"A Hard Days Night"

I spent some time over the weekend watching the Beatles' first movie, "A Hard Days Night."

When it was first conceived that The Beatles do a movie, the idea was, throw something together on the cheap, do a soundtrack album, sell a lot of records, and cash in on these guys quickly before they - as all pop singers eventually do - fizzle out.

The Beatles had other ideas, and they saw to it that Richard Lester direct this movie. They conceived something different, and "A Hard Days Night" became a portrait of what it was like to be The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania. The movie also highlighted some of the natural good humor that each of the four Beatles possessed, and it gave each of the four a "set piece" within the framework of the movie to highlight them individually. It also has been given credit for being the first bit of filmaking that gave the world what we now know as music videos. (When Richard Lester was told many years later that he was the "father of MTV," he demanded a paternity test!)

The movie was also nominated for two academy awards (Music Direction and Original Screenplay), and is now considered by many critics and film scholars as a classic.

It is also just a lot of fun to watch. And listen to the music. Ah, the music. Yes, that is The Beatles that are doing the singing up there on screen. There is a reason that they are still the most popular rock band ever almost 50 years after they came on the popular music scene. That music is still the best!

I will also say that the movie is worthwhile if for no other reason than to watch the last ten minutes, when The Beatles do their television appearance before a live studio audience. Lester really captures the rapture and excitement of those in the audience listening and seeing their idols. If you are old enough to remember the band's first American appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, this segment will bring back all of those memories.

If it's been a long time since you've seen "A Hard Days Night", or if you've never seen it, check it out.