The Beatles, and their music, are a gift that continues to give with new legions of fans constantly emerging. Merchandise and memorabilia associated with the band also remains hugely popular. Film’s and documentaries about the Beatles probably now run into the hundreds. However, there are five motion pictures in which the band appear and these are considered the ‘Beatles films’. The five films are A Hard Days Night (1964), Help (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Yellow Submarine (1968), and Let It Be (1970).
The films all had cinema releases, and the posters associated with them are, of course, highly coveted. In this article we will discuss the five ‘Beatles films’ and the cinema posters produced for these films. Because some of the films have been re-released prices can vary hugely. We will discuss a ‘money no object’ poster for the film and a more budget-friendly option, where one exists.
A Hard Days Night (1964)
The first film features a fictionalised version of the band at the height of Beatlemania. The film created persona’s for the band that endured. John Lennon was the smart one, McCartney the cute one, Harrison the quiet one and Ringo the lucky one. This being the first Beatles film, the cost of a UK poster which features multiple black and white shots of the band’s heads on a navy backgrounds, runs into the thousands of pounds. A ‘Hard Days Night’ was re-released in 2014 and posters were re-printed (using the original US poster style) showing larger headshots of the band members. Copies of this poster are available for around £100.
Help (1965)
Also a fictionalised film, Help follows the band as they record an album while trying to save Ringo from a cult. The film satirises the James Bond franchise and the UK secret service. The UK quad poster is 3 tone affair with the letters HELP in large red print, and one of the band members standing on top of each letter. Once again these UK posters trade for thousands. A more affordable (though not cheap) US One sheet poster can be obtained for well under a thousand pounds.
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
This film was produced for television in the UK but shown on the midnight movie and college circuit in the US. This gave rise to an unusual 23 x 29 inch cinema poster for the film. Because this poster is rare and features some snazzy artwork, a copy tends to hit a 4 figure price when it comes up in auction.
Yellow Submarine (1968)
This animated film may be the best known of all Beatles films and it features the songs ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘All You Need Is Love’. Like A Hard Days Night, the film was re-released on the 50th anniversary of the original release. Year of release posters are again multiple thousands of pounds but a re-release poster for ‘Yellow Submarine’ such as this one is much more affordable.
Let It Be (1970)
Let It Be is a documentary filled with poignancy as it was shot in the 4 weeks before the band broke up. The Beatles last ever performance on a rooftop in Saville Row in London took place during the filming. A heated studio argument between McCartney and George Harrison is shown and Yoko Ono is ever-present.
The US and UK posters are exactly the same in style and feature squared photos of the band members against a black background with ‘The Beatles’ and ‘Let it Be’ in yellow writing. We currently have a US 3-sheet poster for Let It Be available on the site. Do let us know if any of these posters are of interest. We would be happy to help you obtain something if we don’t currently have a copy on the site.
