Yellow Submarine
Short description
Yellow Submarine is an animated musical adventure in which the peaceful undersea realm of Pepperland is invaded by the Blue Meanies, who stamp out its colour, music and joy. The only resident to escape, Old Fred, takes the yellow submarine to Liverpool and persuades the Beatles to return with him and help free his homeland. What follows is a journey through strange seas and fantastical lands as the band tries to restore Pepperland to what it was.
The film was directed by George Dunning from a screenplay by Erich Segal, Al Brodax and Jack Mendelsohn, and produced by Al Brodax for Apple Corps, King Features Production, TVC London and United Artists. It runs 90 minutes and blends animation with the Beatles' music. The voice cast includes Paul Angelis, who plays Ringo Starr, the Chief Blue Meanie, George and the narrator; John Clive as John Lennon; Dick Emery as Jeremy Hillary Boob, the Nowhere Man, as well as the Lord Mayor and Max; Geoffrey Hughes as Paul McCartney; and Lance Percival as Old Fred. Peter Batten provided George's singing voice without credit.
Released in July 1968, the film performed modestly at the box office, taking about 1 million dollars worldwide, yet its reputation has grown well beyond that figure. On TMDB it holds 7.2 out of 10 from 570 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 8.2 out of 10 from 57 reviews, a gap that suggests reviewers have long regarded it more warmly than general audiences have.
What's left behind the scenes
- The inspiration for the Yellow Submarine in the cartoon was a real research vessel (bathyscaphe) which, among other things, participated in the search for the Loch Ness Monster in Loch Ness. This is why the submarine in the cartoon has a rather unusual architecture and does not resemble the submarines we are used to.
- A 25-ton replica of the famous “Yellow Submarine” has been installed in the square in front of the main terminal of Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
- In the summer of 1967, director George Dunning (1920-1979) brought German actor Heinz Edelmann (1934-2009) to London to be the producer of this film. The script was not ready, so Edelmann was not given any specific task. After a couple of months of this “downtime,” he decided he’d had enough and, to vent his frustration, began drawing villainous characters that Dunning liked very much. From that moment on, Edelmann became the driving force behind the entire project. He drew almost all of the characters and came up with the storyline. Edelmann also invented the style of “visual overload” (his own term), which he applied to cover up plot holes and keep the audience’s attention at the right level. Many viewers later assumed that Edelmann was using hallucinogens, but he always rejected this suggestion.
- Director George Dunning was given only 11 months to work on the film. At that time, it took 4 years to create a typical Disney cartoon. Dunning had to increase the studio's staff by four times and fend off patrons who desperately wanted to change the actors' Liverpool accent. The Beatles themselves had practically nothing to do with the project. Hired voice actors spoke for the cartoon characters. The film was a hit, earning Dunning prestige and an award from the National Society of Film Critics in the USA. Even The Beatles themselves were so impressed that they agreed to appear in a hastily filmed epilogue. Dunning himself remained at a financial loss. He had initially agreed to direct the film for a fixed fee, which he spent when work on the film went over budget. So, the huge profits the film earned passed Dunning by. He didn't direct another feature film after that.
- In the final weeks of work on the film, voice actor Peter Batten was arrested for desertion. George Harrison (1943-2001) was then voiced by Paul Angelis (1943-2009). Voice actor Dick Emery (1915-1983) was also arrested during World War II for going absent without leave from the Royal Air Force. He appeared on stage, and two military police officers sitting in the audience recognized him.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
