Help!

Help! - 1965 | 90mins | Comedy, Musical | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Richard Lester.
Producer: Walter Shenson.
Script: Charlie Wood. (Marc Behm also story)
Cinematography: David Watkin.
Film Editing: John Victor-Smith.
Art Direction: Ray Simm.
Costume Design: Dinah Greet, Julie Harris and Arthur Newman.
Makeup Department: Betty Glasow and Freddie Williamson .
Sound Department: H.L. Bird , Bill Blunden, Don Challis, Stephen Dalby, Mike Le Mare, Barrie Vince and John Baker.
Original Music: Paul McCartney and Ken Thorne.
Non-Original Music: Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioacchino Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Richard Wagner.

The Cast

John Lennon - John
Paul McCartney - Paul
George Harrison - George
Ringo Starr - Ringo
Leo McKern - Clang
Eleanor Bron - Ahme
Victor Spinetti - Prof. Foot
Roy Kinnear - Algernon
John Bluthal - Bhuta
Patrick Cargill - Superintendent
Alfie Bass - Doorman
Warren Mitchell - Abdul
Peter Copley - Jeweller
Deborah DeLacey - High Priestess
Dandy Nichols - Neighbor

Plot Synopsis

After returning home from their first American tour success the Beatles and director Richard Lester reunited for this frantic follow-up feature to A Hard Day's Night. A loose spoof of the globe-trotting James Bond franchise, Help, is a relentless madcap chase containing nonsensical throwaway jokes and affords the Beatles a reasonable stab at being a modern-day version of the Marx Brothers. Using Lester's trademark fast cutting and editing the film moves along at a cracking pace and despite not measuring up to the exhilarating standard of A Hard Day's Night (1964) it’s still enjoyable hokum. The musical numbers include such classic tunes as "Ticket to Ride," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," and, of course, "Help!"

An Eastern religious cult led by evil maharajah Clang (Leo McKern) comes to England to reclaim a sacrificial ruby ring from Ringo’s finger by any means necessary. After their initial endeavour to steal the ring fail there are five more unsuccessful attempts. Meanwhile, crazed Professor Foot (Victor Spinetti) and his assistant Algernon (Roy Kinnear) also has intentions on stealing the ring as he believes that it would allow him to rule the world. The Fab Four are chased around the world, outwitting their pursuers, and stopping off in such locations as a Swiss Alps ski resort, a recording session on Salisbury Plain and ultimately the Bahamas.