SERGEANT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS' CLUB BAND

US, 1978, 113 minutes, Colour.
Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Frankie Howerd, Paul Nicholas, Donald Pleasence, Steve Martin, Aerosmith, Earth Wind and Fire, Alice Cooper, Billy Preston, George Burns. Cameos: Keith Carradine, Carol Channing, Barbara Dickson, Donovan, Randy Edelman, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliciano, Leif Garrett, Barry Humphries (Edna Everage).
Directed by Michael Schultz.

Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Bans is a conglomeration – perhaps over-rich for all the ingredients. The film is based on the Beatles album though the presentation of the songs is not by the Beatles themselves (although Paul McCartney? and George Harrison appear in cameos towards the end).

The film has the familiar story of the local band, feted by the music business, caught up in its machinations – with the need to discover its roots and to be able to play authentically.

The film is interesting in having the Bee Gees in a film about the Beatles as well as musicians and groups like Aerosmith and Peter Frampton.

The film was directed by Michael Schultz, a prolific television director who had the opportunity to make a number of films in the later 1970s, especially with African American themes: Car Wash, Greased Lightning, Which Way Is Up, Scavenger Hunt, Bustin’ Loose and Carbon Copy.

1. The appeal of the film? To whom? For Beatles fans, for Bee Gees and Peter Frampton fans? For the general audience? For lovers of Beatles music? For people who like musicals? The response to the stars? To the style? How successful a film, musical?

2. The Robert Stigwood production? The atmosphere of Saturday Night Fever, Grease and popular response to these musicals? The investment of money on a contrived musical illustrating the Beatles' albums?

3. The critics were very severe on the film and it did not do well at the box office. Why?

4. Comment on the large budget and the way that this could be seen on the screen - Panavision, colour, score, sound? The sets both real and fantasy? The special effects? The imagination? The editing? The guest stars? How well did these combine for effect and enjoyment?

5. The impact of the stars - Peter Frampton and his personality, style, singing ability? As an embodiment of the innocent hero? The Bee Gees and their popularity, singing ability? Their performing and acting? The guest stars especially George Burns and Frankie Howerd? The various groups who appeared and contributed to the visualizing of the songs? The significance of the ending with so many popular singers appearing together and singing the title song? The contribution of the personalities of the stars?

6. The reputation of the albums presented? Their popularity in the sixties? Innovative popular music? The reputation of the Beatles in the sixties, their popularity, their individual personalities? Their singing style, musical composition? Their lyrics and their comments on society in the sixties? How relevant the Beatles' music and lyrics for the seventies? Why the popular appeal, the making of this film?

7. The albums and their contents - their origins, the Beatles' imagination and musical tradition? The various songs and the way they were imagined in this film? The plot of this film and its relationship with the Beatles' story - success, innocent singers, the possibility of failure, the possibility of fame and corruption? The effect of the film as a fable, visual and symbol? The use of captions? The highlighting of the moral? Did this presentation of the explicit attitude of the film to the audience work?

8. The opening with the presentation of Sergeant Pepper ? World War I and the re-creation of the war, the passing over the various generations and using the musical styles of the decades to illustrate Sergeant Pepper and his band? The build-up to his death in the fifties? The monument? The transition to the contemporary scene? The new Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band? Audiences identifying with a Sergeant Pepper over the decades and anticipating the new band?

9. The presentation of Heart Land - the dream town, the ordinary American town with its pleasantness and niceness? As a symbol of middle America? The focus on Mr Kite as the Mayor? George Burns and his personality and style? Carnival, joy, lyrical innocence, the boys and the girls - even Dougie? The transition to the lure of success, the moving away from Heart Land? The taking over of Heart Land and its corruption and transformation by Mr Mustard? The ugliness of the corrupt Heart Land - the casino, the rubbish on the streets, the hints of degradation? The need to be rescued and the overtones of The Yellow Submarine as the band comes to transform Heart Land back into its initial innocence?

10. Peter Frampton as Billy - type, clean-cut, young? The new leader of the band? His heritage? His place in the town, his relationship to the boys, Dougie and the explanation of his background as the manager money-making type? His love for Strawberry Fields? His fitting into the niceness of Heart Land. his relationship to Mr Kite? The songs illustrating this?

11. The presence of Broadhurst and his Californian style, dress, appearance? His contact with the group? The transition to Los Angeles and the world of the media, parties, record sessions, money, concerts? The songs illustrating this area of the plot?

12. How good was the musical skill of Peter Frampton, of the Bee Gees, of the other singers? In comparison with the original Beatles' presentations of the songs?

13. The transition to Mr Mustard? The songs illustrating his character especially the mean man? Frankie Howerd and his British comedy style, his leering at the audience and drawing the audience into complicity? The kidnapping of Strawberry Fields? The humour and fantasy and overtones of science fiction with his computer, robots? Lust, meanness, corruption, kidnap? The stealing of the instruments? The fact that he could transform Heart Land but would ultimately be defeated?

14. The world of stardom? Comment on the captions used to illustrate the meaning of what was happening? The response of Billy and his friends to stardom, Dougie and the money? The stealing of the instruments and the effect on them?

15. The presentation of the range of enemies - the groups and stars who performed as the villains? The songs from the original albums illustrating villainy? What were the targets of attack with the various enemies? Father Sun, the song and the television? Mr. Maxy, Edison and his operations? The future villains?

16. The songs in Los Angeles, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and the place of Broadhurst's chauffeur? The irony of Dougie and Lucy stealing the money? The contrast with the innocence of Strawberry Fields?

17. The build-up to the final confrontation, the success of the music, the benefit and the transformation of Heart Land. but the death of Strawberry? The ugliness of the confrontation where Strawberry died?

18. Billy and his grief, its seeming to be hopeless, the role of fantasy and the angel singing Get Back? The background of Billy and his memories and response to Strawberry? The contrast with the songs illustrating their loving at the beginning of the film?

19. How important were the special effects and their appeal? Involving the audience in a world of fantasy?

20. Looking at the list of songs from the various albums, comment on how well they contributed to the plot, to the delineation of character. The way they were visualized, the symbolised to illustrate them, their place in the fable? How well did all this work?