Movie Description
The Beatles followed up their debut film, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, with this fanciful spy spoof. When Ringo adds a new ring to his collection, he's unaware of how important and dangerous this piece of jewelry is. On one hand, a religious cult considers it a sacred object and the wearer must become a sacrifice to their gods. On the other hand, the ring has magical abilities that hold the key to supreme power. Soon the boys from Liverpool are engaged in a slapstick and madcap chase round the world, as a crazed scientist, a pack of crooks, and several religious fanatics set out to capture the band. Watch for the English Channel swimmer who seems to be perpetually lost and appears in nearly every location. Includes Beatles' hits including "Help!," "Ticket To Ride," "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," and many more.
| Credits | | Producer: | Walter Shenson | | Cast: | Leo McKern, Roy Kinnear |
Notes
Theatrical release: August 9, 1965
World premiere at the London Pavilion Theatre, July 29, 1965.
Part of the film was shot on location on Paradise Island in the Bahamas in February 1965.
Originally, HELP! had the working title EIGHT ARMS TO HOLD YOU, but the band changed the title after failing to produce material relating to it.
The film was "respectfully dedicated" to the memory of Mr. Elias Howe, whom in 1846, invented the sewing machine.
Songs include "Help!," "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "The Night Before," "Another Girl," "Ticket to Ride," and "I Need You".
The film, along with A HARD DAYS NIGHT, was restored over a span of four years. Original prints were discovered in U.S. warehouses, while some restoration work was done from prints with German subtitles.
The restored version of HELP! was shown on the American Movie Classics cable channel on July 2nd, 1996, during the station's fourth annual "Film Preservation Festival."
Editorial Reviews
"...Entertaining....[The music] is wonderful and the European scenery and eyeful..." -- Rating: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Ira Robbins (10/20/1995)
4 stars out of 4 -- "[N]onstop slapstick, even more like a cartoon than the later, animated YELLOW SUBMARINE..."
Rolling Stone - David Fricke (11/15/2007)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[C]heck out the filters on 'Another Girl' and the insouciantly inventive editing on 'Ticket To Ride,' not to mention the gorgeous kaleidoscopic end credits..."
Uncut - Jonathan Romney (12/01/2007)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] musical interludes, absurdist humour and director Richard Lester's nutty invention and energy..."
Empire - Ian Freer (01/01/2008)
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