5 Star Rating *****
The Beatles first movie wonderfully captures the madness of Beatlemania in a fresh, witty and intelligent way. A Hard Days Night is rightly seen as a landmark film of the 60s.
Directed by Richard Lester
Produced by Walter Shenson
Written by Alun Owen
Starring
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Wilfrid Brambell as John McCartney, Paul's grandfather
Norman Rossington as Norm, The Beatles' manager
John Junkin as Shake, The Beatles' road manager
Victor Spinetti as the TV director
Richard Vernon as Johnson, the gentleman on the train
Anna Quayle as Millie
Alison Seebohm as Dolly, Simon Marshall's secretary
Kenneth Haigh as Simon Marshall
Julian Holloway as Adrian, Simon's assistant
Robin Ray as the TV floor manager
Lionel Blair as the TV choreographer
David Janson as Charley, a young boy Ringo encounters
John Bluthal as a car thief
Edward Malin as the hotel waiter
Deryck Guyler as a police sergeant
Michael Trubshawe (uncredited) as the casino manager
Margaret Nolan (uncredited) as a girl at the casino
Pattie Boyd (uncredited) as Jean, a blonde schoolgirl on the train
Music by George Martin (score) John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison (songs)
Cinematography Gilbert Taylor
Edited by John Jympson
Production company - Proscenium Films, Walter Shenson Films, Maljack Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates 6 July 1964 (UK)
Running time 87 minutes
Budget £189,000
Box office $12,299,668
Songs
- "A Hard Day's Night"
- "I Should Have Known Better"
- "I Wanna Be Your Man" (sample)
- "Don't Bother Me" (Harrison) (sample)
- "All My Loving" (sample)
- "If I Fell"
- "Can't Buy Me Love"
- "And I Love Her"
- "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
- "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" Instrumental
- "A Hard Day's Night" Instrumental
- "Tell Me Why"
- "She Loves You"