Yellow Submarine

Close your eyes and Imagine an animated movie.
Which is the first that comes to mind?
Is it a Disney movie, perhaps Pixar?
What if you were told it a Beatles movie?
Wouldn’t you be excited?
I know I was when I heard about it for the first time.
This book will give you a glance at the amazing Beatles movies – Yellow Submarine.
We will get to know it, see some teasers, perhaps a few spoilers and get to know the great songs which give it its true beauty.
So let’s begin!

So what is this movie about?

This is a 1968 animated musical adventure film directed by animation produce George Dunning.

It is inspired by the music of the Beatles.

Pepperland is a music-loving paradise under the sea, home to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The land falls under a surprise attack from the music-hating Blue Meanies, who live beyond the blue mountains. The attack starts with a music-proof glass globe that imprisons the band. The Blue Meanies fire projectiles and drop apples that  drain the entire countryside of colour.

In the last minutes before his capture, Pepperland’s elderly Lord Mayor sends Young Sgt. Pepper Fred to get help. Fred takes off in the Yellow Submarine . He travels to Liverpool where he follows a depressed Ringo to “The Pier”, a house-like building where pysics rules do not apply, and persuades him to return to Pepperland with him. Ringo collects his mates John, George, and Paul. The four decide to help Fred, as they call him, and journey with him back to Pepperland in the submarine.

After which they pass through several regions on their way to Pepperland, including the Sea of Time, where time flows both forwards and backwards , the Sea of Science and the Sea of Monsters, in the Sea of Nothing, they meet Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D., a short and studious creature.

As they prepare to leave, Ringo feels sorry for the lonely Boob, and invites him to join them aboard the submarine. A little bit later they are separated from the submarine and Fred. They then find themselves in the Sea of Holes, an expanse of flat surfaces with many holes. Jeremy is kidnapped by a Blue Meanie, and the group finds their way to Pepperland.

What happens in Pepperland? Well…

Watch the movie and find out!

The songs

The songs were chosen for this movie complete the plot in their magical way. They are from several Beatles albums and most of them were written by Lennon–McCartney.
You might recognize some of them.
Try and guess where would they fit in the movie.

• Yellow Submarine
• Hey Bulldog
• Eleanor Rigby
• Love You To
• All Together Now
• Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
• Think For Yourself
• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
• With A Little Help From My Friends
• Baby You’re A Rich Man
• Only A Northern Song
• All You Need Is Love
• When I’m Sixty-Four
• Nowhere Man
• It’s All Too Much

the movie’s full soundtrack

The Animation

The animation design of Yellow Submarine is psychedelic pop art. The film’s art director was Heinz Edelmann. Edelmann, along with his contemporary Milton Glaser, pioneered the psychedelic style.

Edelmann’s surreal visual style contrasts greatly with the efforts of Walt Disney Animation Studios and other animated Hollywood films that had been previously released at the time. The film uses a style of limited animation. It also paved the way for Terry Gilliam’s animations for Monty Python’s Flying Circus (particularly the Eleanor Rigby sequence).

The Beatles’ animated personas were based on their appearance in the promotional film for the song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” with the exception of Paul being without his mustache. The film also includes several references to songs not included in the soundtrack, including “A Day in the Life,” the lyrics of which are referenced in the “Sea of Holes” scene, the orchestral breaks earlier in the film are also taken from the song.

The Cast

Initial press reports stated that the Beatles themselves would provide their own character voices. However, aside from composing and performing the songs, the real Beatles participated only in the closing scene of the film, while their cartoon counterparts were voiced by other actors:

• 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

• Dick Emery as Max / Lord Mayor / Jeremy Hillary Boob

• Lance Percival as “Young/Old” Fred

In Personal Note

as a child growing in a family who loves 60’s music and the Beatles in particular, this movie was mandatory.

I admit it is a boi hard to digest.

The animation and colors are not the kinds of things we are used to seeing in movies.

But once you unchain yourself from the conservative point of view – you’ll discover the real magic.

How the songs wrap the plot so well, and how the artwork compliments the songs.

How all kinds of different arts come together and brings the audience the most accurate Beatles experience they can have.

From the special atmosphere to the familiar wonderful songs and to the wise text written for the Beatles characters filled with puns.

and isn’t it exactly what the 60’s all about?