History Film / Help

* [[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable AcCENT Upon the Wrong SylLABle]]: Clang pronounces "Beetle" to rhyme with "Seattle".

* ObviousTrap: Several traps, particularly the last one, are [[ExageratedTrope comically obvious]]. The cast is cheerfully oblivious.

* WhatTheFuAreYouDoing: Ringo during a fight scene. Everyone else pretty much ignores him.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Secondary villains Foot and Algernon, a somewhat bumbling mad scientist and his assistant who are out to get the sacrificial ring in order to Take Over The World... somehow.

** The main reason the mad scientists want the ring.

* ProductPlacement: John is seen reading his own book ''A Spaniard In The Works'' in his house.

* ClingyMacGuffin: The ring.

* MacGuffin: The ring. It has no power in and of itself, but others sure think it does.

--> '''Algernon:''' I work better with animals. They trust me, you see. I should have gone into vivisection.

* [[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable AcCENT Upon the Wrong SylLABle]]: Clang's pronunciation of "Beatle" as "be-A-tle" (rhyming with "Seattle").

* AppliedPhlebotinum: The shrinking potion

-->'''Chief Superintendent:''' So, this is the famous Beatles.

In the mid-1960s, Music/TheBeatles were the hottest thing since sliced bread. The four guys from Liverpool not only topped the charts with their music, but they topped the box office with their movie ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' in 1964. So, in 1965, they, director Richard Lester, and producer Walter Shenson got back together to make another movie for Creator/UnitedArtists. The result was ''Help!''

Unlike its predecessor (though more like Richard Lester's non-Beatles films), ''Help!'' was a surreal and literally colorful action adventure parody and a {{homage}} to Creator/UnitedArtists' most successful film series at the time, ''Film/JamesBond''. Its plot was ahead of its time -- real ''Film/JamesBond'' films wouldn't be so nonsensical for another decade.

The problem is, nobody can get the ring off Ringo. Thus, the deadline for the ring going to its original sacrifice passes, and Ringo is now the official sacrifice for the cult.

In their attempts to get the ring off Ringo, the Beatles approach two mad scientists. The mad scientists fail to get it off, and the Beatles cease co-operating with them. By this point, the scientists have decided that it's their ticket to world domination. This leads to a chase which leads the Fab Four and both sets of their pursuers to the Austrian Alps, Salisbury Plain (near Stonehenge), Buckingham Palace and The Bahamas.

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This had an obvious effect on their performances. However, Richard Lester was probably sober. Whatever the cause, the result was a RandomEventsPlot [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] to this day for its shameless {{camp}}iness. The Music/{{Help}} CultSoundtrack to it is also held in high regard for hit material such as the TitleTrack, "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "Ticket To Ride"' and "Yesterday" (which was on the album, but not in the movie). The soundtrack album has [[Music/{{Help}} its own entry]].

* BiggerOnTheInside: The Beatles' house ''looks'' like 4 separate townhouses from the outside, but it is all one big room.
** Also, it is ColourCodedCharacters. John = red, Paul = white, George = green, Ringo = blue.
** In other words, it's a CoolHouse!
*** It is a CoolHouse indeed, because each Beatle has his own quirk to their room: Ringo has several vending machines, John has a bookshelf and his bed is in a pit in the floor, Paul has an organ which surfaces from the floor, and George has a bed of grass complete with a gardener!
**** There was also a deleted scene that showed that one of them also had a cow in a cupboard used for free milk.
** Also BiggerOnTheInside was the Eastern temple when it was brought to the Bahamas under a beach.

** [[CaptainObvious Caption Obvious]]: A tiger's appearance has the caption "A tiger".

** Also, naked Paul?
** Paul on the beach in tight t-shirt and jeans further qualifies.

* {{Flanderization}} - The film versions of the band were supposed to exhibit exaggerated versions of their own personalities: John as a snarky smartaleck, Paul as a smooth lady killer, George as a miserly spendthrift, and Ringo as... well, Ringo. Most of this gets lost in the finished version, though.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: ''You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'', a song InTheStyleOf Music/BobDylan addressing homosexuality.

* HeelFaceTurn: Ahme.
** However: "[[NoFourthWall I am not what I seem.]]"
* HumanSacrifice

* NostalgiaFilter: "Help", thinking about "when I was younger, so much younger than today. I never needed anybody's help in any way" and "Yesterday", referring to the time "when all my troubles seemed so far away".

* PoliceAreUseless: Subverted. While the Royal Guards seem to be a literal bunch of [[RedShirt Redshirts]] (who get knocked out by gas, [[ItMakesSenseInContext trapped in weightlessness]], etc), and seemingly play this trope straight (as also seen by the fact that they never turn up for such things as restaurants and private homes getting invaded), it all suddenly changes once the Beatles actually decide to go ''to'' the police. Indeed, in the third act the police actually ends up [[spoiler:saving the Beatles]]. ''[[spoiler:Twice (British and Bahaman police respectively)]]''!

[[quoteright:350: From left to right: Ringo, Paul, John (playing piano), George. Just in case.]]

** In one scene Ahme is on a train discussing religion with an English vicar. The vicar can later be seen in the audience for the sacrifice.

* RealitySubtext: Paul says to Ringo "Well, you didn't miss your tonsils, did you?", referencing the fact that Ringo had a tonsillectomy earlier that year.

* ThrowItIn: Part of the "Ticket to Ride" sequence, which the directors considered beautiful, was marred by the presence of telegraph poles in the background. Attempts at removing them failed...and then someone had the idea of superimposing musical notes over the wires in time with "I think I'm going to be sad..."

** When the record producer asks "Boys, are you [[AddledAddict buzzing]]?" John answers "No thanks, I've got the car."

The plot involves a cult from "the eastern country" (presumably but not definitely India) and loosely based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee Thuggee]] who make sacrifices to their goddess, "Kaili". The person to be sacrificed wears a large ring with an enormous ruby in it. Unfortunately, the cultists find out at the ceremony that the girl who was supposed to be sacrificed mailed the ring to RingoStarr, who is now wearing it. So, the cult scrambles to England to get the ring.

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This had an obvious effect on their performances. However, Richard Lester was probably sober. Whatever the cause, the result was a RandomEventsPlot [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] to this day for its shameless {{camp}}iness. The Music/{{Help}} CultSoundtrack to it is also held in high regard for hit material such as the TitleTrack, "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "Ticket To Ride"' and "Yesterday" (which was on the album, but not in the movie). The soundtrack album now has [[Music/{{Help}} its own entry]].

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This had an obvious effect on their performances. However, Richard Lester was probably sober. Whatever the cause, the result was a RandomEventsPlot [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] to this day for its shameless {{camp}}iness. The CultSoundtrack to it is also held in high regard for hit material such as the TitleTrack, "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "Ticket To Ride"' and "Yesterday" (which was on the album, but not in the movie). The soundtrack album now has [[Music/{{Help}} its own entry]].

* ThePowerOfLove: Most of the songs on the album.

* UrbanLegend: The album cover supposedly has the band mimicking the word ''Help'' in semaphore sign language. This was originally the idea, but the photographer felt the movements they made didn't look as photogenic, so he allowed the band to strike other poses that looked better.

* WhiteVoidRoom: The Beatles stand in it on the album cover.

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This had an obvious effect on their performances. However, Richard Lester was probably sober. Whatever the cause, the result was a RandomEventsPlot [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] to this day for its shameless {{camp}}iness. The CultSoundtrack to it is also held in high regard for hit material such as ''Help!'', ''You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'', ''Ticket To Ride'' and ''Yesterday''.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/help_album_cover_2639.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The album cover]]

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This had an obvious effect on their performances. However, Richard Lester was probably sober. Whatever the cause, the result was a RandomEventsPlot [[CultClassic fondly remembered]] to this day for its shameless {{camp}}iness.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Ringo, in a possible CallBack to '''AHardDaysNight''. "What are you doing?" "Posting a letter."

* CrowdSong: The Ode to Joy, in German.

* {{Flanderization}} - The film versions of the band were supposed to exhibit exaggerated versions of their own personalities: John as a snarky smartaleck, Paul as a smooth lady killer, George as a miserly spendthrift, and Ringo as... well, Ringo. Most of this gets lost in the finished version, though.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The Beatles have admitted they more or less wanted a paid vacation, which is why they suggested some of the film's more exotic locations (The Bahamas, the Alps).

** The Beatles seem rather undisturbed as well, at least until they see Ringo's hand nearly get chopped off. Of particular note is [[CrowningMomentOfFunny John's complete nonchalance over finding items in his food]] (the result of the chefs being knocked out).