Originally presented in wide release in 1968, “Yellow Submarine” is back on the big screen this summer. Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater will screen this worldwide smash hit on July 15 for the 50th anniversary of the film.
“Yellow Submarine,” based on a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is a fantastic tale brimming with peace, love and hope, propelled by classic Beatles songs, including “Eleanor Rigby,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” “All You Need Is Love” and “It’s All Too Much.” When the film debuted, it was instantly recognized as a landmark achievement, revolutionizing a genre by integrating the freestyle approach of the era with innovative animation techniques.
In “Yellow Submarine,” the music-loving inhabitants of Pepperland are under siege by the Blue Meanies, a nasty group of music-hating creatures. The Lord Mayor of Pepperland (Dick Emery) dispatches sailor Old Fred (Lance Percival) to Liverpool, England, where he is to recruit the help of the Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr). The sympathetic Beatles ride a yellow submarine to the occupied Pepperland, where the Blue Meanies have no chance against the Fab Four’s groovy tunes.
Inspired by the generation’s new trends in art, the film hearkens back to the dazzling pop art styles of Andy Warhol, Martin Sharp, Alan Aldridge and Peter Blake. With art direction and production design by Heinz Edelmann, “Yellow Submarine” is a gem of animated cinema, featuring the creative work of animation directors Robert Balser and Jack Stokes with a team of animators and technical artists.
Directed by George Dunning, and written by Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn and Erich Segal, “Yellow Submarine” began its voyage to the screen when Brodax, who had previously produced nearly 40 episodes of ABC’s animated Beatles TV series, approached The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein with a unique vision for a full-length animated feature.
“Yellow Submarine” has now been restored in 4K digital resolution, and the film’s songs and score have been remixed in 5.1 stereo surround sound at UMG’s Abbey Road Studios.
The film will screen on July 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 or $5 for students, and may be purchased at townhallteater.org, by calling (802) 382-9222, at the THT box office (Monday-Saturday, 12-5 p.m.) or at the door, if available. Run time is 87 minutes.