ON THE SILVER SCREEN
HELP!
We showed up a bit stoned, smiled a lot and hoped we’d get through it. We giggled a lot.
– Paul McCartney
The closest thing to the Marx Brothers since the Marx Brothers.
– Daily Express
In late 1964, plans unfolded for the second Beatles film. Richard Lester would be back in the director’s chair, and this time he’d have a bigger budget. Lester knew the film couldn’t be a colour rehash of A Hard Day’s Night, and The Beatles wouldn’t be keen to repeat themselves either. He saw a screenplay of a caper written by Marc Behm – it had just been turned down by Peter Sellers – and brought in Charles Wood, also known for his surreal humour, to Beatle it up.
Epstein insisted that – for tax reasons – they had to film in the Bahamas, the band suggested that they include skiing in the film for a new experience, and the plot sees Ringo being chased by an eastern death cult and two mad scientists who are all after a special ring that he cannot get off his finger. Despite this looser, whackier focus and storyline, Lester had the right sensibilities to negotiate the paper-thin material and the unruliness of a very stoned and very giggly Fab Four, and arguably got the best out of both.
The Beatles were supported by a talented supporting cast that included Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Even Mal Evans found himself on screen with a cameo role as a lost Channel swimmer.
As well as Nassau, and Obertauern in Austria, filming took place in Twickenham Studios, Salisbury Plain, various locations across London, and – for the Buckingham Palace scenes – in Cliveden, Lord Astor’s country pile where, just a few years earlier, Christine Keeler had met John Profumo and embarked on the affair that would scandalise the UK just as Beatlemania was kicking off.
The film premiered on 29 July 1965, with Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon once again in attendance. Critical reaction to the film was generally positive, though not as glowing as it had been for A Hard Day’s Night, and The Beatles themselves later admitted they didn’t rate the film as highly.
Yet, despite the death cult characters raising a few eyebrows in the 21st century, Help! has charm and great humour – surreal, whimsical and satirical – and looks fantastic. It also anticipated the music video; later, Lester was sent a parchment scroll from MTV declaring him the ‘father of music video’.
The Beatles attempt to ski while Eleanor Bron watches on during the filming of Help!. Alamy