Book Review: Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film

I once knew a woman who would begin a topic, branch out into a related subject, add a few footnotes before launching into a similar train of thought until the air between us was filled with such a variety of crisscrossing themes that had the conversation been visible, it would have resembled the veins of a leaf as viewed under a microscope. Not everyone had the kind of time on their hands or patience necessary to listen to all Marianne’s exhaustive (and occasionally, exhausting) monologues, but anyone who did came away enriched and entertained.

I thought of Marianne when I read Steve Matteo’s Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film because while it certainly does fulfill the promise of its subtitle, it also presents a plethora of well-written background information that might be fascinating to some, overwhelming or even dull to others.

But let’s begin with the positive. Matteo is an excellent, descriptive writer. I won’t soon forget the image he paints of the Beatles waving to cheering crowds during the Liverpool premier of Hard Day’s Night while the city police band below them plays “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Ditto for the scene of Paul McCartney sketching out the idea for Magical Mystery Tour on airline stationery while flying home from the US. And while the following might not be news to diehard fans, I found this summation of the White Album quite illuminating:

“The album reflected not only the violence of the era, including protests against the war in Vietnam and nuclear proliferation and the assassination of political and social leaders, but also meditations on a variety of subjects, originally written on acoustic guitars in the tranquil days the group spent in India.”

Matteo also provides a plethora of insightful background material to set the stage for each new cinematic venture. For instance, I never connected the dots between the plot of Help! and the James Bond films popular at the time. But yes, for all its comedy and musical numbers, Help! is indeed a spoofy tale of international intrigue. Matteo brilliantly (if a bit tediously) sets the film within its historical context by listing and briefly describing each Bond film in chronological order before diving into Help!

However, more than occasionally, Matteo’s fondness for detail overwhelms his narrative, making the writing less descriptive and more encyclopedic. For instance, consider the following paragraph, which I quote in its entirety:

“Much has been said about the Beatles’ deal with UA. The initial budget of the film was 200,000 pounds for a black-and-white film. UA hired Walter Shenson to produce; he would be paid 12,000 pounds, splitting the profits 50/50 with UA. His company, Proscenium Films, had two separate deals with Brian Epstein: one with Northern Songs for the songs Lennon and McCartney would supply for the film (and, most importantly for UA, for the soundtrack), and one with NEMS Enterprises on behalf of the entire group. In the original deal, Epstein had said he wouldn’t accept less than an advance of 20,000 pounds and 25 percent of the net profits). Epstein then passed on the negotiations to his lawyer, David Jacobs. Jacobs quickly realized the number Epstein had floated was too low and eventually negotiated an advance of 25,000 pounds and 20 percent of the net profits.”

Interesting to anyone into numbers and percentages, but most likely, few others.

Act Naturally may not hold the interest of the average Beatles’ fan, but it is certainly an insightful and detailed labor of love and will be appreciated by anyone willing to take some time and a deep dive into the history of the Fab Four’s cinematic endeavors.