Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film

The Beatles produced five films during their time together: A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, & Let It Be. Some were cinematic successes, & some were not, but—along with subsequent reissues, bonus material, & Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back, a documentary companion to Let It Be—they comprise an endlessly fascinating document of key phases in the group's career.

In this comprehensive deep-dive into the band's movies, author & longtime music journalist Steve Matteo follows the origins, filming, & often frenzied fan reception of projects from the 1964 premiere of A Hard Day's Night through 1970's Let It Be to the release of Get Back in 2022. Matteo explores the production process, original theatrical film releases, subsequent VHS, DVD, & Blu-ray releases, & bonus materials, along with the US & UK soundtracks. In addition to copious anecdotes & behind-the-scenes details, he also places these films in their larger context, a period of unprecedented artistic & commercial innovation in British & world cinema. Filled with stories & insights that will satisfy collectors, buffs, & casual fans alike, this is the definitive account of an underappreciated part of the Beatles’ creative output.

°°°

Steve Matteo is the author of the books Let It Be & Dylan & contributed to the collection The Beatles in Context. He has written for such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, New York, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, Spin, Elle, & Salon. He often appears on radio in his capacity as a music journalist & author.

°°°

PopMatters - Best Books of 2023 

"Meticulously researched and infectiously enthusiastic ... Matteo takes readers on one hell of a journey." 
— Popmatters