Plot

Pepperland is a cheerful, music-loving paradise beneath the ocean, residence to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band. The titular Yellow Submarine rests on an Aztec-like pyramid on a hill. On the fringe of the land is a variety of excessive blue mountains.

The land falls beneath a shock assault from the music-hating Blue Meanies, who reside past the mountains. The assault begins with a music-proof glass globe that imprisons the band. The Blue Meanies hearth projectiles and drop apples (a reference to The Beatles’ then-new firm Apple Corps)^[10] that render Pepperland’s residents motionless as statues, and drain your entire countryside of color.

Within the final minutes earlier than his seize, Pepperland’s aged Lord Mayor sends Younger Fred to get assist. Fred takes off within the Yellow Submarine (“Yellow Submarine”). He travels to Liverpool (“Eleanor Rigby”), the place he follows a depressed Ringo to “The Pier”, a house-like constructing on the highest of a hill, and persuades him to return to Pepperland with him. Ringo collects his mates John, George, and Paul. The 4 resolve to assist Outdated Fred, as they name him, and journey with him again to Pepperland within the submarine. As they function the submarine, they sing “All Collectively Now”, after which they go by means of a number of areas on their approach to Pepperland, together with the Sea of Time, the place time flows each forwards and backwards (“After I’m Sixty-4”), the Sea of Science (“Solely a Northern Music”) and the Sea of Monsters, the place Ringo is rescued from monsters after being ejected from the submarine. Within the Sea of Nothing, the protagonists meet Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D., a brief and studious creature (“Nowhere Man”). As they put together to go away, Ringo feels sorry for the lonely Boob, and invitations him to affix them aboard the submarine. They arrive on the Foothills of the Headlands, the place they’re separated from the submarine and Outdated Fred (“Lucy within the Sky with Diamonds”). They then discover themselves within the Sea of Holes, an expanse of flat surfaces with many holes. Jeremy is kidnapped by a Blue Meanie, and the group finds their approach to Pepperland.

Reuniting with Outdated Fred and reviving the Lord Mayor, they give the impression of being upon the now-miserable, gray panorama. The Beatles gown up as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band and steal some devices. The 4 rally the land to revolt (“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band”). The Chief Blue Meanie retaliates by sending out the Dreadful Flying Glove, which John defeats by singing “All You Want Is Love”. Pepperland is restored to color as its flowers re-bloom and its residents revive. The unique Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band are launched, and be a part of The Beatles in combating the Meanies’ multi-headed canine (“Hey Bulldog”). Jeremy performs some “transformation magic” on the Chief Blue Meanie, inflicting the Meanie to bloom roses and sadly concede defeat. John extends a proposal of friendship, and the Chief Blue Meanie has a change of coronary heart and accepts. An unlimited get together ensues (“It is All Too A lot”).

The true Beatles then seem in live-action, and playfully showcase souvenirs from the occasions of the movie. George has the submarine’s motor, Paul has “a bit ‘love’,” and Ringo has “half a gap” in his pocket (having supposedly given the opposite half to Jeremy). Ringo factors out John trying by means of a telescope, which prompts Paul to ask what he sees. John replies that “newer and bluer Meanies have been sighted throughout the neighborhood of this theatre” and claims “there is just one approach to exit… Singing!” The 4 oblige with a brief reprise of “All Collectively Now”, which ends with translations of the tune’s title in varied languages showing in sequence on the display.

Voice solid

• John Clive as John Lennon
• Geoffrey Hughes as Paul McCartney
• Peter Batten as George Harrison (uncredited)
• Paul Angelis as Opening Narrator / Chief Blue Meanie / Ringo Starr / George Harrison (further dialogue)
• Dick Emery as Max / Lord Mayor / Jeremy Hillary Boob
• Lance Percival as “Younger/Outdated” Fred

Sources:^[11][12]

Forged notes

• Based on the particular options part of the Yellow Submarine residence media launch, Peter Batten offered the voice of George for in regards to the first half of the movie. Earlier than he completed recording for the movie, he was found to be a deserter from the British Military of the Rhine in West Germany, and was arrested. His half was accomplished by Angelis, who was additionally the voice of Ringo and the Chief Blue Meanie.^[13]
• Percival additionally offered the voices of Paul and Ringo for america ABC TV cartoon collection The Beatles.

Manufacturing

Growth

The Beatles weren’t captivated with collaborating in a brand new movement image, having been dissatisfied with their second function movie, Assist! (1965), directed by Richard Lester. Nevertheless, they noticed an animated movie as a beneficial approach to full their dedication to United Artists for a 3rd movie. Many followers have assumed that the cartoon didn’t fulfill the contract, however Let It Be (1970) was the movie not linked to the unique three-picture deal.^[14]

The Beatles make a live-action cameo look within the last scene, which was filmed on 25 January 1968, shortly earlier than the band’s journey to India. This was performed primarily to meet their contractual obligation to United Artists to really seem within the movie. The cameo was initially supposed to function a post-production psychedelic background and results, however due to time and finances constraints, a clean, black background remained within the last movie. Whereas Starr and McCartney nonetheless regarded the identical as their animated counterparts, Lennon’s and Harrison’s bodily appearances had modified by the point the cameo was shot. Each had been clean-shaven, and Lennon had begun to develop his hair longer with accompanying mutton-chop sideburns.

The unique story was written by Lee Minoff, primarily based on the tune by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and the screenplay was penned by 4 collaborators together with Erich Segal. George Harrison’s character’s recurring line “It is all within the thoughts” is taken from The Goon Present.

As with many motion-picture musicals, the music takes priority over the precise plot, and a lot of the story is a collection of set items designed to current Beatles music set to varied photographs, in a type paying homage to Walt Disney’s Fantasia (and foreshadowing the rise of music movies and MTV 13 years later).^{[citation needed]} Nonetheless, the movie nonetheless presents a modern-day fairy story representing the values of its supposed hippie viewers.

The dialogue is plagued by puns, double entendres and Beatles in-jokes. Within the DVD commentary monitor, manufacturing supervisor John Coates states that many of those traces had been written by Liverpudlian poet Roger McGough, although he obtained no credit score within the movie.

Within the DVD commentary monitor, Coates states that the Meanies had been all the time supposed to be colored blue. Nevertheless, Millicent McMillan recollects that the Blue Meanies had been initially purported to be pink, and even purple, however when Heinz Edelmann’s assistant unintentionally modified the colors, the movie’s characters took on a distinct which means.^[15] Coates acknowledges within the commentary that the “are you Bluish? You do not look Bluish” joke within the movie is a pun on the then-contemporary expression “you do not look Jewish”, however that it was not supposed to be derogatory.

Animation

The Beatles’ animated personas had been primarily based on their look in the course of the Sgt Pepper’s press get together at Brian Epstein’s home, on 19 Might 1967. The movie additionally consists of a number of references to songs not included within the soundtrack, together with “A Day within the Life,” the lyrics of that are referenced within the “Sea of Holes” scene, the orchestral breaks earlier within the movie are additionally taken from the tune.

Nationwide and international animators had been assembled by TVC. American animators Robert Balser and Jack Stokes had been employed because the movie’s animation administrators.^[16][17] Charlie Jenkins, one of many movie’s key artistic administrators, was chargeable for your entire “Eleanor Rigby” sequence, in addition to the submarine journey from Liverpool, by means of London, to splashdown. Jenkins additionally was chargeable for “Solely a Northern Music” within the Sea of Science, plus a lot of the multi-image sequences. A big crew of expert animators, together with (in alphabetical order) Alan Ball, Ron Campbell, John Challis, Hester Coblentz, Geoff Collins, Wealthy Cox, Duane Crowther, Tony Cuthbert, Malcolm Draper, Paul Driessen, Cam Ford, Norm Drew, Tom Halley, Dick Horne, Arthur Humberstone, Dennis Hunt, Greg Irons, Dianne Jackson, Anne Jolliffe, Dave Livesey, Reg Lodge, Geoff Loynes, Lawrence Moorcroft, Ted Percival, Mike Pocock, Gerald Potterton, and Peter Tupy, had been chargeable for bringing the animated Beatles to life. The background work was executed by artists beneath the route of Alison de Vere and Millicent McMillan, who had been each background supervisors. Ted Lewis and Chris Miles had been chargeable for animation cleanup.

George Dunning, who additionally labored on The Beatles cartoon collection, was the general director for the movie, supervising over 200 artists for 11 months. “Lucy within the Sky with Diamonds” was Dunning’s concept, which he turned over to Invoice Sewell, who delivered greater than thirty minutes of rotoscoped photographs. By that point, Dunning was unavailable, and Bob Balser, with the assistance of Arne Gustafson, edited the fabric to its sequence size within the movie.

The animation design of Yellow Submarine has generally been incorrectly attributed to well-known psychedelic pop artwork artist of the period Peter Max, as his artwork model enormously resembles the model used within the movie, however the movie’s artwork director was in reality Heinz Edelmann. Edelmann, together with such contemporaries as Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, pioneered the psychedelic model for which Max would later turn out to be well-known, however in accordance with Edelmann and producer Al Brodax, as quoted within the e-book Contained in the Yellow Submarine by Hieronimus and Cortner, Max had nothing to do with the manufacturing of Yellow Submarine.^[18]

Edelmann’s surreal visible model contrasts enormously with the efforts of Walt Disney Animation Studios and different animated Hollywood movies that had been beforehand launched on the time (a truth famous by Pauline Kael in her optimistic evaluation of the movie^[19]). The movie makes use of a mode of restricted animation. It additionally paved the way in which for Terry Gilliam’s animations for Do Not Alter Your Set and Monty Python’s Flying Circus (notably the Eleanor Rigby sequence), in addition to the Schoolhouse Rock vignettes for ABC and similar-looking animation in early seasons of Sesame Road and The Electrical Firm. (Solely one of many animation employees of Yellow Submarine, Ron Campbell, contributed subsequent animation to Youngsters’s Tv Workshop).

Music

Along with the 1966 title tune “Yellow Submarine,” a number of full or excerpted songs, 4 beforehand unreleased, had been used within the movie. The songs included “All Collectively Now,” “Eleanor Rigby”, “It is All Too A lot” (written by Harrison), “Child, You are a Wealthy Man” (which had first appeared because the B-side to “All You Want Is Love” in June 1967), “Solely a Northern Music” (a Harrison composition initially recorded throughout classes for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band), and “Hey Bulldog.” Written by Lennon, this final monitor was reduce from the movie earlier than it opened within the US. “Hey Bulldog” was restored for the US theatrical and residential video reissue in 1999. The 4 new songs used on the soundtrack album weren’t thought of of excessive sufficient high quality for look on a “common” Beatles album.^{[citation needed]}

The movie’s instrumental music was an orchestral rating composed and organized by George Martin. One of many movie’s cues, heard after the principle title credit, was initially recorded throughout classes for “Good Evening” (a monitor on The Beatles, often known as the “White Album”) and would have been used because the introduction to Ringo Starr’s White Album composition “Do not Cross Me By.” The identical cue was later launched as “A Starting” on the 1996 Beatles compilation Anthology 3.

Musical numbers

All tracks written by Lennon–McCartney besides the place famous.

Monitor begin and finish time is indicated in hrs:minutes:secs. These are approximated as a result of the songs are embedded within the movie plot and can’t be strictly separated.

1. 0:21–2:15: “Introduction Story” music by George Martin
2. 7:55–10:40: “Yellow Submarine”
3. 10:40–13:30: “Eleanor Rigby”
4. 19:00–19:55: “Love You To” (George Harrison) (excerpt, performed throughout George’s entrance)
5. 22:30–23:05: “A Day within the Life” (excerpt, orchestral swell, beginning because the submarine takes off)
6. 23:25–25:55: “All Collectively Now”
7. 28:20–31:15: “After I’m Sixty-4”
8. 31:30–34:30: “Solely a Northern Music” (Harrison)
9. 43:15–46:15: “Nowhere Man”
10. 48:00–51:30: “Lucy within the Sky with Diamonds”
11. 54:30–54:50: “Yellow Submarine” (a brief vocal excerpt when Ringo finds the inexperienced gap that results in Pepperland)
12. 56:15–56:25: “Assume for Your self” (Harrison) (brief excerpt, a line is sung a cappella to revive the Lord Mayor)
13. 1:06:35–1:08:50: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band”
14. 1:08:50–1:09:05: “With a Little Assist from My Pals” (brief excerpt, instantly following “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band” with out interruption, simply as on the 1967 album of the identical title)
15. 1:11:45–1:15:05: “All You Want Is Love”
16. 1:16:30–1:16:40: “Child, You are a Wealthy Man” (excerpt, performed as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band are, due to Ringo’s “gap in [his] pocket,” let loose from the anti-music bubble; the recording of the tune is expanded for the American-released model, and the scene with the growth of the recording of the tune results in a scene that replaces the anti-climactic “Hey Bulldog”)^{[citation needed]}
17. 1:17:25–1:21:00: “Hey Bulldog” (initially proven solely in Europe earlier than the movie’s 1999 restoration)
18. 1:24:15–1:27:15: “It is All Too A lot” (Harrison)
19. 1:27:15–1:29:00: “All Collectively Now” (accompanied by photographs of the true Beatles singing, numbers and letters, and “all collectively now” translated in varied languages)

First soundtrack album

The unique soundtrack album comprised the 4 new Beatles songs, two different Beatles songs (the title tune and “All You Want Is Love”), and orchestral items by George Martin.

The orchestral items had been additionally used within the brief NASA Apollo 9 mission movies, which NASA made for each mission.^[20]

Second soundtrack album

One other soundtrack was launched in 1999 that contained all The Beatles’ songs from the movie besides “A Day within the Life”.

Reception

Yellow Submarine obtained widespread crucial acclaim. Launched within the midst of the psychedelic popular culture of the Sixties, the movie drew in moviegoers each for its lush, wildly artistic photographs and its soundtrack of Beatles songs. The movie was distributed worldwide by United Artists in two variations. The model proven in Europe included an additional musical quantity, “Hey Bulldog,” heard within the last third of the movie. For launch in america, the quantity was changed with various animation due to time constraints. It was felt that, on the time, American audiences would develop drained from the size of the movie.
The movie realized receipts of greater than $992,000 USD within the US and greater than $280,000 USD internationally.^[21][22] For reference, the top-grossing movies for 1968 had been in extra of $50M within the home market alone.^[23][24]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie presently holds a 95{ae90547d17d4d74b17007ee836a04674fd006933c139011dc78eb03c100070a7} approval score primarily based on 60 opinions, with a mean score of seven.91/10.^[25] The web site’s crucial consensus states: “A joyful, phantasmagoric mix of colourful animation and the music of The Beatles, Yellow Submarine is pleasant (and infrequently melancholy) household fare.”^[26] On Metacritic, the movie has a weighted common rating of 78 out of 100, primarily based on 17 critics, indicating “typically beneficial opinions.”^[27]

Rights and distribution

Of all of The Beatles movies launched by United Artists, Yellow Submarine had been the one one to which UA retained the rights, main as much as its buy by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1981.^[28] In 2005, Sony Photos Leisure led a consortium that bought MGM and UA. SPE dealt with theatrical distribution for MGM till 2012. twentieth Century Fox Residence Leisure was chargeable for residence video distribution when the latest residence video launch went out of print till 30 June 2020.

For the fiftieth anniversary of the film in 2018, it was screened within the UK and Eire for in the future on 8 July 2018, and within the US from 8 July 2018.^[29][30] Amazon negotiated unique streaming rights to the movie through its Prime Video service, beginning 13 July 2018 within the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, France and Italy beneath a take care of Apple Corps. The businesses declined to reveal the size of Amazon’s unique rights.^[31]

Residence media

With the daybreak of the home-video period got here a chance to launch Yellow Submarine on VHS and LaserDisc. Nevertheless, it was held up by United Artists for some years over music-rights points.^[32] Coinciding with the CD launch of the soundtrack album, MGM/UA Residence Video issued the movie on residence video on 28 August 1987. To the frustration of followers within the UK, the movie was introduced in its US theatrical model, thereby omitting the “Hey Bulldog” scene.^[33] The video was discontinued round 1990, and for a few years copies of the unique VHS situation had been thought of collectables.

On 14 September 1999, then-rights holders Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Apple reissued the movie for the primary time on DVD and VHS utilizing restoration methods of the time.^[28] The sound was remixed to Dolby 5.1, and the movie was re-edited to its European theatrical model, with the “Hey Bulldog” quantity restored. This model (launched by MGM Residence Leisure, which was out there solely by means of Warner Residence Video worldwide) went out of print as soon as the rights reverted to Apple Corps.

Restoration

On 20 March 2012, Apple Corps introduced that the movie had been restored by hand for DVD and Blu-ray launch on 28 Might 2012 (29 Might in North America), later delayed one week to 4 June 2012 (5 June in North America). The corporate acknowledged: “The movie’s soundtrack album will probably be reissued on CD on the identical date. The movie has been restored in 4K digital decision for the primary time – all performed by hand, body by body.” The fragile restoration was supervised by Paul Rutan Jr and his staff, which included Chris Dusendschon, Rayan Raghuram and Randy Walker.^[34] No automated software program was used to wash up the movie’s repaired and digitised photo-chemical components. The work was performed by hand, a single body at a time, by 40 to 60 educated digital artists, over a number of months.^[35]

Along with the DVD and Blu-ray re-release, the restored model additionally obtained a restricted theatrical run in Might 2012.

For the fiftieth anniversary of the movie, the soundtrack and rating had been remixed in 5.1 stereo encompass sound at Abbey Highway Studios by combine engineer Peter Cobbin.^[29]

Soundtrack

On 14 September 1999, United Artists and Apple Information digitally remixed the audio of the movie for a extremely profitable theatrical and residential video re-release. Although the visuals weren’t digitally restored, a brand new switch was performed after cleansing the unique movie unfavorable and rejuvenating the color.^[28] A soundtrack album for this model was additionally launched, which featured the primary intensive digital stereo remixes of Beatles materials.

The earlier DVD launch additionally featured a music-only audio monitor, with out spoken dialogue, leaving solely the music and the songs.

Awards and honours

• 1968 New York Movie Critics Circle Awards Particular Award^[36][37]
• 1969 Hugo Award for Finest Dramatic Presentation (nominated)^[38]
• 1970 Grammy Award for Finest Authentic Rating Written for a Movement Image or a Tv Particular (nominated)^[39]

Scrapped remake

In August 2009, Selection reported that Walt Disney Photos and filmmaker Robert Zemeckis had been negotiating to provide a 3D computer-animated remake of the movie. Movement seize was for use, as with Zemeckis’ earlier animated movies The Polar Categorical (2004), Monster Home (2006), Beowulf (2007) and A Christmas Carol (2009). Selection additionally indicated that Disney hoped to launch the movie in time for the 2012 Summer season Olympics in London.^[40] Disney and Apple Corps formally introduced the remake on the inaugural D23 Expo on 11 September 2009.^[41]

Comic Peter Serafinowicz was solid to voice Paul, Dean Lennox Kelly as John, Cary Elwes as George, Adam Campbell as Ringo and David Tennant because the Chief Blue Meanie.^[42] California-based Beatles tribute band The Fab 4 was solid to carry out the efficiency seize animation for the animated Beatles.^[43][44]

In Might 2010, Disney closed Zemeckis’ digital movie studio ImageMovers Digital after unsatisfactory box-office efficiency of A Christmas Carol.^[45] On 14 March 2011, Disney deserted the challenge, citing the disastrous opening weekend outcomes of Simon Wells’ Mars Wants Mothers. Criticism towards motion-capture expertise was additionally an element.^[45]

After its cancellation at Disney, Zemeckis tried to pitch the remake to different studios. By December 2012, Zemeckis expressed that he had misplaced curiosity within the challenge, stating: “That will have been nice to deliver The Beatles again to life. But it surely’s most likely higher to not be remade – you are all the time behind the 8-ball when do you [sic] a remake.”^[46]

In 2021, footage of the remake surfaced on-line, revealing that the movie would have doubtlessly utilized soundbites from the unique and even recreate sure scenes. One of many extra notable variations was a sequence throughout Ringo’s introduction the place he was going to be tempted by a siren presumably created by the Blue Meanies.^[47]

In common tradition

Within the late Sixties, Corgi Classics Ltd. (previously often known as Corgi Toys) issued a licensed die-cast toy mannequin of the Yellow Submarine. In 1999, this explicit mannequin was re-issued as a collector’s merchandise (as proven).

• Within the 1978 mockumentary movie All You Want Is Money, The Rutles are featured within the animated movie Yellow Submarine Sandwich enjoying “Cheese and Onions”.^[48]
• Within the 1993 episode of The Simpsons titled “Final Exit to Springfield”, Lisa Simpson, beneath anesthetic, has a dream sequence extremely paying homage to the movie.^[49][50][51]
• Skilled wrestler The Blue Meanie derived his title and persona from the villains of the movie.^[52]
• The 2001 episode of The Powerpuff Ladies titled “Meet the Beat Alls”, which comprises quite a few Beatles references, briefly options cameos of the band members’ likenesses from Yellow Submarine. One character from stated episode resembles Fred from the movie.^[53]
• Within the episode of the animated collection Smeshariki – “BallAst”, the principle characters are swimming in a yellow submarine beneath water, in addition to sounds the association of the tune “Yellow Submarine”.^[54][55]
• Within the 2007 particular of Household Man titled “Blue Harvest”, when Lois Griffin as Princess Leia turns into indignant with Peter Griffin as Han Solo for driving the ship into an asteroid area he says, “It was both this or the Strawberry Fields!”. This results in a cutaway gag that options the band members of their Yellow Submarine likenesses floating within the house, surrounded by big strawberries.
• The 2007 movie Stroll Exhausting: The Dewey Cox Story options an animated acid journey sequence that parodies Yellow Submarine.^[56][57][58]
• The third Futurama movie, Bender’s Sport (2008), makes visible references to Yellow Submarine.^[59]
• Within the Robotic Rooster episode titled “As a result of Constraints of Time”, Yellow Submarine is spoofed in a sketch known as “Ping Them Again”.
• In 2010, the official music video for “Your Love Is My Drug” by American pop recording artist Ke$ha, options digital animation sequences, making visible references to Yellow Submarine.^[60]
• In 2014, attire firm Vans launched a collection of sneakers primarily based on Yellow Submarine.^[61]
• In 2016, for the fiftieth anniversary of the unique tune’s launch, the die-cast toy automotive model Scorching Wheels launched a miniature duplicate of the Yellow Submarine from the movie, in addition to an assortment of six toy vehicles that includes imagery from the movie.^[62]
• In 2016, Lego Concepts launched a Yellow Submarine Lego set that features minifigures of the 4 Beatles and Jeremy Hillary Boob, together with the submarine.^[63]
• Within the 2019 Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark jokingly refers to his shipmate Nebula as a “Blue Meanie”.^[64][65]
• In The Huge Lez Present season 3 finale, the principle characters eat a plant named the “Blue Meanie”, and it having a psychedelic impact. Within the season 4 finale, “Choomah Island 3 – Denouement”, Sassy and Donny go on a visit paying homage to this movie and encounter John Lennon.^[66]
• On 9 November 2021, a ROM hack of Tremendous Mario Bros. 2 was launched entitled “The Beatles Adventures in Pepperland”, which relies on the cartoon. It options The Beatles as the principle protagonists as a substitute of Mario Occasion and makes use of all traditional songs in each stage.

See additionally

• The Beatles in movie
• Listing of animated feature-length movies
• Listing of fictional submarines
• Listing of movies associated to the hippie subculture