Show notes
Writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed joins Tyler this week to talk about her new book on A Hard Day’s Night and its roots in the world of the Goons, from the Fred shows to The Running, Jumping & Standing Still Film.
Also:
- Richard Lester’s creative vision and Alun Owen’s pitch-perfect script
- Why Beatlemania was distinctly black and white and how the film mirrors this
- Wilfrid Brambell – and why the film wouldn't be the same without him.
- Ringo and David Janson
- Favourite scenes: from the ad agency to John & Millie
- Deleted scenes
- The women of A Hard Day's Night and why the film avoided stereotypes that would later creep into Help!
- Recasting ideas
- Ringo’s odd line delivery
- The disposable TV culture at the time
- Those intriguing unmade Beatles films
- And… was Paul Rodney Bewes to John’s Tom Courtenay?
A celebration of a film that's every bit as fresh, funny and ground-breaking today as it was in 1964.
Samira’s podcast Through the Square Window can be found HERE: https://squarewindow.co.uk/


