The Beatles: 'A Hard Day's Night' Producer Tried to Stop the Band From Smoking in the Movie
The Beatles performed to screaming fans in concert. You can see those fans in the audience of their Ed Sullivan Show performance too. Their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, showcased the fanfare that followed The Beatles even in their daily life. It also chronicled some of their bad habits, like smoking. The Criterion Collection edition of A Hard Day’s Night includes several documentaries about the making of the film. In one, producer Walter Shenson speaks about his efforts to stop The Beatles from smoking on film. He wasn’t entirely successful. A Hard Day’s Night came out in 1964. By this time, The Beatles’ following had crossed the pond, as it were, since they’d performed on Ed Sullivan at the beginning of the year. Shenson felt that The Beatles should be role models to their young fans.
Source: Fred Topel/cheatsheet.com
