Page 38 - CinemaRecord #85

by Chris Ball
Beatlemania

n November, Palace Cinemas had the seems quaint that back then
IBritish Film Festival 2014, which included something as cold and
a special event presentation of the Beatles distant as a black and white
inaugural film A Hard Day’s Night from 1964. movie on a cinema screen
I recall the film well. How could I ever forget could prompt teenage girls
that magical experience… to scream with excitement,
but that was Beatlemania.
Jannnngggg! It was a simple chord, one John
Lennon could easily have created by throwing Probably few of the girls –
his guitar on the floor, yet there are few sounds boys were there too, I
in 1960s pop that could create such suppose, had, like me,
exhilaration with such simplicity. actually seen the Beatles live
on their Australian tour, but
Jannnngggg! One heartbeat. A draw of breath. they would have witnessed
And then ” It’s been a hard day’s night…” the hysteria on the cinema
newsreels, or television, if
The magic begins. they were that fortunate.
One Saturday afternoon in late 1964, 50 years
ago, that excitement hit Australia. The Beatles And it was an emotion that
had been to Australia back in June, but a month was impossible to fight.
later the HARD DAY’S NIGHT album had From the opening scenes in
been released in Britain and the US, rising to the film, it was clear that this
No. 1 in both countries. would be no ordinary
session. At the first glimpse
In August even that achievement was of the Beatles, the air was
overshadowed with the release of the movie of full of screams as if the Fab
the same name. The weekend it hit Melbourne Four were actually present.
I was there.
And as the opening song
It was at the Athenaeum Theatre in Collins began, the poor old Hoyts
Street, and I was at a matinee session with Athenaeum began to shake
some school chums. as probably 800 feet began The Athenaeum Theatre, Collins Street Melbourne. Image CATHS Archive
stamping in time to the beat.
All of us had been indoctrinated by our If the usherettes were doing their routine with shrieking as Paul (the cute one) widened his
brothers and sisters. And I remember too how the torches, flashing out warning blasts of light eyes and tilted his head, screaming whenever
I would encourage dad to ask for the Beatles on the faces of any in the audience that dared Ringo (the cuddly one) shook his head when
posters at the Mobil service station whenever make a sound, it would have been an exercise he drummed, closing their eyes and squealing
he bought petrol. in futility. when George (the quiet one) actually spoke
and practically wetting themselves when John
Nothing, however, could prepare us for the This was a day all rules were broken. This was (the clever one) did anything else, really.
emotion that exploded that day at Hoyts. It a movie the audience could become part of,
For a young teenage boy who had developed
an extraordinary enthusiasm for pop music, the
day was milestone. There were others out there
who loved it all as much as I did.

A sense of community is something all humans
crave. And somehow, when the music ceased,
the credits finished rolling, and we’d all stood
for the closing national anthem and then filed
out, blinking into the late afternoon sun to
catch our train back home, we had that feeling.

The Beatles? Best group in the world, boy! The
music? It was cool! The audience? Gee, you
should have heard them! They were going nuts!

My ears were still ringing. A grin was still
plastered across my face as I’m sure it will
occur also to those who venture forth and
th
catch various 50 anniversary presentations
of this rock-and-roll movie classic. «

38 CINEMARECORD # 85