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Legendary rock critic Dave Marsh once said that Elvis movies were bound to fail, all of them, because whatever drama they contained could not help but wilt next to the true legend of the man himself. Which is to say, Elvis' story was his own, and he didn't need Hollywood hacks dreaming up lesser ones.

This lesson could not have been lost on the men who made the Beatles films - in all five of them, the movie exists solely to reflect the glory of its subject. And not in any tinhorn costume-rack way, like Elvis movies did. John did not play a stock-car driver; George did not pretend to be living on an Indian reservation. They were four lads who shook the world, and that was the plot of each of their films, even the later ones. But that comes, well, later.

Perhaps no film captures the essence of the Fabs as well as A Hard Day's Night, however: certainly no other bit of celluloid can do a better job of explaining the initial appeal of the four. AHDN is a perfect entity because it looks and acts like the Beatles themselves - clothed in black and white, exuberant, youthful, politely arrogant, manic, absurd, rebellious, and desperate to break free. It manages to capture a moment in time and demonstrate its timelessness; it stands as a record of a cultural explosion, a four-way personality study, a social satire, and an historical document all at once, and does all of these things so effortlessly and without pretense that only a few decades of hindsight can prove it.

Oh, and there's a bit of music, as well, because while Beatlemania was arriving on American shores, the Beatles were arriving artistically. A major artistic leap above their earlier work, the music in A Hard Day's Night marks the undisputed crowning of the Beatles as the Kings of Rock and Roll. And if that crown was to eventually become too big for any one artist to wear, we had mainly the lads to thank, for it's with this film's soundtrack that the Fabs began to implement the changes that would turn Rock and Roll into a recognized art form. (Contrary to popular belief, it was already art.) For the first time in ages, rock fans were being challenged to keep up, with the songs as their own glorious reward. And from this point on, the Beatles were in the vanguard of the world's greatest Popular Music artists. Anyone who hadn't caught on yet was likely to be left behind.

The new DVD version of A Hard Day's Night, just released by Buena Vista, isn’t the film’s first DVD appearance; it was released in that format back in 1997 by MPI. This one, however, is the keeper, the first official ushering in of the classic to the home digital video age. Having been fortunate enough to see it in the theatrical re-release, I can verify that the technical modernizing is flawlessly executed: Ringo's claves in "And I Love Her," for example, are practically a recording in and of themselves, and "Tell Me Why" is a dangerous near-riot of Merseybeat flash. Although there are less striking updates in the picture itself (it is shot in B&W, after all), the difference is still pronounced, especially in the always-fabulous photo stills that adorn the end credits. So, if you didn't happen to be in one of the cities that was showing this ageless classic, either in 1964 or during its 2000 re-release, take heart: your time has come. These days, the legend looks better than ever.

Here's a collection of links to the best websites about the film and DVD of "A Hard Day's Night." If you have or know of a site like this that isn't listed here, e-mail me!

Classic Movie Scripts: A Hard Day’s Night
The Alun Owen script for the film, in its final incarnation.

Idle Hands: The Movies: A Closer Look
Ever wondered, among other things, what John showed to the reporter? Find out here! There's also a great selection of AHDN stills here.

Songs, Pictures, and Stories of The Beatles: The Beatles Movie Posters
Pictures and a price guide for original AHDN memorabilia from Mitch McGeary.

The Beatles Ultimate Experience Database: A Hard Day's Night
The lads themselves talk about the making of the film in these quotes. There's also a script for Paul’s deleted “actress” scene, which was never filmed.

The Beatles Pages: A Hard Day’s Night
Fab .wav file clips from the movie itself, as well as interview snippets and a radio promo.

British Society and Culture: A Hard Day’s Night - A Love Story
A somewhat brief but solid history of how the film came about.

rec.music.beatles Home Page
Saki defends the film and its unique visual and narrative style.

Rotten Tomatoes.com
A large selection of critical responses to the film.

What does the Beatles' film A Hard Days Night say about how to be a rock band?
Students at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) discuss the above question.

Abbeyrd’s Beatles Page
All the latest info and news on the new DVD release, as it happens!