Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 21

On Tuesday, 27 April 1965, the twenty-first production day of Help! at Twickenham Film Studios yielded one of the most remarkable scenes in the finished film: a heavily disguised airport terminal sequence in which the Beatles appear prior to their fictional flight to the Bahamas. Remarkably, the disguises worn by three of the four Beatles during this scene would foreshadow their real-life appearances in the years to come—John’s long flowing beard and granny glasses anticipated his summer 1969 aesthetic, George’s whiskers would reappear during the Sgt. Pepper era of spring 1967, and Ringo’s tight-cropped hair and chin beard would mirror his mid-1970 image. On the same day, the crew filmed additional material featuring Eleanor Bron atop a tank turret, capturing action sequences planned for the Salisbury Plain portion of the film.

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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