Thursday, April 22, 1965

Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 19

Last updated on January 11, 2026

Location

Location: Twickenham Film Studios • London • UK

Timeline

Article Apr 20, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 17

Article Apr 21, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 18

Article Apr 22, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 19

Article Apr 23, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 20

Article Apr 24, 1965 • Filming “Help!” in Chiswick

Related film

Help!
1965 • For The Beatles

The Beatles were at Twickenham Film Studios on this day for a performance of the title track of their second feature film, Help!

The black-and-white sequence was used early on in the film, and was intended to appear as a television appearance. In the film, an exasperated Clang, played by Leo McKern, threw darts at the screen while watching The Beatles’ performance.

The footage, minus Clang, was distributed by NEMS Enterprises to television companies to promote the ‘Help!’ single, released in July 1965.

Also on this day, The Beatles began filming an unused scene featuring Frankie Howerd and Wendy Richard, set in a drama school. Work continued on 23 and 28 April, but the sequence was left out of the final edit.

From Buskin with The Beatles on Facebook – Today in 1965, having just filmed the black-and-white opening sequence to ‘Help!’ (without the dart throwing), The Beatles began shooting a scene with renowned comic Frankie Howerd and future TV star Wendy Richard that never made it into the finished movie.
Intended to follow the “Hey Be-a-tle!” segment, this was set inside the pop-art, prophetically-named Sam Ahab School of Transcendental Elocution. (Sam Ahab is “Bahamas” spelled backwards.) After the pompous drama coach tells Paul to stop chatting up and distracting his student “Lady Macbeth”, the group members receive a lesson in Shakespearean acting… until strange music sends all of them (except George, who’s wearing ear plugs) into a trance. Enter Clang, Ahme and Bhuta – through the fireplace – for yet another failed attempt to chop off the hand on which Ringo’s wearing the sacrificial ring.
Watching Frankie Howerd’s disciplined approach clash with The Beatles’ laid-back-stoner attitude, director Dick Lester quickly realized the scene wasn’t going to work. Echoing Paul’s discarded solo segment in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (filmed exactly a year earlier), it slowed the pace and wasn’t particularly funny.
Five years after filming, all unused footage was destroyed.

Going further

The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years

With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group.

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