Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Sgt__Pepper_poster_9184.jpg|frame| Cue the insane calliope...]]
[[File:Sgt__Pepper_poster_9184.jpg|frame| Cue the insane calliope...]]



{{quote|''"A Splendid Time is Guarranteed For All"'' - quote from "Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite" used as the [[Irony|ironic]] [[Tagline]].}}
{{quote|''"A Splendid Time is Guarranteed For All"'' - quote from "Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite" used as the [[Irony|ironic]] [[Tagline]].}}


A 1978 movie combining The [[Bee Gees]], [[Steve Martin]], [[Peter Frampton]], Frankie Howard, George Burns and [[Alice Cooper]] with the then-11-year-old classic [[Beatles]] [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|album]], although it also incorporates other late-period Beatles songs. Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick lent the film their reflected credibility.
A 1978 movie combining The [[Bee Gees]], [[Steve Martin]], [[Peter Frampton]], Frankie Howerd, George Burns and [[Alice Cooper]] with the then-11-year-old classic [[Beatles]] [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|album]], although it also incorporates other late-period Beatles songs. Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick lent the film their reflected credibility.


This [[All-Star Cast]] fantasy tries to wrap a storyline around Beatles songs and characters in them, as a vehicle for popular acts of the time: Peter Frampton, the [[Bee Gees]], Alice Cooper, etc. There is no spoken dialogue aside from that of narrator Mr. Kite (George Burns), the mayor of Heartland U.S.A.
This [[All-Star Cast]] fantasy tries to wrap a storyline around Beatles songs and the characters in them, as a vehicle for popular acts of the time. There is no spoken dialogue aside from that of narrator Mr. Kite (George Burns), the mayor of Heartland U.S.A.


A prologue establishes that the original Sgt. Pepper and his bandmates were able to bring peace and harmony to those around them -- even warring armies -- with their music. After he died, the magical instruments were given over to the care of his hometown of Heartland, and now Billy Shears (Frampton) and the Henderson Brothers (the Bee Gees) have formed a new version of the band. They're good enough that they attract the attention of unscrupulous producer B.D. Hoffler (Donald Pleasence), and soon they are off to Hollywood to experience the hedonistic side of superstardom.
A prologue establishes that the original Sgt. Pepper and his bandmates were able to bring peace and harmony to those around them -- even warring armies -- with their music. After he died, the magical instruments were given over to the care of his hometown of Heartland, and now Billy Shears (Frampton) and the Henderson Brothers (the Bee Gees) have formed a new version of the band. They're good enough that they attract the attention of unscrupulous producer B.D. Hoffler (Donald Pleasence), and soon they are off to Hollywood to experience the hedonistic side of superstardom.
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{{tropelist}}
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* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The original album is more or less a fantasy concert. The movie starts with a concert…and then there's the whole plot. Also, it incorporates songs from other [[The Beatles|Beatles]] albums as well (''Abbey Road'' in particular).
* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The original album is more or less a fantasy concert. The movie starts with a concert... and then there's the whole plot. Also, it incorporates songs from other [[The Beatles|Beatles]] albums as well (''Abbey Road'' in particular).
* [[All-Star Cast]]
* [[All-Star Cast]]
* [[Big Bad]]: F.V.B., which stands for Future Villain Band (Aerosmith).
* [[Big Bad]]: F.V.B., which stands for Future Villain Band (Aerosmith).
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* [[The Ingenue]]: Strawberry Fields is a "free spirit" example.
* [[The Ingenue]]: Strawberry Fields is a "free spirit" example.
* [[Jukebox Musical]]: One of the earliest examples.
* [[Jukebox Musical]]: One of the earliest examples.
* [[Loads and Loads of Characters|Loads And Loads Of Cameos]]: At the end of the film, the "SPLHCB Reprise" is sung by many, many, many rock musical acts. And Carol Channing.
* [[Loads and Loads of Characters|Loads And Loads Of Cameos]]: At the end of the film, the "SPLHCB Reprise" is sung by many, many, many rock musical acts. [[My Friends and Zoidberg|And Carol Channing.]]
* [[Magic Music]]: The original band's special instruments can produce this.
* [[Magic Music]]: The original band's special instruments can produce this.
* [[Magical Negro]]: {{spoiler|Billy Preston comes out of nowhere and [[Deus Ex Machina|fixes everything]]}}.
* [[Magical Negro]]: {{spoiler|Billy Preston comes out of nowhere and [[Deus Ex Machina|fixes everything]]}}.
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* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Earth Wind & Fire and Aerosmith only get one song/scene apiece, yet they're the best-regarded of the bunch.
* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Earth Wind & Fire and Aerosmith only get one song/scene apiece, yet they're the best-regarded of the bunch.
** "Got to Get You Into My Life" has become one of EWF's signature pieces; arguably they perform it much better than The Beatles did.
** "Got to Get You Into My Life" has become one of EWF's signature pieces; arguably they perform it much better than The Beatles did.
** Similarly, "Come Together" is something of a lesser trademark song for Aerosmith, and they have included it in their live performances for decades.
* [[The Power of Love]]: When Billy is left unconscious after his fight with Father Sun, Strawberry's love -- and the song that gave her her name -- brings him around.
* [[The Power of Love]]: When Billy is left unconscious after his fight with Father Sun, Strawberry's love -- and the song that gave her her name -- brings him around.
* [[Race Lift]]: {{spoiler|Sgt Pepper was white; when he's reborn, he's black!}}
* [[Race Lift]]: {{spoiler|Sgt Pepper was white; when he's reborn, he's black!}}
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* [[Telegraph Gag STOP]]: The protagonists receive a telegram from BD Hoffler, president of Big Deal Records.
* [[Telegraph Gag STOP]]: The protagonists receive a telegram from BD Hoffler, president of Big Deal Records.
{{quote|'''Telegram:''' We hear your music is great STOP We need a tape of your songs and we need it now STOP And if we like your music we'll make you superstars and the money will never stop STOP Signed BD Hoffler, Hollywood}}
{{quote|'''Telegram:''' We hear your music is great STOP We need a tape of your songs and we need it now STOP And if we like your music we'll make you superstars and the money will never stop STOP Signed BD Hoffler, Hollywood}}
* [[Tie-in Novel]]: Yep, it had one....and neither Billy Shears nor the Hendersons speak in that version either. As with the [[Tie-in Novel]] of Stigwood's ''Grease'', this one has VERY little resemblance to the movie, and seems to be screenwriter Henry Edwards' attempt to fix what was wrong with the film by adding characters and making the story considerably more elaborate. Strangely, the book manages to reference the film in its narrative -- the book ends with Sgt. Pepper's band gaining an all-star line-up, as in the film, except the list of celebrities in this unseen band stretches for several pages, ending with the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and other figures associated with the film.
* [[Tie-in Novel]]: Yep, it had one... and neither Billy Shears nor the Hendersons speak in that version either. As with the [[Tie-in Novel]] of Stigwood's ''Grease'', this one has ''very'' little resemblance to the movie, and seems to be screenwriter Henry Edwards' attempt to fix what was wrong with the film by adding characters and making the story considerably more elaborate. Strangely, the book manages to reference the film in its narrative -- the book ends with Sgt. Pepper's band gaining an all-star line-up, as in the film, except the list of celebrities in this unseen band stretches for several pages, ending with the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and other figures associated with the film.
* [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]]: A [[Real Life]] example. The movie was based on a stage show called ''Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road'', the type of musical built around a single artist's/group's works which was innovative in the early '70s, yet commonplace now (''[[Mamma Mia]]!'', ''Stepping Out'', ''Jersey Boys'', etc.)
* [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]]: A [[Real Life]] example. The movie was based on a stage show called ''Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road'', the type of musical built around a single artist's/group's works which was innovative in the early '70s, yet commonplace now (''[[Mamma Mia]]!'', ''Stepping Out'', ''Jersey Boys'', etc.).
* [[Unholy Matrimony]]: Lucy and Dougie Shears (Billy's brother and the manager of the new Lonely Hearts Club Band) are brought together by their mutual love of money.
* [[Unholy Matrimony]]: Lucy and Dougie Shears (Billy's brother and the manager of the new Lonely Hearts Club Band) are brought together by their mutual love of money.
* [[The Vamp]]: Lucy and the Diamonds.
* [[The Vamp]]: Lucy and the Diamonds.
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