As the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night approaches, Janus Films and their sister company Criterion have been working to produce a restored version of the film, that will be released in theaters and for the home.
A Hard Day’s Night was the Beatles' first film, and it showcased a comedic version of a normal day in the band’s life as they struggle to make it to a show while dealing Beatlemania. Directed by Richard Lester, the film is #6 on Rolling Stone’s Reader Poll of The Best Rock Movies of All Time.
Though the film is obviously not a “typical” day in the band’s life, according Beatles radio host Ken Michaels it did give fans a taste of their idols’ personalities. Michaels described the movie to the Columbia Daily Tribune, saying, “It really crystallized everything going on in the Beatles’ lives. There was so much magic in it.”
Who better to help restore the magic than someone whose father helped create it in the first place? Giles Martin, who is the son of Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin, was recruited to remaster and remix the audio from the film. Through his remastering, Martin attempted to convey the attitude of the legendary band when they were making the film saying to Rolling Stone, that in the film, “…They're running toward something and regardless of what happens, they're just going for it. That's what their recordings sound like — and that's what you want to capture.”
A Hard Day’s Night came out on July 6, 1964
Photo courtesy of INFphoto.com