Help! (1965)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Marc Behm (story)
Charles Wood (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 August 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

Stop worrying! HELP! is on the way!

Plot:

Ringo finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult and the band must try to protect him from it.

Plot Keywords:

Human Sacrifice | Ring | Mad Scientist | The Beatles | Beatles

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

John Lennon	...	John (as The Beatles)
Paul McCartney	...	Paul (as The Beatles)
George Harrison	...	George (as The Beatles)
Ringo Starr	...	Ringo (as The Beatles)
Leo McKern	...	Clang
Eleanor Bron	...	Ahme
Victor Spinetti	...	Prof. Foot
Roy Kinnear	...	Algernon
John Bluthal	...	Bhuta
Patrick Cargill	...	Superintendent
Alfie Bass	...	Doorman
Warren Mitchell	...	Abdul
Peter Copley	...	Jeweller
Bruce Lacey	...	Lawnmower
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frankie Howerd	...	Sam Ahab (scenes deleted)
Wendy Richard	...	Lady Macbeth (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Beatles Phase II (UK) (working title)
Eight Arms to Hold You (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital (re-release)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:U | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:G (1980)

Filming Locations:

Ailsa Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Subafilms

Trivia:

One of the film's original taglines was, "Please do not reveal the beginning of this movie to your friends (they'd never believe it, anyway)". This is a spoof of the tagline from 'Alfred Hitchcock''s Psycho (1960), which implored its audience, "Please do not reveal the ending of this movie to your friends (it's the only one we have)".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Prof. Foot and Algernon are trying to get the ring off Ringo in their lab and Ahme comes in to rescue them, the door she enters is red. Then after she comes in, it is gray.

Quotes:

Clang: We must find the ring.
Bhuta: Has nobody looked in the wash basin?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Wonder Years: Pilot (#1.1)" (1988)

Soundtrack:

Prelude to Act III

"It's a season ticket. What d'you think it is?"

A great movie. People here seem to complain the plotline was too silly. But keep in mind this was during the Bond phase(almost a forerunner to Get Smart). A sacrificial ring caught on the Famous Ringo's finger. A mad scientist trying to take over the world. An evil cult trying to kill our heroes. A girl from that cult secretly helping our heroes. Typical Bondish plotlines.

It also has great one-liners(Maybe it's that I'm just your average 14 year old American who loves British humor), and just weird ones that sound funny. "I don't subscribe to your religion." "He's out to rule the world if he can get a government grant." "Now, look here, Paul. I've had some great times with this finger. How do you know I wouldn't miss it?"

And, of course, greeeeeaaaaat music.