The deleted but curious scenes removed from the motion picture, “A Hard Day’s Night."

Today I plan to include and uncover those deleted, left on the cutting room floor scenes from the ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ motion picture, then reveal a couple of them in sequential order within the film’s continuity for the next upcoming weeks. Be sure to join me and prepare for some fun reading.

Okay, the strategy I have in mind is to write a paragraph or two that made the final cut and remained contained within the film. Hopefully, these initial bits of action or dialogue can stand alone as deeply grounded familiarity sequences to help you appreciate better the original omitted passages I bring back, written in BOLD font inside these [ ] brackets to compare how the screenplay first intended, but later, due to unknown circumstances, changed.  Here we go.

Introductory scene: Song, A Hard Day’s Night begins. The film opens with crowds of kids, shot from a distance and close-ups, chasing after John, George, and Ringo. The lads race just ahead of them, and the young mob looks determined to catch the fleeing pop stars.

The three Beatles rush through the narrow cobbled passageway and into the main train station––[quickly show their tickets at the barrier for the ready to leave on a London bound train] and get on the platform as hordes of yelling and screaming fans reach the closed gates.

[Next, we see the fans rushing to the limited platform ticket machines, and endless pennies being dropped as tickets are torn out in haste to get onto the platform to see the famous Boys.]

[Norm has been waiting for the Boys, and he hurries them to where all the baggage, instruments and drums are piled to be placed in the guard's van. The Boys turn and see the crowds pushing through the barriers and descending on them with screams and shouts. The Boys grab their instruments, including Ringo behind his drum set, and Norm plugs into a handy transformer then holds and points one of the guitar cases like a gun volley to stop the onrush of hysteria females. Suddenly, the Boys blast into a musical number and start to sing. The song stops the kids in their tracks, and they prop themselves on to whatever they can, enjoying the melody played by their idols.]

[As the Boys are playing, the camera cuts back to the crowds, and in the center, we see Paul struggling and pulling to fight his way through the masses and join the band mates. He is dragging a very reluctant old man behind him. The old man seems most disgruntled, and we can see by his gestures how unwilling he is to be pulled and pushed forward through the ocean of girls.]

[At last, Paul reaches the other Boys. He sits the old man down on a pile of cases and joins in the musical number to the squeals of delight from the fans. The old man sits aloof and proud, ignoring the whole proceedings. John, George, and Ringo look enquiringly at Paul, who gives a non-committal shrug of the shoulders as if to say “it’s not my fault” and the song continues.]

[A shot of sudden horror flashes on John’s face; Paul follows Lennon’s gaze only to see the old man has doffed his cap and is busily collecting money from a perturbed crowd. Paul dives hastily into the crowd, and with suitable apologies abstracts the old man. With a long-suffering sigh, Paul drags the gent back to the group and is forced to stand still between Paul and George until the tune ends.]

[At the final musical note, girls scream and shout their approval, but the guard’s whistle overpowers the noise, so quickly Norm and Shake grab all the instruments and bags placing them into the van while the Boys head into their reserved compartment pursued once again by the mob.]

The Boys stand and wave to their fans until out of sight line then roam the train’s corridor in search for their seats.

Now, as to which song the Beatles broke into, to calm the frenzy fans from burying our popular musician stars for souvenirs, mementos, and just plain adoration, genuine confirmed status has yet to surface, even though all those young teen extras on location witnessed the performance. However, a good guess identifying the hidden gem can surface from just a little bit of elimination. For example, we know the director, Richard Lester, had demanded the title song open the film with a bang, knock the socks off the audience with a smashing, over the top, electrified chord intro. Therefore, as the movie audience gets wrapped up in the chase scene listening to this outstanding number 1 top of the pops tune, watching kids clawing, tripping, dashing over each other just to touch a Beatle, Lester wouldn’t direct the band to play ‘A Hard Day’s Night a second time on the platform. Hence, research proves that on March 1, 1964, the Beatles booked a special, never heard of before, Sunday recording session specifically to meet the deadline for the film’s featured songs. First up, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You. After four takes, the band recorded Long Tall Sally in just one effort per mixed discussions of a predetermined plan to close the film’s ending concert with Sally, then rush off to the waiting helicopter. But did you know, another song intruded on everyone’s Sunday day off, and the lads needed seven takes before George Martin was pleased. The title of the very last song recorded for the black and white movie was, ‘I Call Your Name.’ And when you think about it, that number could handle a trio job well done until Paul made his way through the crowd onto the platform ready to join in with the others.

Yep, ‘I Call Your Name’ didn’t make an appearance in the film, but neither did the Beatles singing on the train station platform find a place rooted onto the silver screen.

If any of you recall family, friends, or yourselves who had participated in the production process as a crew member, cast member, or an extra running after the lads near the station, please jar your memories and let me know the song title as you remembered it.    

Join me tomorrow for more deleted scenes as I continue unveiling everything Lennon referred to as rubbish, the forever lost diamonds in the rough that editors snipped clean off the developed spools of live action footage and sadly destroyed. 

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