| Birth of The Beatles | |
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| Directed by | Richard Marquand |
| Language | English |
Birth of The Beatles is a 1979 biopic motion picture, produced by Dick Clark's company (Dick Clark Productions) and directed by Richard Marquand. The film was released into cinemas worldwide except in parts of the United States, where it was shown as a TV movie.
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The film focuses on the early history of 1960s rock band The Beatles. It was released only nine years after the announced break-up of The Beatles themselves, and is the only Beatles biopic (others include Backbeat, In His Life: The John Lennon Story, The Hours and Times, John and Yoko: A Love Story, Lennon Naked and, to a lesser extent, The Linda McCartney Story) to be made while John Lennon was still alive. The film tries very hard to be accurate, opening with a written statement read out by a narrator stating the authenticity of the production, emphasising as it put it: "former Beatle, Pete Best" acting as technical advisor.
Another attempt at authenticity is that most of the cast look alarmingly similar to the real people they are supposed to be playing. The four actors portraying John, Paul, George and Ringo look uncannily similar to the real deal, but Pete Best and Stu Sutcliffe bear a lesser resemblance. Actors included Stephen MacKenna and Ray Ashcroft, who provided vocal impersonations of John and Ringo.
In what has become an unofficial tradition of rock 'n' roll movies based on true stories, some of the real events/sequence of events have been abridged or omitted. This has a positive effect on the film, allowing it to cover a broad stretch of time and not making it feel rushed, while also adding to the drama when the real events may not have been as such. A prime example of this is when Stu Sutcliffe dies of a brain haemorrhage about half-way through the film. In the film, it takes place in the midst of the band's second trip to Hamburg, meaning the other have to deal with this loss and still fulfill their engagement. They still manage to give great performances and they must overcome the tragedy in order to make their journey to fame. In real life, this was not how things happened. In real life, Stu was still alive living in Hamburg with his German girlfriend Astrid when the other departed from the second trip, and it was when they returned on the third trip to Hamburg they discovered Stu had died the night before they arrived. By adapting events, though, the film not only makes things more dramatic, but in fact speeds things up and keeps the plot flowing smoothly by only portraying two trips to Hamburg.
The film opens with The Beatles driving in a car with their manager Brian Epstein and John's wife Cynthia Lennon. It is 1964 and they are heading to America for the first time after already encountering massive success across Europe. They begin to remember the days before they became famous...
The film goes on a flashback to 1960, when The Silver Beatles (as they were called then) consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe. They need a drummer and a manager, and Sutcliffe cannot play an instrument, only being in it because he is John's friend and none of the others want to play the bass guitar. They go and audition for an agent, where they meet Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and become good friends with the Hurricanes' drummer, Ringo Starr. The agent at the audition says that if they get themselves a permanent drummer they can have a job in Scotland and then afterward a job in Hamburg, Germany.
The Scotland gig occurs, but is not seen onscreen. The band finds a long term drummer in Pete Best, whose mother owns the teen hangout spot The Casbah Coffee Club. They begin to prepare for the trip Hamburg which lasts several months and they encouter disapproval from Cynthia and John's Aunt Mimi Smith. When they reach Hamburg, they discover they are playing in the Indra Club on the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's notorious sex district. They play long, grueling hours (up to 8 hours a night, seven days a week), and have to stay active by taking Preludin, a slimming drug. They are living in the back of the Bambi Kino, a run down old cinema. While in the Indra, they play loudly and wildly, eating, spitting and drinking onstage, inviting women to dance on stage with them, etc. Things get so loud the club is eventually shut down.
The Beatles (as they have re-named themselves) not start before at the bigger Kaiserkeller Club, and become a big hit among the German audience. While there, they meet up with Ringo and Rory Storm, who are also performing there, and Stu falls in love with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. They begin to have a love affair. But suddenly, in the middle of a gig, German Police burst into the club and arrest George for working under age without a work permit. While searching for the paperwork to release him, Paul and Pete drop a candle that sets fire to the Bambi Kino, and the whole band in deported.
The downbeat Beatles struggle at first back home with their disapproving families, but gradually build up a positive reputation playing shows that fill the concert halls. One night after a performance, Stu is attacked and badly beaten by two teddy boys. He is left in bad condition but refuses to see a doctor. This is to have a devastating effect.
A month later, in 1961, the Beatles return to Hamburg. Stu reunites with Astrid and she cuts his hair into the famous moptop haircut. The others get their hair cut in the same manner and the Beatle haircut is born. They experience the same level of success as during the first trip, but Stu wants to leave the band, go to art school (he is a talented painter) and marry Astrid. Before he can accomplish his dreams, however, he dies suddenly of a brain haemorrhage. The others find this to be emotionally shattering, and think if he only had seen a doctor things would have been fine.
Back in England, the owner of the NEMS Records Store named Brian Epstein is alerted that the Beatles are causing quite a stirr in Liverpool with their performances at the Cavern Club. He is impressed with what he sees and asks to be the band's manager. They accept.
On 1 January 1962, the Beatles have an audition for the Decca Record Company, but are turned down. They keep searching for a record company to accept them but are turned down time after time. They are beginning to lose all hope. Around this time, they learn that Eptein is a homosexual and that he was attacked by a teddy boy in Liverpool because of it. However, they hold no prejudices and accept. Also, the Beatles finally get accepted by record producer George Martin, but they dump Pete from the group. In his place is Ringo, and the classic foursome is complete.
The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do" and in 1963 release their first No. 1 Hit Single, "Please Please Me". They become the most famous group in Britain, and soon become hits across Europe. The film ends when the group ventures to America and performs on the Ed Sullivan Show to a mass of screaming fans.
In a legal loophole which allowed the use of songs actually written by the Beatles themselves, every song in the film was recorded by the Beatles tribute act "RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles". The recordings are very convincing, sounding almost identical to the real Beatles.The guitar and vocal parts for John Lennon were performed by Eddie Lineberry, McCartney by Chuck Coffey, Harrison's by Bill Connearney and Starr's by Steve Wight.This also lends a more realistic touch to the film, for it would look inauthentic if the actors were lip-syncing to actual Beatles recordings since they were not the genuine article.
The film features many songs written by both the Beatles themselves and other artists:
"I Saw Her Standing There" Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Johnny B. Goode" Written by Chuck Berry Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"My Bonnie" Written by Tony Sheridan Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Rock and Roll Music" Written by Chuck Berry Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Love Me Do" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Ask Me Why" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Twist and Shout" Written by Phil Medley & Bert Russell Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Please Please Me" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"She Loves You" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
"Please Mr. Postman" Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Eddie Lineberry, Chuck Coffey, Bill Connearney, and Steve Wight
Pete Best served as a technical advisor for the production. The film tends to reflect Best's personal account of certain events, and shows some evidence of bias. The movie implies that Best was terminated from the band because of resentment toward Best's popularity in Liverpool at the time. In one scene the band are referred to by John Lennon as "Peter Best and his sods" and makes no mention of dissatisfaction with his playing, which has been thoroughly documented, even during the band's early years. George Martin has repeatedly stated that he was not satisfied with the calibre of Best's drumming at the band's EMI audition, and wanted the drum parts played by a studio drummer for future recordings. Ringo Starr, already a longtime friend of the band, proved a better personal and musical match. (Incidentally, Martin also prohibited Starr from playing drums on an early recording session for 'Love Me Do' replacing him with session player Andy White.).
However, it must be noticed that there are several accounts that confirm this version of the events, since it has been well documented that Best's popularity with fans was indeed a source of friction, as many female fans considered Best to be the band's best-looking member, and there was one particular event where, after a gig, Best was surrounded at the stage door afterwards by attentive females while the other members were ignored after signing a few autographs. McCartney's father, Jim McCartney, was present at the time and admonished Best by saying: "Why did you have to attract all the attention? Why didn't you call the other lads back? I think that was very selfish of you".
The movie received modest ratings when it premiered on American television, and was repeated in December 1980, as a tribute to John Lennon in the weeks after his murder. It later repeated on CBS, on The CBS Late Movie during the 1980s.
A more recent (and less comprehensive, dealing mainly with Stuart Sutcliffe and the band's days in Hamburg, Germany) dramatisation of the early Beatles years is the 1994 movie Backbeat.
A European version exists, and is a different cut from the American version. The following changes were made to the European version:
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