Interview for RAVE Magazine

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Why did John run like a maniac? What nearly scared Ringo half to death? Who’s the mysterious Channel swimmer? What kept George happy? Which Beatle song pleased Paul more than any other in the film? The Beatles give you all the answers, as they take a Beatles’ eye view of themselves in these exclusive stories on their new film.

RINGO’S EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

Ringo: Help? I thought I’d probably need it when we were shooting on location in the Bahamas. I had to jump into the sea from a boat in one scene and I was a bit scared about it. I mean, I don’t mind splashing about in a pool, swimming from side to side in about five feet — but leaping into the ocean, that’s a different matter.

Mind you, I once won a certificate for long-distance swimming — well, 25 yards!

I did the first jump — but it wasn’t right so I had to do it again. Actually, I was quite surprised at my confidence. And anyway there were about fifteen fellers around to save me if anything went wrong.

Most of the time filming was fun — though it was sometimes a drag in the Bahamas when tourists swarmed all over the set. We didn’t get any peace — they would burst in, in the middle of a shot, to ask for autographs. That’s when there was all that trouble about us being rude in the Press and people wandered around saying things like “The Beatles are big heads.”

I’d like to end up in films, though I always hate myself on the screen and I don’t particularly like my voice. But I’d like to able to get enough confidence to be a good actor—and to be asked to do films because I’m an actor and not just because of being a Beatle.

(And appropriately enough on the Beatles’ new L.P., “Help!” Ringo sings a song in country and western style about becoming a movie star. It’s called “Act Naturally.”)

I think “Help!” will be funnier than our first film—though it’s difficult to tell because I’ve only seen a rough version and the first time you just watch yourself. That’s not big-headed—we all do that. You tend to criticise yourself a lot and think “I wish I’d done this… I wish I’d done that.” And you always notice your own mistakes.

But I do know that when the film had nearly finished it seemed as if it had only been showing for ten minutes—so I suppose that’s a good thing. The trouble is, you see the rushes and notice all your mistakes and then you want to go and do it all over again—but I suppose that would cost a fortune.

PAUL’S EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

PAUL: What I like most about the film is the way the songs have been photographed. “Ticket to Ride” is set in Austria and we are all dressed in black against this great white background of snow. It looks great. So far I’ve only seen the rushes and it’s very difficult to judge how it will turn out. But I’m very happy about the songs. There’s much more variety than there was in the songs from our first film.

One of my favourite numbers is “The Night Before”, a big rocker, and we had quite a struggle deciding whether this or “Ticket to Ride” should be the single.

But the song on the film LP I’m really most pleased with is a slow ballad called “Yesterday” which is different from anything we’ve ever done before. Actually it is just a solo for me. I play guitar and the backing is by a string quartet. It was great working with those classical musicians. I indicated the chords I wanted on the piano and George Martin transcribed them for two violins, viola and cello.

As for the film itself, well I can let you into a secret. We have a special guest star playing a Channel swimmer who keeps losing his way. His name: Malcolm Evans. And he has a terrible sense of direction. He pops up first of all in the middle of an Austrian lake, then he appears again in the Bahamas.

Malcolm will be a man to watch — if he ever finds his way back to England!

I don’t really know what our performances are like — I don’t think we’ve improved very much as actors — but I can tell you that the colour photography is fabulous. Now we’re all looking forward to making our third film next year — probably in Spain.

GEORGE’S EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

GEORGE: I enjoyed making this much more than “A Hard Day’s Night”. We had great actors with us — John Bluthal and Leo McKern — and we were always having a laugh. In fact, from the day we got on the plane to go to the Bahamas we were always laughing. And in Austria it was even more hilarious. I don’t know why but people always seemed to be rushing up to us and babbling away in strange languages. We just fell about.

There’s less dialogue in this film but more plot, more action.

The big drag about filming “A Hard Day’s Night” was having to get up so early in the middle of winter. In the Bahamas it was much better because the sun helped us to get up — as you know none of us are exactly brilliant about getting out of bed.

“Help!” is funnier and faster, I think, than our first film. I think Dick Lester shot about 2½ hours of film altogether but it will be cut to about 90 minutes.

One of the funniest things that happened — and which you won’t see in the film — was the crazy relay race we had round the huge lawn when we were filming at Cliveden. We decided to challenge the film crew and about six teams lined up. And I might tell you that the Beatles team won! I could hardly run for laughing — and none of us thought we’d win because we don’t get much chance for exercise. But John ran like a maniac — I’ve never seen him move so fast. There’s no danger, though, of seeing us in the Olympic Games!

VICTOR SPINETTI’S (he plays the part of a mad eastern scientist) EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

Victor Spinetti: Ouch! My eyes are sore and my ears are burning — and this all comes of too many fabulously funny moments filming with the Beatles in “Help!”.

Can the Beatles act? That’s what everyone wants to know. I asked John and he said: “We don’t know anything about acting. We just walk round and have our pictures taken!” But he followed that with one of my favourite Beatle lines when he said: “Why is it that whenever the director shouts ‘action’ everybody becomes people they aren’t?” The Beatles don’t — that’s their secret and I felt immensely proud when John said to me: “But you don’t change, Victor. Does that mean that you’re as terrible as we are?”

I remember too on set John said he wanted to start painting again. There was an enormous piece of hardboard in the studio and John asked if he could have it. When I asked him how he was going to get it home he just said simply, “On top of the Rolls.” Talking to all four boys I commented on the way people put themselves out for them. They replied “No, they don’t. They’re trying to put themselves in”.

As for the Beatles’ film futures I’d like to see them do something like “Hellzapoppin'”, with a strong story line, lots of girls and the opportunity to ad lib, walk into the audience, or do whatever they liked.

There’s just one more thing — that Liverpool accent — it’s not Liverpudlian at all — it’s just Irish spoken in a high-pitched voice with a touch of catarrh.

ELEANOR BRON’S (She plays the part of an Eastern High Priestess who helps the boys.) EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

Eleanor Bron: Playing the part of an Eastern High Priestess called Ahme, who rescues four Beatles from the religious sect, I suppose was strange enough for me. But to have George, Paul, John and Ringo as leading men, turned filming “Help!” into one of the most unique experiences that has ever happened to me!

I play part of this religious sect that’s busy chasing Ringo and the other Beatles round the world. We must get a big ruby ring back from Ringo — we can’t make sacrifices without it, and we’re quite fanatical about it all! The twist to the story, is that in the end, I go over to the side of the Beatles. In fact, you could say, I save the Beatles! Just shows you what a zany film it is!

The boys were really great to work with, and part of the filming that I liked, was when they did their musical numbers. In between shots, they’d have these great jam sessions, and of course, as our director Dick Lester plays seven instruments, he usually stepped in on these sessions on the piano. It was really great! It was all fun like that — being with the Beatles, from the Bahamas to Austria, and back to London.

I’ll probably sound very diplomatic, but I haven’t got a favourite Beatle. I found that the Beatle I liked most, was the one I happened to be with at the time! Truth is, I think all four of them are great!

JOHN’S EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

John: This time it’s mostly visual humour — there’s not so much of us making smart remarks. But when people start comparing us to the Marx Brothers, that’s a load of rubbish!

The only similarity is that there were four of them and there are four of us.

I think there is a lot of scope for us in films which hasn’t been exploited. I mean, it took us three or four records before we really got our sound. I suppose it will be the same with films. When we’ve made three or four we’ll probably hit the right formula.

But I wouldn’t want to concentrate on films. I still prefer playing to a live audience to anything else.

We’re very lucky to have had Dick Lester again. He understands us and we have the same sort of humour. Would we ever like to script our own film? I don’t think so. It’s much easier to pull someone else’s script to pieces. This was a good script and we just knocked out bits that didn’t seem like us and added other bits.

I think the songs in the film are better, as Paul says. One I do which I like is “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”—but it’s not commercial. And “The Night Before” that Paul does is good.

I quite like filming but I’m not really interested in most of the places we go to. I think England is best — and I’m not being patriotic. One final thing — we’ve all decided that if we win Oscars for this film, we’re all going to send them back.

RAVE’S EYE ON THE BEATLE FILM

As expected, the Beatle film is everything it’s been built up to be: crazy, zany and musically mad!

The outline of the story sounds like a thriller, in actual fact it’s more a comedy! Ringo and his three pals find themselves being chased around the world by Clang, fanatical leader of an Eastern religious sect, after Ringo unknowingly comes into possession of a red ruby ring. Without this ring sacrifices to the Goddess of Kaili cannot be made.

The film is pure fiction; “A Hard Day’s Night” being very factual, “Help!” has been described by its makers as “an adventure comedy chasing from calypso to yodel, and a holiday picture”.

On top of all the thriller stuff, we have six new songs from the Beatles, plus “Ticket to Ride”. The new songs are, the film title song “Help!”; “I Need You”, written by George; “Another Girl”; “You’re Going To Lose That Girl”; “The Night Before”; “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, all Lennon/McCartney compositions, and all bright, even brighter than usual Beatle music. We certainly won’t be the ones to spoil it by telling you the ending. In fact, you might say that’s all the Help you’re getting!