The Beatle's trailer for A Hard Days Night...
September 10, 2021 10:00 AM Subscribe
I'm writing an essay on George Harrison and trying to reconstruct some memories from my childhood about the movie A Hard Days Nights. More specifically its trailer.
Before the film debuted in the US in 1964 how is it that I saw a trailer for the movie as a 10-year-old? I don't remember anything about the actual movie my parents had let me join them in seeing back then (that played the trailer).
But I vividly recall being alarmed for George Harrison when he takes a gnarly tumble in the opening moments of the trailer. When three of the lads are being chased by hysterical mobs (Paul is somewhere incognito hiding). I guess this is something a kid would have paid attention to, as the accident looked so rough and tumble.
Before the film debuted in the US in 1964 how is it that I saw a trailer for the movie as a 10-year-old? I don't remember anything about the actual movie my parents had let me join them in seeing back then (that played the trailer).
But I vividly recall being alarmed for George Harrison when he takes a gnarly tumble in the opening moments of the trailer. When three of the lads are being chased by hysterical mobs (Paul is somewhere incognito hiding). I guess this is something a kid would have paid attention to, as the accident looked so rough and tumble.
Response by poster: Whatever.
I remember a trailer playing before the featured film and my attention was grabbed by George's fall. It's strange what kids become fixated on. My friend and I didn't see the film in full until later in the year with his parents. My parents had no interest in taking me to see it.
posted by zenpop at 10:21 AM on September 10, 2021
I remember a trailer playing before the featured film and my attention was grabbed by George's fall. It's strange what kids become fixated on. My friend and I didn't see the film in full until later in the year with his parents. My parents had no interest in taking me to see it.
posted by zenpop at 10:21 AM on September 10, 2021
Wait, I'm confused - what exactly is your question?
I thought your question was "I remember seeing this scene but it's not in the trailer." That's why I posted that clip, to answer what I thought was your question - to tell you that "it's not in the trailer but it IS in the opening scene." And you replied with "whatever".
So....I guess I'm not clear what your question actually is. Can you clarify?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:25 AM on September 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
I thought your question was "I remember seeing this scene but it's not in the trailer." That's why I posted that clip, to answer what I thought was your question - to tell you that "it's not in the trailer but it IS in the opening scene." And you replied with "whatever".
So....I guess I'm not clear what your question actually is. Can you clarify?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:25 AM on September 10, 2021 [5 favorites]
The moment of George falling does seem to be in the actual trailer.
But I'm also not sure what the question is here.
posted by neroli at 10:33 AM on September 10, 2021
But I'm also not sure what the question is here.
posted by neroli at 10:33 AM on September 10, 2021
Response by poster: Fair enough.
My 'question' is vague. I should have couched it as -- was it in the trailer or the actual movie where I reacted to George's slamming into the pavement? This is one of those flashback memories -- triggered the other day by coming across the AHDN bit on Youtube. As that was labeled as 'trailer #1' for the movie I was trying to separate out the two. Trailer or film.
Even more OCD I should have asked: Does anyone remember the AHDN trailer as a kid ... or something to that effect -- and gone forward from there.
posted by zenpop at 10:34 AM on September 10, 2021
My 'question' is vague. I should have couched it as -- was it in the trailer or the actual movie where I reacted to George's slamming into the pavement? This is one of those flashback memories -- triggered the other day by coming across the AHDN bit on Youtube. As that was labeled as 'trailer #1' for the movie I was trying to separate out the two. Trailer or film.
Even more OCD I should have asked: Does anyone remember the AHDN trailer as a kid ... or something to that effect -- and gone forward from there.
posted by zenpop at 10:34 AM on September 10, 2021
Is it possible you saw a TV spot for A HARD DAYS NIGHT that featured the fall? Film trailers were commonly cut down into shorter clips and shown during commercial breaks.
posted by eschatfische at 10:37 AM on September 10, 2021
posted by eschatfische at 10:37 AM on September 10, 2021
I swore for years that there was a scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex walks past the storm pipe where Lex and Tim are hiding that was cut out of the VHS release of the film. I was so certain of it. I would always tell people when watching it that hey did you know in the original theatrical release of this movie that the T-Rex came by but they cut it out for the VHS?
It wasn't until many years later that I realized I was wrong about that, when I read Jurassic Park the book again and, wouldn't you know it, there was the exact scene from my memory in hard cold black and white serif.
I was so excited after seeing Jurassic Park in theaters that my dad gave me the book to read while waiting for the VHS to release. So I saw the movie--then immediately read the book--at 8 years old, was able to fill in every book event with faces and scenes from the movie, and now I have this implanted memory forever.
Basically what I'm saying is, children's brains do weird things to memories, and latch on to images and events and play them all out of order as we recall them.
posted by phunniemee at 11:11 AM on September 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
It wasn't until many years later that I realized I was wrong about that, when I read Jurassic Park the book again and, wouldn't you know it, there was the exact scene from my memory in hard cold black and white serif.
I was so excited after seeing Jurassic Park in theaters that my dad gave me the book to read while waiting for the VHS to release. So I saw the movie--then immediately read the book--at 8 years old, was able to fill in every book event with faces and scenes from the movie, and now I have this implanted memory forever.
Basically what I'm saying is, children's brains do weird things to memories, and latch on to images and events and play them all out of order as we recall them.
posted by phunniemee at 11:11 AM on September 10, 2021 [2 favorites]
Maybe you saw the AHDN trailer shown before another United Artists feature film released that year.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:20 AM on September 10, 2021
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:20 AM on September 10, 2021
Response by poster: Yes, totally a child's imagination merged into an adult memory burp -- your T-Rex conflation. Thanks for sharing that experience.
That makes sense Iris Gambol, yes.
Though now I'm figuring when I saw the film as a kid it was that image of George falling that made the central impression. Where and what is probably going to always remain forever scrambled.
Footnote: I was one of those play-it-safe types of kids. Never climbed trees and didn't like anything where I might end up cut or bruised. A big deal for me was donning roller skates. LOL!
posted by zenpop at 11:40 AM on September 10, 2021
That makes sense Iris Gambol, yes.
Though now I'm figuring when I saw the film as a kid it was that image of George falling that made the central impression. Where and what is probably going to always remain forever scrambled.
Footnote: I was one of those play-it-safe types of kids. Never climbed trees and didn't like anything where I might end up cut or bruised. A big deal for me was donning roller skates. LOL!
posted by zenpop at 11:40 AM on September 10, 2021
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:06 AM on September 10, 2021 [1 favorite]