Help!

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PARSLEY'S COMMLOCK
Film Review: HELP!

Despite having been made in 1965, Help! (the Beatles 2nd feature film) is about to re-launch in all its digitally re-mastered glory, in a presentation DVD box set.

I was lucky enough to be invited by my friend Rosehip to a special screening of it at BAFTA in the West End. Originally going under the working title of 'Beatles 2' ('Beatles 1'having been 'A Hard Day's Night'), it concerned an eastern religion's attempts to retrieve a big ring that Ringo is wearing, as whoever wears the ring is sacrificed as part of the religion's rituals.

First thing to say is how glorious it is to watch old films as originally intended - on a really big screen! - and particularly with the BAFTA audience who want to soak every detail reverentially in, rather than talk through the whole thing. Second is to say what a cracking film it is. In 42 years it has remained silly, spectacular and total fun.

In its restored form it also has very vivid colours. The third thing that hit me personally was the effect this film had obviously had on films and bands subsequently.

I was particularly shocked to find that The Monkees TV show was not only
obviously inspired by it, but in sections was almost literal in its
recreation of it - e.g. beach scenes and running away from evil villains
sections. The fact that some of the story is told through on screen
captions also found its way into The Monkees.

There is a great sequence where the Beatles go to an Indian restaurant to try and learn something about the ring. Lester hired Indian musicians and asked them to try and play 'A Hard Day's Night'. When he heard them struggling to work it out he stopped them so that their efforts (which were very funny) could be recorded. They were then used in the film. During the filming of this sequence George asked if he could 'have a go' on the sitar. He'd not seen one before but it would not belong before he would be bringing it into the Beatles' music.

The film is a multi-threaded comedy, not unlike 'Monte Carlo or Bust', with new threads being added as it goes on. We start with religious zealot Leo McKern, assisted by John Bluthal, chasing Ringo's special sacrificial ring. As the Beatles seek help removing the ring, mad scientists Victor Spinetti and Roy Kinnear join the chase. When they try to get protection Scotland Yard detective Patrick Cargill and his police squad are introduced. New locations similarly build the story, including recording in a field near
Stonehenge, hiding in a ski resort, seeking sanctuary in Buckingham
Palace (or at least what looks like it) and finally jetting off to the
Bahamas.

The use of the Bahamas was, we later learned, some kind of tax dodge for filming purposes, whilst the ski resort was because the Beatles had never been skiing and wanted to. After the screening there was a live interview session with Paul Gambaccini talking to Richard Lester (the film's director) and Eleanor Bron (who co-stars in the film as the religious priestess who tries to help them). Victor Spinetti, who'd been due to join them, was ill so unfortunately couldn't make it.

Several other creators (orchestrator Ken Thorne, editor Victor-Smith,
costumier Julie Harris) were also present in the audience. Eleanor Bron
was very complementary about the Beatles' genuine interest in what was
happening and sincere aim to do well and to learn from the things around
them. Richard Lester explained that although he'd been subsequently been
offered the chance to do films with other bands, including The Spice
Girls, he'd replied that once you'd driven a 'Ferrari' you didn't want
to drive anything else. He also mentioned that MTV had tried to present
him with an award for being the 'father' of MTV through films like
'Help!' He said he would challenge that paternity claim as he was
obviously not flattered by the award.

Lester had wanted to make a film that would stand the test of time and felt there were 2 ways to do that: either by being extremely serious or extremely silly. He'd opted for the silly route. Apparently Groucho Marx was told after 'A Hard Day's Night' that the Beatles were the new Marx Brothers. Groucho went to see the film and commented scathingly that 'at least you could tell the difference between us!' In response Richard Lester attempted to endow the Beatles with more unique characters so they were more obviously
distinguishable. This led to George being stingy with money in the
sequence when the Beatles get to the pub.

During the making of the film 'How I Won the War' in which John Lennon also starred, Lester had told him that with a bit of effort he could make a reasonable actor. Lennon's reply was to ask why he would do that, and to say it would be a bit silly. I can't say I'm sure how you measure the relative silliness of being a musician compared to being an actor. At the end of the interview session, Apple (the music company not the computer one!) were nice
enough to give each of us there a box of pictures from the film mounted
on cards, and in a black bag sporting the Apple logo. I felt very lucky
to have been in at the re-birth of this piece of film history.

parsley@gardenrecords.com [www.gardenrecords.com]