Reviewer Dr. Wesley Britton: Dr. Britton is the author of four non-fiction books on espionage in literature and the media. Starting in fall 2015, his new six-book science fiction series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, debuted via BearManor Media.
In 2018, Britton self-published the seventh book in the Chronicles, Alpha Tales 2044, a collection of short stories, many of which first appeared at a number of online venues.
For seven years, he was co-host of online radio’s Dave White Presents where he contributed interviews with a host of entertainment insiders. Before his retirement in 2016, Dr. Britton taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College. Learn more about Dr. Britton at his WEBSITE
Author: Ray Morton
Publisher: Limelight
ISBN-10: 0879103884: ISBN-13: 978-0879103880
Click Here To Purchase A Hard Days Night: Music on Film Series
Author: Ray Morton
Publisher: Limelight
ISBN-10: 0879103884: ISBN-13: 978-0879103880
While John, Paul, George and Ringo were the subjects of A Hard Day’s Night, any book about their first movie has to focus on three primary shapers of the 1964 release: director Richard Lester, producer Walter Shenson, and screenwriter Alun Owen. There were many fortunate accidents that resulted in this movie being something far different from the then-typical rock musicals. The captain of the ship was clearly Lester whose cinematic sensibilities, sense of humor, and directorial style made him the right man at the right time. Working with a tight budget on a film that United Artists thought would be
Essentially an excuse to
release a Beatles soundtrack album, Lester and then Owen looked to
the actual lives of the Beatles to inspire a comedy in which they
played sanitized versions of themselves without “the swearing,
smoking, or sex.” Seeing the group was living a very protected
existence confined to hotels, trains, and concerts, Lester decided to
use that isolation to shape his approach. For example, he stressed
locations with low ceilings in the first half of the script to frame
this claustrophobic atmosphere. But this was offset by permitting the
“actors” to improvise” as they went along to give the finished
product a surrealistic, spontaneous feel.
Again, this story has been told before and Morton repeats the pre-production, filming, and post-production details with no frills. There are only short quotes sprinkled throughout and no evidence of any conversations with any of the participants. The photos are few. Gratefully, there’s no analysis with vocabulary only a film student would understand. Still, even the most knowledgeable Beatles fan should enjoy a few surprises. I didn’t know the Beatles had been approached to star in a lurid flick called The Yellow Teddy Bears set in a girl’s school. I didn’t know a young Phil Collins was an extra in the concert scene or that when that concert was being filmed, the music was so loud it vibrated a cameraman’s tooth so badly that it had to be removed.
Considering the educational mission of the publisher for this compact book (128 pages, 6.3 x 4.7 x 0.5 inches), the most likely audience for A Hard Day’s Night will be young readers who know little or nothing about the historical contexts surrounding this film. As its emphasis is on the making of the movie and the techniques involved, the book certainly has a place on library shelves alongside other volumes on cinema history. For Beatle fans, well, it’s the perfect size to be a stocking stuffer this Christmas. And if you don’t already have a DVD . . .
Click Here To Purchase A Hard Days Night: Music on Film Series