A Hard Day's Night Page #13

REPORTER:

Do you like playing the guitar?

GEORGE:

Next to kissing girls it's favourites.

PAUL is surrounded by newspapermen.

PAUL:

No, actually, we're just good friends.

HIGH SHOT of the press reception and we see the BOYS ease

their way out until they get to the curtained entrance to

the dress circle; completely unnoticed, they slip through.

INTERIOR THEATRE DRESS CIRCLE

The BOYS come up the stairs into the Dress Circle proper.

GRANDFATHER and SHAKE are sitting there having a picnic of

beer and sandwiches.

PAUL:

(ironically)

Anything to spare?

GRANDFATHER:

We've just finished, Pauly. Hey

George, write us your John Henry on

this picture.

GEORGE:

Sure.

(He does so)

PAUL:

Ah well. Eh, look!

He points, and from PAUL'S P.O.V. we see on stage, the setting

up of the show, scenery and lights, cameras and sound

equipment are being put into position by a small army of

studio staff. DANCERS and SINGERS are milling about as well.

PAUL:

Let's go and muck in.

JOHN:

Aye, before anyone stops us.

They exit to rows of the dress circle and go through the

entrance down the narrow stairs to the stalls and on to the

stage that is built and extended right into the stalls, which

are partly covered up.

INTERIOR STAGE:

Everyone is so busy that they hardly notice the BOYS, who

wander about and examine the studio equipment. A load of

three drum sets are being brought on stage and a voice shouts

out:

VOICE:

Here, what about these electric

guitars?

SHAKE:

Where are they?

VOICE:

Back here, mate.

SHAKE:

(going towards the

voice)

I'm coming.

RINGO is busy setting up his drums, and men are setting up

the other sets. He drops a stick and the FLOOR MANAGER

retrieves it and is about to tap the drum. The FLOOR MANAGER

is a languid young man.

RINGO:

Leave them drums alone.

FLOOR MANAGER:

Oh, surely one can have a tiny touch.

RINGO:

If you so much as breathe heavy on

them, I'm out on strike.

FLOOR MANAGER:

Aren't you being rather arbitrary?

RINGO:

That's right retreat behind a smoke

screen of bourgeois cliches. I don't

go round messing about with your ear-

phones, do I?

FLOOR MANAGER:

Spoil sport!

RINGO:

Well!

RINGO fusses like a mother hen clucking over his drums. The

FLOOR MANAGER is furious.

GEORGE:

He's very touchy about those his

drums, they loom large in his legend.

RINGO gives his drums a defiant crash and JOHN and PAUL stop

whatever they are up to and hurry over.

PAUL:

What's up?

GEORGE:

(pointing)

He's sulking again.

JOHN:

I'll show him.

He picks up a set of drum sticks and bashes back at RINGO,

who does a more complicated drum roll. GEORGE now joins in

and to PAUL'S encouragement a drum duel starts completely

naturally and improvised.

During this encounter the work proceeds around them and the

guitars are brought on and SHAKE sets them to working order.

PAUL first, then JOHN and GEORGE take up their own instruments

and out of the drum duel emerges one of their numbers.

INTERIOR RAMP:

As the number finishes a baldheaded man (he is the T.V.

director) storms down the ramp that leads from the control

box under the dress circle.

DIRECTOR:

(with over-exaggerated

calm)

All right I'm sorry and let's hear

no more about it. If that's your

opinion, you're probably right. Look,

if you think I'm unsuitable let's

have it out in the open, I can't

stand these back-stage politics.

By the end of this speech he is standing in front of JOHN

who takes the scene in his stride.

JOHN:

Aren't you tending to black and white

this whole situation?

DIRECTOR:

Well, quite honestly I wasn't

expecting "a musical arranger" who

would question my ability... picture-

wise.

JOHN:

(to the others)

I could listen to him for hours.

PAUL:

Heave to, what's all this about a

musical arranger?

DIRECTOR:

Mr. McCartney Senior!

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