A Hard Day's Night Archives - The Beatles Bookstore

John Lennon gave Ringo credit for contributing the title A Hard Day’s Night for the Beatles first movie even though some fans have found a reference to the phrase in John’s first book. In either case, one can imagine Ringo saying something like that very casually, as an off-the-cuff response in a conversation with someone. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you one of my favorite items from my Beatles-related autograph collection.

Autographs from A Hard Day’s Night

This set of autographs is from the Beatles film “A Hard Day’s Night.” A few years ago I purchased this wonderful collection of photos in a scrapbook accumulated by a New Jersey Beatles collector of many of the signatures of the supporting actors and actresses appearing in the Beatles first film which many consider to be a cinematic landmark.

Autographs from Help!, Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine

What made this collection of signatures so special to me is acquiring the collection of cast autographs in a single setting and at what I considered to be a bargain price. In a couple of additional posts, I will show you the signatures from the movies “Help”, “Magical Mystery Tour and a few from “Yellow Submarine” which includes some of the actors who did a few of the Beatles voices. These signatures were also acquired in the same purchase from the NJ collector mentioned above. Hope you enjoy this journey down memory lane.

A Hard Day's Night Film Poster — A Hard Day’s Night Film Poster

Richard Lester

Richard Lester Liebman is a retired American film director who directed the first two Beatles films and also directed the anti-war film that John Lennon starred in with Michael Crawford called “How I Won The War.”

Vittorio Giorgio Andre “Victor” Spinetti was a Welsh actor who passed away in 2012. He has the distinction of appearing in three Beatles films, “A Hard Day’s Night”, “Help”, and “Magical Mystery Tour.” He was also heavily involved in bringing John’s book “In His Own Write” to the British Stage as a play with the cooperation of the legendary Laurence Olivier!

John Francis Junkin, who passed away in 2006, was an English actor and scriptwriter who had a long career in radio, television and film.

Henry Wilfrid Brambell, was an Irish television and film actor who played Paul’s grandfather in the film. Brambell was also to star in the hit UK television series “Steptoe and Son”, which was to inspire the hit US television show, “Sanford and Son.” Wilfrid passed away in 1985.

Derek Robert Nimmo was an English character actor, producer and author who passed away in 1999.

Deryck Bower Guyler was an English actor who passed away in 1999.

Norman Rossington was an English actor who passed away in 1999.

Anne Veronica Maria Quayle, known professionally as Anna Quayle, was an English actress who passed away in 2019.

Richard Vernon was an English actor who specialized playing aristocratic roles. He passed away in 1997.

Lionel Blair, born Henry Lionel Ogus, passed away in 2021 was a Canadian-born British actor and choreographer.

Kenneth William Michael Haigh was an English actor who passed away in 2018.

This photo in particular makes me feel the pangs of getting older. The actor who played this young boy, David Janson, is now in his 70’s.

David Janson is an English actor and theatre director: The segment he performed with Ringo in the film was unquestionably, my favorite scene!

John Bluthal, Isaac Bluthal passed away in 2018. He^] was a Polish-born Australian actor and comedian:

Robin Ray was an English broadcaster, actor, and musician. He passed away in 1998.

This photo was from a deleted scene in the film. Features Isla Blair

Isla Blair Glover is a British actress:

Bridget Armstrong is a New Zealand actress:

Actress Prudence Bury:

Julian Holloway is a British actor.

Susan Hampshire, Lady Kulukundis, an English actress:

Actress Clare Kelly was an English actress who worked primarily in television. She passed away in 2001

Character Actress Marianne Stone who passed away in 2009

British Actress Carole Joan White passed away in 1991:

Geraldine Sherman, known as Dena Hammerstein, is a British actress and writer, and theatre producer.

David Muir Langton, British actor who passed away in 1994:

A young boy who was also to experience fame, musician Phil Collins was in the audience:

Actress Margaret Ann Nolan who passed away in 2020:

The signature of the screenplay writer Alun Owen who passed away in 1994, and a little background information that came with the autograph:

Actress and former model Tessa Charlotte Rampling:

What a collection! Hope you enjoyed it.

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“If I Fell” from A Hard Day’s Night by Tim Hatfield

John Lennon said that this was his first attempt to write a “ballad proper,” and was a precursor of “In My Life” (#40), perhaps the most popular ballad he ever wrote. Paul McCartney pointed out in Barry Miles’ Many Years from Now that although people generally thought of John as:

an acerbic wit and aggressive and abrasive, but he did have a very warm side to him…that he didn’t like to show too much in case he got rejected.

Dripping in Chords

The song was, as Paul described it, “dripping in chords,” and featured very tight two-part harmony by John and Paul, Everly Brothers-like, following an acoustic solo introduction by John. John sang the low harmony, and when recording in the studio in 1964 the pair used a single microphone for the vocals.

If I Fell Over?

On the Beatles 1964 tour it was the only ballad on the playlist, which often was a big problem because John and Paul could not hear themselves over the screaming girls in the audience. Although I’ve not seen them, there apparently are some bootleg videos of them trying to stifle laughs while singing the song, which they jokingly called “If I Fell Over.” In the film A Hard Day’s Night, the song was featured in a scene in which the band was getting ready for a concert, just one example of their playful side – John sang the sweet introduction to Ringo while he was setting up his kit.

During Hard Times

During hard times of any kind, I hope you can experience some moments of playfulness, despite whatever ongoing legitimate concerns beset you. Stay strong, all.

When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble: The Beatles: All Their Songs with Encouraging Words for Challenging Times

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This book addresses all the songs of the Beatles, from their earliest demos to Abbey Road, in a conversational, accessible format. Special attention is devoted to the band’s creative process and its influence on and synergistic relationship with the culture at large. The book’s genesis was the author’s hope that a daily Beatles song could provide a brief respite from the significant stress and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and beyond that, from the challenges of any personally difficult time – our times of trouble.

£3.60

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