Richard Lester on filming The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night: “The fans had got hold of hacksaws…”

Director Richard Lester, actress Pattie Boyd, extra Phil Collins and choreographer Lionel Blair, among others, recall the filming of The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night in the new issue of Uncut, dated September 2014 and out now.

Lester reveals the full extent of the fans’ hysteria over the group, especially evident while they were filming at the Scala Theatre in London.

“The fans had got hold of hacksaws and sawed through the iron bars of the fire-escape doors,” he says.

“There was one situation where the kids got a ladder and climbed onto the roof of the Scala to try and get in where I’d barred it up,” adds associate producer Denis O’Dell.

The new issue of Uncut is out now.

Photo: Criterion