See Hear Episode 109 - Interview with Steve Matteo about Act Naturally: The Beatles On Film

There was a time when the rock and roll star appearance in a film
ostensibly as themselves (or a variant) was a given. Think of the
films of Elvis Presley or Cliff Richard. Before the Warholian
expression of 15 minutes of fame became a thing, the pop music film
was a way to make the most of the latest populist puppet’s time in
the sun – script be damned, musician’s longevity be damned. “Let’s
just give the kids what they want and reap the benefits before the
next pretty face we can exploit”. I’m sure that was the studio
mantra. The Beatles were gonna be part of that machine….yet
something different happened. Welcome to See Hear Podcast episode
109. The Beatles got signed to a 3 film deal with United Artists,
and in 1964 released what has been called the Citizen Kane of rock
and roll films, A Hard Day’s Night. People have been arguing the
merits of their filmic output ever since. This year, author Steve
Matteo has released a book called Act Naturally: The Beatles On
Film where he focuses on the Fabs as film stars. He looks at the
making of each of their 5 films giving credit to their
collaborators, as well as putting the films into social context
(what else was happening in British cinema at the time).
Unfortunately, neither Kerry nor Tim was available to join me on
this conversation, but Steve and I had a terrific time talking
about his book and all things Beatle-films.....and many things
Beatle adjacent. I also make a confession that will have film buffs
gathering their pitchforks and hunting me down – I stand by my
contention. Thanks hugely to Steve for a very entertaining
conversation. I hope to have him back for a round table at some
stage. The book Act Naturally: The Beatles On Film is available at
all the usual virtual and physical bookstores. It comes with the
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