference [4:58]
8. "If I Fell" [6:04]
9. "Can't Buy Me Love" [2:21]
10. Troublemakers [6:44]
11. "And I Love Her" [4:34]
12. Hair and Makeup [1:54]
13. "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You" [3:19]
14. Advice for Ringo [3:21]
15. Ringo Deserts [7:51]
16. The Coppers [4:11]
17. "Can't Buy Me Love" [2:12]
18. Showtime [7:42]
19. "She Loves You" [3:01]
20. Final Escape [3:15]
1. Color Bars [:20]
1. "A Hard Day's Night" [4:07]
2. "I Should Have Known Better" [2:27]
3. "Can't Buy Me Love" [4:00]
4. "And I Love Her" [2:24]
5. "She Loves You" [3:43]
6. Chapter 6 [:22]

Menu

Disc #1 -- A Hard Day's Night
   Play the Movie
   Chapters
   Commentary
      Commentary: On
      Commentary: Off
      Index
         Marylebone Station
         Organizing the Trains
         Handheld Work
         Budget/Natural Actors
         John Jympson's Editing
         The Madness/The Sixties
         Extras/Talented Crew
         Technique
         Lester's Style/Happy Accidents
         Camera Movement/Something Special
         Filming Video
         Lionel Blair
         Ringo/The Premieres
         Timelessness/Wilfrid Brambell
         David Janson/The Pub
         Locations
         Silent Film
         Syncing Rushes/No Live Performances
         The Screaming/The Scala
         Game Changer
         Color Bars
   In Their Own Voices
      Play
   Anatomy of a Style
      Play
      Index
   Trailers
      2000 Rerelease Trailer
      2014 Rerelease Trailer
   Audio Options
      Monaural
      5.1 Surround
      2.0 Stereo
      Commentary
Disc #2 -- A Hard Day's Night
   "You Can't Do That": The Making of "A Hard Day's Night"
      Play
   Things They Said Today
      Play
   Richard Lester
      The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
         Play
      Picturewise
         Play
   The Beatles: The Road to A Hard Day's Night
      Play

Editorial Reviews

Very little needs to be said about this trend-setting 1964 classic: Simply put, A Hard Day's Night is the finest rock 'n' roll comedy ever made. It hit America shortly after the Beatles themselves did, and with the Fab Four as popular as they were, Stateside audiences would've been happy just to see and hear John, Paul, George, and Ringo perform such hit songs as "Can't Buy Me Love," "I Should Have Known Better," "And I Love Her," and the title tune. But director Richard Lester (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), working from a script by Alun Owen, further delighted moviegoers with his wonderfully offbeat, visually inventive chronicle of a 36-hour period in the group's hectic life. He made no attempt to turn the Beatles into actors but encouraged them to give free rein to their naturally zany impulses; the result was a wacky, fast-paced romp with a carefully cultivated air of spontaneity and hokey sight gags reminiscent of silent-era comedies. Initially designed to capitalize on the group's burgeoning popularity, A Hard Day's Night was, as expected, wildly successful -- but it proved to be surprisingly influential as well, inspiring Britain's Monty Python troupe, American "mockumentaries" such as This Is Spinal Tap, and even Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan! Happily, A Hard Day's Night remains just as vital as it was in 1964, reminding us again how very special the boys from Liverpool really were.

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

It's a blessing to Beatles fans that someone had the foresight to capture them on film in the midst of the first flash of Beatlemania. Was A Hard Day's Night an accurate picture of 36 hours in the life of the Fab Four? Probably not, though one can only hope for their sake that it was this much fun. The dry, cheeky wit of Alun Owen's screenplay may have been a bit tart for teens, but it's still smart and funny, and if the Beatles weren't all great actors (John Lennon and Ringo Starr come off well, but George Harrison often reveals why he was a guitar player and not a thespian), Owen cleverly allowed them to play to their strengths: John's charming snideness, Ringo's loveable sad-sack persona, Paul McCartney's cute cool guy routine, and George's quiet, no-nonsense attitude. The supporting cast blends in perfectly (no small feat with four strong personalities in the lead), and Richard Lester's sharp, inventive visual style was the perfect match for The Beatles' music: fresh, smart without being pretentious, brash in just the right ways, and an awful lot of fun. A Hard Day's Night has aged as well as the Beatles' music from the same period: timeless yet inescapably a product of its era.

All Movie Guide - Mark Deming