For further information, call Pat Saletore at (661) 254-1275 or visit www.scvhs.org.
Meanwhile, check out the trailer!
BIT O' TRIVIA No. 1: Almost every Beatles fan knows Ringo came up with the title for "A Hard Day's Night" by accident. It's not as widely known that the title came before the song.
The Fabs and Lester announced the title to the press on March 13, 1964, but the band had not yet written, much less recorded, a song by that name.
No problem in those prolific days. Three days later, on the morning of March 16, the band went into Abbey Road's Studio 2 with producer George Martin, and rehearsed and recorded a brand-new song written mainly by Lennon.
By lunchtime, they had "A Hard Day's Night" in the can. Take 9, only the fifth complete runthrough, was the "keeper," according to preeminent Beatles scholar and author Mark Lewisohn.
BIT O' TRIVIA No. 2: Lester and crew started shooting the film in and around London March 2, 1964 and wrapped seven weeks later on April 24. "A Hard Day's Night" premiered in London July 6, and opened in the U.S. Aug. 11.
The movie earned a pair of Academy Award nominations -- one each for the orchestral score by The Beatles' music producer, George Martin, and for the screenplay written by Owen directly for the screen.
Lennon and McCartney also earned Grammy nominations for best original score -- the songs including the chart-topping title track single.
BIT O' TRIVIA No. 3: The Historical Society's screening is 45 years to the day after The Beatles made Billboard magazine chart history by locking up all five of the Top 5 positions on the Hot 100 singles chart.
On April 4, 1964, counting them down, "Please Please Me" was happily No. 5, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" gripped No. 4, "She Loves You" hugged No. 3, "Twist and Shout" rocked No. 2, and "Can't Buy Me Love" -- in only its second week on the chart -- owned No. 1.
BIT O' TRIVIA No. 3a: Of the Top 5 that week, only "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Can't Buy Me Love" were on Capitol Records, the U.S. affiliate of The Beatles' London-based EMI/Parlophone label. The other three singles were not.
Capitol had first right of refusal on Beatles records, but had passed on releasing the other three in the States. Instead, the orphans wound up on indie labels. Vee Jay released "Please Please Me," Tollie issued "Twist and Shout" and Swan released "She Loves You."
By the end of the year, Capitol had snapped out of it and re-secured rights to the ones that got away. Many of them soon re-appeared on the Capitol catch-up compilation "The Early Beatles."
-- Stephen K. Peeples, Signal Online Editor (Capitol Records editorial director, 1977-80; original "Lost Lennon Tapes" writer/producer, Westwood One Radio Network, 1988-1990; "Beatles, Etc." host, KHTS-AM 1220, 2004)
