A Hard Day's Night

EXTERIOR STREETS OUTSIDE RAILWAY TERMINAL DAY

The film opens with crowds of girls, shot in a sequence of

CLOSE-UPS, chasing after GEORGE, JOHN and RINGO. The boys

hare off just ahead of them. They take a turn down a back

alley way and the crowds of screaming girls are after them.

EXTERIOR TERMINAL

They rush on through the narrow cobbled passageway and into

the main station, quickly show their tickets at the barrier

for the London train, and get onto the platform as hordes of

yelling and screaming girls reach the closed gates.

EXTERIOR TERMINAL PLATFORM

We see the fans rushing to the few platform ticket machines,

and endless pennies being dropped and tickets torn out in

their haste to get onto the platform to see the boys.

NORM has been waiting for the boys and he hurries them to

where all their baggage, instruments and the drums are

waiting, piled up to be put into the guards' van. The boys

turn and see the oncoming stream of girls pushing through

the barriers and descending on them with yells and shouts.

They grab their instruments, RINGO makes for the drums.

NORM plugs into a handy transformer and using their

instruments like a gun volley to stop the onrush of females,

the boys blast fire into a number and start to sing. This

stops the girls in their tracks and they settle down on

whatever they can to listen to them playing.

As the boys are playing, we CUT BACK into the crowds. In the

centre we see PAUL struggling and pulling to fight his way

through the girls to join the other boys. 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 all the girls.

At last PAUL reaches the other boys. He sits the old man

down on a pile of cases and joins in the 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

noncommittal shrug of the shoulders as if to say, "it's not

my fault" and the number proceeds.

SHOT of sudden horror on JOHN's face. PAUL follows his eye

line only to see the old man has doffed his cap and is busily

collecting money from a disconcerted crowd. PAUL dives hastily

into the crowd, and with suitable apologies extracts the old

man and with a long suffering sigh drags him back to the

group. GEORGE and PAUL hold him firmly as they finish the

number, the old man standing there between them.

As the number finishes and the girls scream and shout with

delight, the guard blows his whistle. NORM and SHAKE grab

the instruments and the drums, and with the rest piles the

lot into the guards' van. The BOYS head into their reserved

compartment pursued by the fans but the train moves off.

They have successfully repelled all extra boarders.

THE BOYS stand and wave to the fans until out of sight line...

the girls running along to the end of the platform waving

and calling out.

INTERIOR RESERVED COMPARTMENT IN THE TRAIN

The boys relax, sitting down on one side of the compartment.

They are about to settle down and make themselves at home

when first RINGO nudges GEORGE who in turn nudges JOHN.

Opposite them is sitting the LITTLE OLD MAN. He is holding

himself stiff, erect and very aloof.

The three boys look at him enquiringly but with an elaborate

sniff he looks away from them and out of the window.

PAUL catches his eye and winks at the LITTLE OLD MAN. He

winks back at PAUL, scowls at the other three then looks

firmly out of the window again.

The boys turn on PAUL crowding around him.

JOHN:

Eh... pardon me for asking but who's

that little old man?

PAUL:

What little old man?

JOHN:

(pointing)

That little old man.

PAUL:

Oh, that one. That's me Grandfather.

GEORGE:

That's not your Grandfather.

PAUL:

It is, y'know.

GEORGE:

But your Grandfather lives in your

house. I've seen him.

PAUL:

Oh, that's me other Grandfather, but

this one's me Grandfather and all.

JOHN:

How d'you reckon that one out?

PAUL:

Well... everyone's entitled to two,

aren't they, and this is me other

one.

JOHN:

(long suffering)

Well we know that but what's he doing

here?

PAUL:

Well, me mother thought the trip 'ud

do him good.

RINGO:

How's that?

PAUL:

Oh... he's nursing a broken heart.

The lads all look intently at the GRANDFATHER.

JOHN:

Aah... the poor old thing.

He leans across to GRANDFATHER.

JOHN:

Eh, Mister... are you nursing a broken

heart then?

The GRANDFATHER nods soulfully glares at him, in a way that

indicates yes.

PAUL:

(whispering)

You see, he was going to get married

but she threw him over for a butcher.

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