A rare photo with autographs of all four Beatles is set to fetch thousands at auction.
The picture is signed in blue and red ballpoint inks by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
The signatures were obtained by the vendor’s brother Alec in 1964.
He was asked to work as 2nd Assistant Director on “A Hard Day’s Night”, a musical comedy directed by Richard Lester.
The picture is expected to fetch over 7K at Chiswick Auctions Autographs and Memorabilia October 10.
“Shooting started in early March ’64 at Twickenham Studios,” said the vendor.
”Originally, as no name had been given to the film, all scripts were simply titled, ‘The Beatles’.
”It wasn’t until Ringo came in one day and said, “It’s been a hard day’s night” that Dick Lester decided that ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ should be the title for the film.
”One of the many jobs of a 2nd’ Assistant Director is to make sure the stars of a movie are happy and to make sure they are on the set when required.
”Consequently, my brother got to know John, Paul George and Ringo better than some of the other technicians.
”When not working on films, he was a professional drummer and used to try to teach some jazz drum rudiments to Ringo in the canteen during lunch breaks at Twickenham Studios, but Ringo had his own style and jazz wasn’t his thing!
”It was subsequently Ringo who signed his signature on the photograph first, with my brother’s red pen.
”Paul McCartney, being the main spokesman for the band, liaised with Alec a lot and would phone our home phone number in the evenings (much to my Mum’s annoyance) if there was any problems.
”I got to speak to him a couple of times. Paul then signed the photo, and then George. John, being much more aloof than the others, was the last one to sign the photo, when they were well into the seven-week shoot, which was finished towards the end of April ’64,” said the vendor.
”My brother also helped make a ‘short’ which was used to promote the main feature movie called ‘Follow The Beatles’.
”It was a manic, frenetic time and the unit needed as much stamina as the Beatles to get all of Dick Lester’s ideas to work.
”So, by the end of the shoot, this eleven year old kid was presented with a full set of The Beatles autographs, much to the envy of our neighbours and my equally Beatles-obsessed school mates”.
The signatures have been pre-verified.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
