The Beatles A Hard Day's Night FIRST TIME WATCHING Movie Reaction 

Lennon once said that it was like being in the eye of a hurricane, one minute they were playing in a club in Liverpool and the next minute was all this.

It is impossible to overestimate how The Beatles changed the world. No matter how big you try to imagine they were, they were orders of magnitude bigger. I saw "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 in the largest capacity movie theater (4,500 seats) in the city where I lived, and it was packed. The girls there screamed at the film just like you see here, and obviously The Beatles weren't even there! It was just a film!

Many great memories of this movie... I started watching it 22 years ago while in college and remember cutting grass on a hot South Carolina summer day and coming inside and popping the vhs of this movie in and would do that for years. Another great memory is when I flew to Portland and this was my movie and soundtrack. Great memories and it still is fun to watch over and over again.

I was 12 years old when this came out and almost 60 years later it is still one of my favorite movies. Well written, it caught the feeling of the time. This movie was rushed into production at the time in order to cash in. No one knew how long The Beatles would be popular. In 1964 you heard/saw The Beatles on small mono radio speakers, on small B&W TV or in magazines. With this movie you saw them for 90 minutes, close up, larger and louder than you ever had. It was overwhelming. The script is modeled after the type of life they were leading at the time (and for a couple of more years). As Grandfather says - I've seen a train and a room and a studio....."; The fans were that crazy for them. The man holding the tape measure that John cuts was their actual tailor at the time. A bit of a nod of thanks from the Boys. Part of "the luck" The Beatles had is the fact that the largest demographic group was in 1964 was women between the ages of 12 and 21. The rest of it was how friggin' talented they were. They exploded in The USA in February of 1964 which led the British Invasion (Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who) which led to and grew into the Hippie scene. Yes, their haircuts changed the world. Before The Beatles men got their hair cut every two weeks, neat and trim. When girls started liking boys with long hair, the race was on. It was also a social issue with parents demanding their sons keep their hair short. Guys were verbally attacked, refused service in stores/restaurants and even beaten up for being effeminate in having long hair. It was an interesting Culture War. All that said I am glad that you enjoyed this movie.

Help! is even more surreal. Between those movies they discovered marijuana. You can hear the music change in Help! My all time favorite Beatles song is in it, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.

‘The clean old man’ running gag only works when you know the in-joke it’s referring to. Wilfrid Brambell was famous for playing the devious and manipulative Albert Steptoe in the BBC sitcom ‘Steptoe and Son’ and his son Harold would often refer to him as a ‘Dirty old man’. Be cool to see you explore more of the Beatles’ movies: You’ve got ‘Help!’ a full blown comedy which came out the next year, ‘Magical Mystery Tour’, their self-made film from 1967, ‘Yellow Submarine’ an animated film from 1968 and most recently, ‘Get Back’ from 2021, Peter Jackson’s 3 part epic exploring the Beatles’ creative process in the studio from January 1969 as they create songs and material that would appear on their final two albums and their first solo albums

So the character Norm is supposed to be Neil Aspinall, the Beatles' road manager (and later head of Apple Corps), while Shake is supposed to be roadie Mal Evans (took me decades to realize he's called Shake because of Grand Mal Seizures).

You should watch the Beatles concert at Shea stadium to see Beatlemania at its height in 1965. Not only did they film this movie in 1964-toured across America and do various TV shows-but also recorded 4 albums within the year.

Paul was the most popular during the earliest years. Then John, George & Ringo. The stress became so great, they stopped touring about 1966.

By the way - The audience at the end were real Beatle fans, not actors. One of them was a young Phil Collins.

It is virtually impossible to overstate the importance of the Beatles in the '60's and beyond. Just looking at the tone of the movie. It fed into the tone of The Monkees TV Show and the Batman TV Show, which fed into Rowen and Martin's Laugh-in. That's before taking into account the impact they had on popular music or popular culture. They truly did define a generation.

Help! is a great film too. As a teenager I used to borrow it from library once a fortnight almost, VHS. What a great film, what a great band!

Great reaction! Their childhoods had some tragic elements, but otherwise they got to experience normal suburban life and then organically got together and played clubs for seven years before their first hit. John & Ringo were 24 years old by the time they made this film. Paul was 22 and George was 21. The older age probably helped them stay somewhat grounded as people.

It's interesting that you should mention the disrespect shown them, which seems at odds in a modern context considering their celebrity. The point of the film is that The Beatles, while presented as affable, honest and relatively harmless, pose a threat to the British establishment: deference to elders, class and authority. They are working class, provincial (they speak with the "wrong" accent) and young. They do not know their place. Despite their success, they are expected to conform, but they don't. They are modern. They are the future.

Thank you for reacting to this amazing classic almost entirely ignored by RU-vid! To answer your question, all men in the western world had had very short hair for many decades (except maybe Albert Einstein) until the Beatles became famous. Initially, long hair was called "a Beatles haircut." There was establishment resistance to it too. Also, I think the first real music video was the "Can't Buy Me Love" scene in the field in this movie. Before, very rarely promotional videos of a group playing had been made, but where would you really watch a music video without personal computers? When the Beatles came along, rock music was in its infancy with just a few simple forms. In 1963, they became incredibly famous within England and in 1964, after they traveled to America and appeared on the Ed Sullivan variety show, their fame was extended to the rest of the world. After that appearance, most rock artists went out of business, but soon groups began to appear imitating the Beatles style and all modern rock groups are descended from those imitators. When they came along, rock was a minor genre which conceivably might even have died out without them. They changed its form completely. It must be very hard to understand without having lived through it, but their effect on the world was incalculable.

It suddenly dawns on me where Benny Hill got his idea for the chase scene!🤣

At the beginning of their extreme popularity in early 1964 The Beatles were all young men but no longer teenagers: George 20, Paul 21, John and Ringo 23. John and Paul had been playing together for over 6 years by then, so their success was not "over night".

I believe Paul said he was brought up in an Evertonian household, so that is who he roots for. The other Beatles, so far as I know, never expressed an interest in any teams. There was no favorite or most popular Beatle. They all had their fans. I loved them all and would sometimes feel more affection for one or the other based upon my frame of mind at the time. I think that’s how it was for a lot of us fans.

9:47 great comment! Brought a little tear to my eye.

What's great about this movie is how meta it is. Especially as a commentary on fads and fashion.

John was a legend because he was such a rebel and artist. Paul is the most naturally talented. His work is a gift to all of humanity.

George has now been accredited with inventing the word " GROTTY" as HDN is the first known recorded use of the term!!! It was however, very very common in use in the North.

When MTV first started I heard something about the Beatles and they played a lot of scenes from Beatles movies 🎬 and they talked about how these were the original music videos.

1. yes their haircuts started a cultural revolution, enabling men to wear long hair, 2. yes, especially their 2nd movie HELP! was the main inspiration for the creators of MTV. The Beatles were big in Australia, too. There are old televison reports on youtube about the Beatles arriving in Australia in I think 1965. You should absolutely watch them.

Myth? They DID change aspirations and desires of a generation. Their impact is difficult to overrate. As far as losing their childhood, they didn’t. They actually LOVED playing and performing and did it willingly, rather than go to school. The fame and its trappings after they became adults was the problem.

Two Beatles songs or John Lennon songs were inspired by Ringo, hard days night and tomorrow never knows. They were things that Ringo would say, apparently they caught John's ear 👂 and he wrote the songs 🎵.

This is one of my comfort films 🥰 if you get a chance you should check out ‘Help!’ too. Very different from ‘A Hard Days Night’ and it contains some of my favourite songs by the Beatles 🙂 ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ brings me so much nostalgia as instead of hymns sometimes our teachers would make us sing that along with other Beatles or Elton John songs 😄🙂💗 xx

Success did not come quickly for the Beatles. They grew into it after years of learning all the basics of show business in Liverpool and Hamburg, the hard way. Nor can one speak of lost teenage years, because music was what they all wanted to do from the bottom of their hearts - and did. Special heartaches of the Beatles at this time is actually not known. They enjoyed this time to the fullest, in every conceivable way, and didn't let anything go to waste. This wasn't necessarily a pleasant aspect for their official partners... At the same time, with their relaxed attitude, which was also relatively disrespectful to authoritian people, they encouraged the young people, to do more for their personal freedom. In the case of the female fans, this meant, that they started something of a "girl power" (as it would be called today) movement. And many male fans were motivated by the outsized success of the Beatles, to make music themselves, which eventually led to modern popular culture, as we've known it for the last ca. 60 years.

The way Beatlemania was depicted in this film it appears pretty small scale. In actual fact it was much bigger and more crazy. And yes, their hairstyles and clothing heavily influenced an entire generation of youth. Believe it or not, the length of their hair was considered to be very long in those days. Most men wore their hair very short at the time. The man who wrote the screenplay spent a considerable amount of time with all of them beforehand and wrote the script based on their personalities. Btw, you mentioned hippies. This was a few years before that, though they certainly influenced that period and were a part of it.

I don't think they had that much heartache. They led a pretty charmed life.

The most popular Beatle over time is surely Paul McCartney. John was killed in 1980, George died in 2001 and Ringo - as well as he is very popular, Paul is just mor popular.

Beatlemania was well-timed in the U.S. to help us get past the trauma of the JFK assassination &, according to comments made by a number of Russians in the "McCartney in Red Square" DVD, they ( the Beatles) by expressing a feeling of freedom through their music & overall style, actually played more than just a minor role in bringing about the long-overdue demise of the former Soviet Union. Seriously.

a movie that never gets old.

21:50 You're right about saying that with this movie the music video formula appeared!!! The movie's director, Richard Lester, said in an interview that they call him "The Father of MTV", he said: "I was told that I was the father of MTV, and I wrote back and demanded a blood test" Even though they didn't invented the music video (they've been around since the 1940's) the "modern style" was mostly stablished by them in this and the other Beatles movie directed by Lester: "Help!", being more clear on the muscal sequences of the last one. Things the music video style they created has are: going from shots the band playing and shots of them doing other stuff and having fun, cut takes to the beat of the song and using cinematografy elements or certain camera angles (in Help! is very clear). The best example in this movie is on the train while they are playing cards and they sing "I Should have Known Better" or the begining with "A Hard Day's Night"

you gotta go thrue all their albums one by one and just do the jurny. and also try watch their music videosjust to get the feeling

Yes, they were gods. Nobody since then -- or before -- ever came close and doubtful ever WILL come close. They had unbelievable talent and were so cute. What's not to love?

Most famous? You're kidding, right? I would've said they were equally famous. But I guess you answered your own question, since you were only able to recognize Paul. "Is that Elton John?"😂 I shouldn't be too surprised though since George has been dead for 20 yrs and John for 41. And Ringo has had a beard for the past 50.

It's not a bowl cut....that's a medieval cut...see drawings of French Kings circa Henry 5th period.

Their stardom didn't come all that quickly. They had worked their arses off for years in dingy Clubs, lol.

George was my favorite.

I don't know about the Beatles and heartache. As bands go, they ended up fairly well. Yes, John was shot, but he did have a good life and a loving spouse when he died. Ringo has been sober for decades now, and seems happy with his wife of 40+ years and family they made. Paul had a good marriage, a bad one after his first wife died, and seems pretty happy now. He seems pretty ok with the world. George was content when he passed on of cancer. They were and are all worth huge fortunes earned with talent. Yeah, the Beatles had some rough times, John's murder was a major tragedy, but overall, I think they made out better than many. They all kept their sanity and built stable lives. You can't really say that of many rock stars of that era.

Paul’s an Everton fan, but says he’s gotten “special dispensation from the Pope” to like both teams.

Thanks for the reaction. May I suggest another movie that does have a slight connection to the Beatles although a completely polar opposite plot, it’s a movie I have put off watching for months and now regret that I did namely “Jo Jo Rabbit”

I'm very impressed that you're picking up on a serious theme that was intentionally built into this wacky comedy: that massive fame is a trap and a prison. You picked up on that right from the opening credits and kept bringing it up throughout. Answering your question: I'd say George Harrison is less famous over John, Paul and Ringo. (not that he'd care a bit!). So much to say about this groundbreaking movie: it created the music video as we know it, it cemented the Beatles success for good, it was the first pop-music movie that was actually good, as opposed to just a cheap cash-in, like most of Elvis' movies.....) Within five years, the band would look and sound completely different, and would have gone through more changes than most artists go through during an entire lifetime. Amazing.

Hippie is 1968 sonny!!!!

Having outlived John, Paul replaced him in the public memory as leader and chief singer, wben it was John wbo was leader and chief singer. And its sad to see this and think of John's assassination jn 16 years kn 1980.

Great fun and my mum saw them and only heard the screaming!

Elton John? He was only 17 then. That's Ringo, the Drummer. Man oh man.....😂 I used to play penny poker in college [back in the stone age lol]. The blond girl in the uniform on the train is Patty Boyd, who became George Harrison's wife. You are asking very good questions rather than assuming things....my compliments. YES, their long hair in a world full of short hair, changed everything. the parents hated it lol. Yes this movie and the Beatles afterward, contributed largely to the future of music videos. there was also Ricky Nelson, American popstar, who was a on a weekly sitcom with his brother and parents in the USA, who did a music video for his #1 song Traveling' Man, who was also considered perhaps the first music video made specifically for the song. Also Elvis movie clips of songs can be considered music videos in may respects, one of the best being Jailhouse Rock [1957]. It all evolved. the guy who got his measuring tape cut was actually the Beatles real suit tailor, they did a lot of business with him and gave him this small part for a laugh. Congrats...you just passed your first course in Beatlemania. suggestion....watch the movie documentary from 2016 called eight Days a Week....about their touring years from 1962 to 1966...you'll learn a lot. They were the first to ever do concerts in a big stadium, no monitors, couldn't hear themselves. Total chaos.

I can't believe you did this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW! I'm blown away!!!!! I haven't even watched it yet, I'm commenting before I even watch the video so I'm sure there will be a post-movie comment, but I just had to get that off my chest: WOW! Very cool!!!!!!!!!! LOVE this movie, LOVE The Beatles. Their animated movie, "Yellow Submarine" is also really great (and beautiful). Their second movie, "Help" is silly but definitely funny (it's in color, after the huge success of "A Hard Day's Night"). WOW. SUPER PSYCHED you watched this movie!!!!!!!!! (I just hope you liked it.....but how could you not?! Lol)

Ringo was the most popular as judged by fan mail. He got tons!!

It’s between John and Paul I think to who was most popular but most popular to me has always been George 🙂💗 xx

Lol he called Ringo Elton John

Edit ...John....not joke..thanks auto correct

MTV tried to honor Richard Lester (director AHDN and Help) for being the father of MTV. Lester asked for a paternity test.

The "hippie era" didn't begin in 1964.

Both John Lennon & Paul McCartney lost their mothers at a very young age and music was like a escape for them . You should read the book about the man who gave the Beatles away by Allen Williams about the making of the Beatles .!! Note I think Paul McCartney was probably more popular with the girls,! P er my older sisters. Also check out the movie EIGHT DAYS AWEEK by Ron Howard!!

Called a helicopter

The "Hippy" era was in 1966-67.

I remember girls screaming in the movie theater in '64.

Dude you need to do the movie Across the Universe now. Great Beatles movie. Or movie to Beatles music. Or something not sure how much truth is in the movie but great movie.

No, they weren't teenagers. When they started in 1963, John and Ringo were 23. Paul was 21, and George was 20.

Mal Evans.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

You don't even get the Green stamps joke... Anyone one for joke SNORTING COKE in a movie for kids??? No one notices 90% of this movie.

The pretty 😍 blonde 👱‍♀️ on the train was Patty Boyd who would later become Mrs George Harrison, and later Mrs Eric Clapton.

Wow, that editing is annoying and distracting.

Is that your genuine laugh? Maybe you could have it surgically removed...

What the f*ck are you on about English subtitles? The film is in English. Is that Elton John? Oh, so the subtitles are for people who can't understand YOU