You Can't Do That! The Making of 'A Hard Day's Night'

1995 1h 2m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 3

MusicDocumentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Thirty years after A Hard Day's Night, its producer, director, writer and others describe its making. United Artists Records came to Walter Shenson, asking him to produce a movie so UA could issue a soundtrack album. Shenson signed Lester to direct, and they got the Beatles to agree to star. Shenson sent Owen to Dublin to spend time with the Fab Four; from this came a script built around their being prisoners of their own success. Phil Collins, himself an extra on A Hard Day's Night, hosts this examination of a seminal film: what was ad-libbed, why was it a hit, what was its influence on other movies, and how did it define the way the public viewed each Beatle for years to come?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Phil Collins
Self - Host
Roger Ebert
Self - Host
Paul McCartney
Self
John Lennon
Self
Ringo Starr
Self
George Harrison
Self
Peter Noone
Self
Roger McGuinn
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Leaf
Writers: David Leaf
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Donna M. Izzo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Phil Collins and Roger Ebert and Paul McCartney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0113743 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Leaf directs. Donna M. Izzo cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Donna M. Izzo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Phil Collins and Roger Ebert and Paul McCartney carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0113743 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.